BharatNotes Integration
noun (countable and uncountable)Usage in a UPSC answer
True nation-building demands not merely the territorial unification of states but the social and emotional integration of diverse linguistic, religious and regional identities into a shared civic fabric, so that pluralism becomes a source of strength rather than a fault line.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Word Family
integrate (v), integrated (adj), integral (adj/n), disintegrate (v), reintegrate (v), integrative (adj)
Root
Latin integrātiō = renewal; integrāre = to make whole; integer = whole; in- + tangere = to touch
Etymology
From Latin integrātiō ("renewal, restoration"), from the verb integrāre ("to make whole"), from integer ("whole, untouched"), combining in- (negation) and the root of tangere ("to touch").
Memory Hook
Think INTEGER (a whole number): integration makes scattered parts whole and complete -- "integer" + "-ation" = making one whole.
How This Word Works in UPSC Writing
The consolidation of separate political units into a single state, and its distinction from accession is what questions test. Accession transferred only three subjects and left the state otherwise intact, whereas integration dismantled the states as separate entities, and it proceeded by four different routes rather than one. Small states were merged into adjoining provinces, as the Deccan states were into Bombay. Groups of states were combined by covenant into new unions, producing Saurashtra, PEPSU, Rajasthan, Madhya Bharat and Travancore-Cochin. A few, including Manipur, Tripura and Himachal Pradesh, became centrally administered areas. And Mysore, Hyderabad and Jammu and Kashmir continued as separate states. Rulers were compensated through privy purses and the retention of titles and personal privileges guaranteed by Articles 291 and 362, and those guarantees were abolished by the 26th Amendment in 1971. The States Reorganisation Act of 1956 then redrew the map on linguistic lines.
Don’t Confuse It With
Accession transferred three subjects while leaving the state intact, whereas integration dismantled it as a separate entity, and merger is the particular route of absorbing a state into a neighbouring province. A covenant was the instrument creating a union of states such as Saurashtra or PEPSU. The privy purse was the payment guaranteed to rulers in return for surrendering their states, abolished by the 26th Amendment in 1971. The States Reorganisation Act, 1956 redrew boundaries on linguistic lines, which is a separate exercise from integration itself.
Hindi Meaning
एकीकरण (ekīkaran); विलय (vilay) for merger and प्रिवी पर्स for privy purse.
Common Questions
- How does integration differ from accession?
- Accession transferred only defence, external affairs and communications while the state survived as an entity, whereas integration dissolved the states into provinces, unions or centrally administered areas.
- What happened to the privy purses?
- They were guaranteed under Articles 291 and 362 as compensation to rulers, and were abolished along with princely titles and privileges by the 26th Amendment in 1971.
Seen in UPSC Question Papers
- Mains 2021 · GS1 · 10 marks — Modern History
- Mains 2015 · GS1 · 12.5 marks — Indian Society
Real UPSC previous-year questions whose text uses “Integration” — proof this word earns its place on your list.
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