Article 1 of the Constitution of India declares India to be which of the following?

Introduction / Context:
Article 1 of the Constitution of India is the starting point for understanding the political structure of the country. It defines how India is described in constitutional language and reveals important ideas about the nature of the Indian Union. This question asks you to recall the exact phrase used in Article 1 to describe India.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• We are dealing with Article 1 of the Constitution of India.
• The article declares the type of political entity that India is.
• Options include federal State, quasi federal State, unitary State, Union of States, and confederation of States.
• We assume knowledge that the Constitution uses specific wording, not general labels.

Concept / Approach:
Article 1 states that India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States. This formulation indicates that India is not described simply as a federation created by agreement among independent states. Instead, the Union is considered indestructible, while the States can be reorganised by Parliament. The phrase Union of States emphasises unity and a strong centre while still recognising the existence of States within the Union. Therefore, the correct answer is a Union of States, not federal or quasi federal, even though scholars may describe the system in those terms.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall the exact opening words of Article 1: India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States. Step 2: Observe that the words federal or unitary do not appear in Article 1. Step 3: Compare this precise phrase with the options provided. Step 4: Select A Union of States as the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
Reading Article 1 in the bare Constitution confirms that it does not use the terms federal or unitary, but instead uses Union of States. Constitutional commentators explain that this wording was chosen deliberately by the framers to indicate a federal structure with a strong centre. This confirms that the correct option must reproduce the constitutional phrase Union of States.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
A federal State and a quasi federal State: These expressions are used by scholars to analyse the nature of Indian federalism, but they are not the textual description in Article 1. A unitary State and a confederation of States: These do not match the constitutional reality or wording. India has a written constitution with distribution of powers between the Union and the States, not a loose confederation or a pure unitary system. Hence, these options are incorrect.

Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake is to confuse scholarly descriptions with constitutional text. Examinations testing Article 1 usually expect the exact phrase Union of States rather than an analytical label like quasi federal. Another pitfall is to think of India as purely federal or purely unitary based on everyday political language. Remember that the Constitution adopts a nuanced structure and expresses it in its own carefully chosen words.

Final Answer:
A Union of States