Is India a Union of States?

Yes, the Indian Constitution in Article 1 describes the country as ‘Union of States’ although its Constitution is federal in nature. According to Dr B R Ambedkar, the phrase ‘Union of States’ has been preferred to ‘Federation of States’ for two following reasons:

• The Indian federation is not the result of an agreement among the states, like the American Federation.
• The states have no right to secede from the federation. 

The federation is a union because it is indestructible. 

Further Reading:

• Constitution of India
• Political Map of India