Article 3
Parliament's Power to Alter a State's Name
Article 3 gives Parliament the exclusive power to form new states and to alter the area, boundaries, or name of an existing state by ordinary legislation — a lower procedural bar than a constitutional amendment, since changing internal state boundaries or names does not touch the "federal" provisions protected under Article 368's proviso.
- A Bill under Article 3 can only be introduced in either House on the recommendation of the President, and if it affects the area, boundaries, or name of a state, the Bill must first be referred by the President to that state's Legislature for its views.
- The state legislature's views are advisory only — Parliament is not bound to accept or act upon them, and no state has a veto over its own reorganisation or renaming.
- Once introduced, a Article 3 Bill requires only a simple majority (more than half of members present and voting) in each House to pass, unlike a constitutional amendment Bill under Article 368.
- Precedents include Madras being renamed Tamil Nadu (1969), Uttaranchal being renamed Uttarakhand (2007), and Orissa being renamed Odisha (2011).
● Tracked since February 24, 2026 · last seen August 17, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
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