The debate on the territorial set-up of the Indian state is very dense, and has shown interesting peculiarities over time. Unlike other federations, the choice for ‘Republic of India’ (Bhārat Gaṇarājya) as official name excluded a direct and intuitive recognition of the federal structure. The reason for a non-explicit constitutional label for federalism resides in the aim of the Constituent Assembly to prevent secessionist claims and future political breakdowns. Starting from the aforementioned considerations, the essay deals with the constitutional framework of India, focusing on the administrative division, the political system, the judiciary and the enforcement of rights.
