What are the Union Territories of India?
Union territories or UTs in India are national territories allocated by the Union Government of India, and UT of India is also referred to as centrally administered territories.
List of Union Territories of India PDF
The President of India designates the Lieutenant Governors (LGs) of UT, and these governors serve as the administrators of Indian Union Territories. The UTs were presented in the States Reorganisation Act, 1956. The vision of the UT was added by the Constitution (Seventh Amendment) Act, 1956.
All Union Territories of India - Requirements
- There were 14 states and six union territories in India in 1956. A few states have been increased to 28, and UTs have become 8 over the years.
- Some UTs that evolved as entire states since the 1960s are Sikkim, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, and Mizoram.
- Chandigarh is the organizational capital of both Punjab and Haryana, while Delhi is the organizational capital of India.
- Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep islands are situated far from the continent of India and occupy strategic places.
- Union government control of them may be regarded as necessary from a federal security point of view.
- The UTs of Puducherry were under the French's management, while Daman and Diu were under the Portuguese.
- They have a more diverse culture than their surrounding States, and special provisions may be needed to maintain this identity and provide satisfactory governance.
List of 8 Union Territories of India
Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh was officially established as union territories in 2019. This list provides all the details about the 8 union territories, including their capital, population, and area.
Name of Union Territories of India | Year of Foundation | Capital city | Population according to the 2011 census number | Area (km2) |
Andaman and Nicobar Islands | November 1956 | Port Blair | 3,80,581 | 8,249 |
Chandigarh | 1 November 1966 | Chandigarh | 10,55,450 | 114 |
Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu | 26 January 2020 | Daman | 3,43,709 | 603 (with DandD) |
Delhi | 1956 | New Delhi | 1,67,87,941 | 1,483 |
Lakshadweep | 1 November 1956 | Kavaratti | 64,473 | 32 |
Puducherry | 1 November 1954 | Pondicherry | 12,47,953 | 479 |
Jammu and Kashmir | 31 October 2019 | Srinagar in Summer and Jammu in Winter | 1,22,67,013 | 42,241 |
Ladakh | 31 October 2019 | Leh | 2,74,289 | 59,146 |
Largest Union Territories of India
Concerning area, Ladakh is the largest union territory, with 59,146 km2 of land area. Population-wise, the largest union territory in Delhi. According to the 2011 Census, the total population of Delhi is 16,787,941.
Union Territory | Capital |
Jammu and Kashmir | Srinagar (Summer), Jammu (Winter) |
Lakshadweep | Kavaratti |
Chandigarh | Chandigarh |
Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu | Daman |
Puducherry | Puducherry |
Andaman and Nicobar Islands | Port Blair |
Delhi | New Delhi |
Ladakh | Leh (summer), Kargil (winter) |
Union Territories of India and Their Capitals 2022
There are 8 union territories in India: Ladakh, Chandigarh, Delhi, Dadra, and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Jammu and Kashmir, Andaman and Nicobar, Lakshadweep, and Puducherry.
- The Indian government enacted the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019.
- It reconstituted Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories - the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and the Union Territory of Ladakh.
- Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu integrated into one Union Territory in 2020, referred to as Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.
1. Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Particulars | Description |
Area | 8,249 sq. km |
Population | 4 lakh (approx) |
Capital | Port Blair |
Languages | Hindi, Bengali, , Malayalam, Nicobarese, Tamil, Telugu |
2. Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu
Particulars | Description |
Area | 603 sq km |
Population | 4 Lakhs (Approx) |
Capital | Daman |
Languages | Gujarati, Hindi |
3. Lakshadweep
Particulars | Description |
Area | 32 sq. km |
Population | 64,429 ( Approx ) |
Capital | Kavaratti |
Languages | Jeseri (Dweep Bhasha), Malayalam, and Mahal |
4. Puducherry (Pondicherry)
Particulars | Description |
Area | 479 sq km |
Population | 12,44,464 (Approx) |
Capital | Puducherry |
Languages | Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, English, and French |
5. NCT of Delhi
Particulars | Description |
Area | 1,483 sq. km |
Population | 1,67,53,235 (Approx) |
Capital | Delhi |
Languages | Punjabi, Hindi, Urdu, and English |
6. Chandigarh
Particulars | Description |
Area | 114 sq km |
Population | 10,54,686 (Approx) |
Capital | Chandigarh |
Languages | Punjabi, Hindi, and English |
7. Ladakh
Particulars | Description |
Area | 59,146 sq km |
Population | 2.74 lakhs (Approx) |
Capital | Leh |
Languages | Ladakhi, Sino-Tibetan, Tibeto-Burman |
8. Jammu and Kashmir
Union Territories | India |
Capital | Jammu (winter), Srinagar (summer) |
Area | 42,241 sq. km |
Languages | Urdu, Balti, Kashmiri, Gojri, Dogri, Ladakhi, Pahari, and Dari |
Difference between Union Territory and State
The table lists the basic differences between state and union territories of India.
State | UT in India |
They experience a nationwide connection with the Union Government by dividing executive and legislative powers. | UT is more of a unitary association with the Union Government as all the executive and legislative powers reside with the Indian Government. |
States enjoy autonomous controls. | Union Territories do not have independent powers. |
People elect the chief Minister who assists the state. | Ut of India is assisted by a Lieutenant Governor selected by the Indian President. |
The constitutional state head is the Governor. | The Indian President is the administrative leader of the Union Territory. |
A State is a constituent branch, and its own elected government has powers to prepare laws | Union Territory is a small executive unit. The Government of the Union rules it except for Puducherry, Jammu, Kashmir, and Delhi. |
- Residents living in the union territories cannot hold the people governing them answerable, which damages the democratic rights of these individuals who are otherwise available to those in the states.
- There are 3.68 crore Indian citizens living in eight Union Territories of India.
- They are not permitted the democratic freedom of having their Assemblies with full control as enjoyed by those living in the 28 states.
Even in the case of UTs with a selected government, they have minimal powers compared to the states. The UTs are often at the understanding of the appointees of the central government.
Union Territories of India - Structural Fragility
The structural delicacy of the UT in India makes it easier for the central government to interfere in the functioning of the union territory of India and destabilize them.
Arrangement of the legislature:
- A simple modification in the Government of Union Territories Act, 1963, can make a Parliament with more than 50% nominated associates.
- As per the constitutional provisions about the legislature's composition in union territories of India, it is a body that is elected or partly appointed.
- A partly selected and partially assigned legislature cannot support democratic aspirations.
- A predominantly assigned House cannot encourage representative democracy.
Issue of nomination:
- The nomination process is prone to politicization, as marked in the case of Puducherry.
- The Union government had designated Assembly members without conferring with the government, questioned in the court.
- No such qualification is laid down In the nomination to the Puducherry Assembly, either in the Government of Union Territories of India Act or Article 239A, unlike under Article 80.
Administrator's control:
- Union Territories of India have not been granted crucial independence, thus restraining them from a fully democratic set-up.
- Tremendous powers have been bestowed on the Administrator/Lieutenant Governor in the UTs.
- The President chooses on the suggestion of the Union government. The Union government finally solved the debated issue.
- Under Article 239 AA(4) of the Constitution and Government of Union Territories Act (Section 44), the leader has the freedom to oppose the judgments of the Council and then mention them to the President for a definitive conclusion.
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