What are Union Territories?
Before knowing about the list of Union Territory States in India we should know about Union Territory States. Union Territory is a small administrative unit that is administered and controlled directly by the Central government.
Each Union Territory state in India is represented by a representative of India’s President and elected by the Central government. It is different from the State government which has a separate governing body.
During the 1956 state reorganization discussion, it was voted to form a separate government unit for territories which neither is a state nor follows a conventional pattern when it comes to governance.
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These financially vulnerable and politically uncertain territories can’t survive solely and are dependent heavily on the Union Government for all their organization. The initial Union Territory of India is Andaman and Nicobar Island.
In the List of Union Territory States in India, we have 8 Union Territories out of which Delhi, Jammu Kashmir, and Puducherry have their selected members and Chief Minister as stated by the constitution.
They have their legal administrative council and conduct all the administrative functions like other states.
Except for Delhi and Puducherry, all the other Union Territories have no representation in Rajya Sabha. Union Territories hold special rights because of their configuration process and growth.
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List of Union Territory States in India
The complete list of 8 Union Territories in India is given below –
1. Andaman and Nicobar Islands –
Andaman Group of islands is positioned at the north of 10° north latitude and Nicobar Group of islands is positioned at the south of 10° north latitude. The Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Island is located between 6° and 14° North Latitude and 92° and 94° East Longitude.
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2. Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu –
On 11 August 1961, Daman and Diu merged with Nagar Haveli intending to form a separate Union Territory i.e. Dadar and Nagar Haveli.
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3. Lakshadweep –
It is the smallest Union Territory of India and according to earlier belief, the Hindu islanders were overpowered and turned to Islam by Arab traders. Later on, the islands were built into a single territory under the direct administration of the Union government.
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4. Puducherry –
Puducherry, Karaikal, Mahe, and Yanam are the previous French founding of Puducherry situated in South India. With a population of approximately 12,44,464 (Approx) and an area of 479 sq km, Puducherry merged with the Indian Union on 1st November 1954.
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5. NCT of Delhi –
After the capital was substituted from Kolkata to Delhi in 1911, Delhi became the core of all judicial and governmental activities. In 1956, Delhi was listed as a Union Territory.
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6. Chandigarh –
On 1 November 1966, Chandigarh was listed as a Union Territory. Chandigarh is the Shared capital of both Haryana and Punjab. The North and West of Chandigarh are surrounded by Punjab whereas the East and South are surrounded by Haryana.
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7. Ladakh –
Leh and Kargil are the two districts in the Union Territory of Ladakh. Ladakh was listed as a Union Territory on 31st October 2019.
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8. Jammu and Kashmir –
With an area of 222,236 sq. km, Jammu and Kashmir were listed as Union Territory on 31st October 2019.
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Need for Union Territories in India
Territories that are financially vulnerable or politically uncertain couldn’t be sustained under separate control and need to be administered by the Union Government. The notion of union territories was added to the State Reorganization Act of 1956.
1. Union territories are normally small and have less population and land size as compared to States, hence they are too small to function separately and are under the control of the union government (except Delhi, Jammu, Kashmir, and Puducherry).
Delhi is the official capital of India, and Chandigarh is the governing capital of both Haryana and Punjab.
2. As some of the Union Territories have been following the rule of foreign countries such as Portuguese (Daman and DIU) and French (Puducherry), have a distinct culture from the neighboring States.
Thus, these Union territories cannot be merged and governed with the neighboring States.
3. Since Andaman and Nicobar Island and Lakshadweep are located far from India’s mainland. Consequently, they are significant to India and in case of any crisis, the Indian government can immediately represent them.
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When did the Union Territories Act come into existence in India?
India being a federal country has bestowed its ruling power on the Central and State governments.
A Union government has complete rights to create a new state, expand or contract the size of any state, or modify the state name.
The 1949 Constitution of India included –
1. Part A – Indians under British rule had a Governor and Legislature.
2. Part B – Rajpramukh controlled all the previous sovereign and royal states.
3. Part C – The Chief Commissioner administered some royal states.
4. Part D – Lieutenant Governor who was selected by the Central Government to administer the Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Island.
During the 1956 State Reorganisation Act, part C and part D were joined into a single Union Territory. THE GOVERNMENT OF UNION TERRITORIES Act came into existence on 10th May 1963 and it was the seventh amendment added by the constitution.
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Difference between a State and a Union Territory
1. The state has a federal connection with the central government. The authoritative and administrative powers are distributed. Union territories have a unitary connection with the central government which indicates that all the legislative and executive powers are executed by the union.
2. There are 28 states and 8 union territories.
3. The constitutional leader of the state is the governor and the president of India is the executive head of the union territories.
4. The administrating people of the state appropriately elect the chief minister. Union territory executive head Administrator or Lieutenant governor is elected by the president.
5. States are much larger in size than union territories. Union territories are much smaller in size when compared to the states.
6. States have self-governing power and union territories don’t have self-governing power.
7. Parliament cannot make law on the matter of state list in association with the state except under unusual circumstances. Parliament can make laws on the subject of the three lists in association with union territories.
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Key Facts on Union Territories
1. Union Territories like Andaman and Nicobar, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, and Puducherry have Lieutenant Governors.
2. Union Territories like Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, and Lakshadweep have Administrators.
3. The Governor of Punjab as well as the Administrator of Union Territory of Chandigarh is V.P. Singh Badnore.
4. Daman and Diu, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli were combined into a single Union Territory in 2020. Currently, Praful Patel is the administrator of the combined Union Territory known as Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.
5. According to Article 239, the President of India is the Chief Administrator of the Union Territories.
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