Administrative divisions of Vishwamitra
The administrative divisions of Vishwamitra are sub-national administrative units of Vishwamitra; they are composed of a nested hierarchy of administrative divisions. Vishwamitra is a federation of 6 states (राज्य Rajya) and one crown dependency (अधीन क्षेत्र Aadheen kshetra).
States and federal territories
The six states and their respective states and the national capital are combinedly referred to as the "National Territorial Region" which is spread over the city of Guwahati. The federal territory of Chandrabans is located almost 25 kilometres from the national territorial region. All of the six states have an executive monarchy with the monarch being titled as "Rajpramukh" who is a hereditary ruler chosen from among the dynastic lineage and serves as the head of state and head of government of the respective state. However, provisions for a separate head of government exist and Purvanchal is till date the only state to have a chief minister.
The Constitution of Vishwamitra under Part VI mentions about the states and territories. Article 48 lays down the precedence of the states and the other territories and those of the rulers and the territorial representatives under Article 49. The constitution, under Article 49, provided special provisions for the state of Basistha due to its administrative past. It mentions that special provisions shall be created for the administration of Basistha in case of inactivity or incapacity of the Rajpramukh. Thus, in September 2021, then reigning Rajpramukh Mohammad Mridul Amin was forced to abdicate by the Conference of Rulers which ended the monarchy of the state and placed the state under a special gubernatorial rule with the head of state being known as "Rajyapal" who was appointed by the Conference of Rulers as their direct representative.
In March 2022, the monarchy in Basistha was re-established at the pleasure of the conference of rulers and Anoushkaa Patranabish was chosen as the Rajpramukh.
States
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Crown dependencies
| Flag | Coat of arms | Dependency | Native name | Capital | Pop. | Official languages | Abbreviation | RIS | Reigning dynasty | Head of state | Head of government |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Chandrabans | चंद्रबन, চন্দ্রবন | Chandrabans | No standing population | English, Hindi, Bengali, Assamese | CN/CND | – | Rashtradhyaksh | Crown Representative Tanvi Sridasa | ||
|
|
Navrajya | नवराज्य, ନବରାଜ୍ୟ | Navrajya | 1 | English, Hindi, Odia | NR/NRY | – | Rashtradhyaksh | Commissioner Suryadeva Kapei | |
|
Swarnarajya | स्वर्णराज्य, ಸ್ವರ್ಣರಾಜ್ಯ | Swarnarajya | 1 | English, Hindi, Kannada | – | Rashtradhyaksh | Commissioner Dinesh Rajagopalan |
Federal Capital
Article 59 of the constitution mentions that until the parliament determines otherwise, the city of Rajagriha shall be the federal capital and that the Rashtradhyaksh shall be responsible for formulating laws and administration of the federal capital. It is a complicated jurisdiction as Rajagriha is also the capital of the state of Purvanchal and is administered by the Rajpramukh of Purvanchal and the Mayor of Rajagriha who is appointed by the Rajpramukh.
Governance
The governance of the states is divided between the federal government and the state governments, while the federal territories are directly administered by the federal government under the Rashtradhyaksh. The specific responsibilities of the federal and the state governments are listed under Article 61 (Civil lists) of the Constitution and can be jointly legislated by the centre and the state. However, the federalism in Vishwamitra has always been referred to as a "quasi-federal" structure as the centre (or federal government) enjoys larger immunity and powers as compared to the state governments and thus, the centre maintains a hegemony over the states. The states are responsible to make laws pertaining to their administration, internal affairs, politics, culture, etc.
Each of the states have a hereditary ruler as the executive head of state and head of government, with an only exception to Purvanchal where the Chief Minister serves as the head of government. All the hereditary rulers are styled Rajpramukhs and are also the heads of their respective reigning houses. Most states require the ruler to be an ethnic Hindu either by birth or adoption; however, the first hereditary ruler or Rajpramukh of Basistha, Mridul Amin (r. 2020-2021) was a Sunni Muslim. The federal head of state, the Rashtradhyaksh (commonly referred to as "Supreme Head of the Nation" or "King/Queen" in English) is elected (de facto rotated) among the rulers to serve a five-year term. The rulers of the states are a symbol of the ethnic and religiously diverse population of the nation.
As a flaw in the federal administration, none of the states have their own legislature and thus the executive and other legislative power is vested upon the Rajpramukhs of the respective states. The Rajpramukh is responsible for the day-to-day administrative affairs of the states and the government, however, they may appoint a separate individual to serve as the Chief Minister of the state and act as the head of government. The Rajpramukhs also appoint the mayors of the respective capital cities and compose the Conference of Rulers. Till date, the state of Purvanchal is the only state to have its separate position for a head of government.
The Lok Sabha, the unicameral legislature of the federation is permitted to legislate on issues of land, religion and local government to provide for a uniform law between different states, or on the request of the state government concerned.
Apart from the states, the crown dependencies are annexed lands which are located far from the national territorial region. Chandrabans is the only crown dependency and they fall under the direct purview and control of the Rashtradhyaksh and the Lok Sabha to legislate on matters concerning the dependencies. The Rashtradhyaksh appoints a representative for the affairs of the territory who also serves as the head of the government.
Chandril
Chandril, officially known as the Special Administrative Region of Chandril, was a special administrative region of Vishwamitra which was formed after the Republic of Lowenia decide to cede to Vishwamitra with the signing of the Treaty of Chandril between Rashtradhyaksh Varuna Sriraya and President Dinesh Rajagopalan of Lowenia on 17 October 2020 which became effective the next day on 18 September 2020 when Chandril became a special region of Vishwamitra. Despite demands for full statehood for Chandril and representation in the Conference of Rulers, the territory was accorded a special status with the Administrator being the co-head of state and head of government. Dinesh Rajagopalan was appointed to serve as the first administrator after the cessation.
The territory had autonomy over its internal matters, security, development and culture. However, tensions began to escalate between the Rashtradhyaksh and the administrator on various issues including demands for statehood, larger autonomy, higher precedence, etc. The administrator was also found to be indulged in activities which hampered the image of the state and was suspended from his duties twice. Finally, the territory was expelled from the federation on 6 February 2021 following the events which later came to be known as the "Fall of Chandril". The territory of Chandril later declared its independence and formed the Kingdom of Indradhanush.
Other administrative divisions
Apart from the states and dependencies, the other administrative divisions include the overseas territories which are autonomous territories scattered in different parts of the world. There are currently six overseas territories- one in Nepal ,two in the United States, one in Australia, one in Indonesia, and one in Malta. Each territory has autonomy over its internal affairs, security, development, agriculture, husbandry, education, culture, tourism, expenditure, etc. All the overseas territories are governed in the name of the Rashtradhyaksh by the respective Administrators who are appointed by the Rashtradhyaksh in consultation with the Minister of External Affairs.
The Department of Overseas Territories of the Ministry of External Affairs is responsible for the affairs of the overseas territories in addition to the Administrator's Council which is the only common law-making body in the overseas territories.
See also
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