List Of Union Territories In India

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Safalta Expert Published by: Deepesh Mehra Updated Tue, 26 Oct 2021 06:24 PM IST

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Article One of the Constitution of India, declares India to be A Union Of States. The 7 th Constitution Amendment Act incorporated Union Territories into India Polity. Union Territories are strategically located or have a complex history and special development needs, considering administrative necessities they are kept separate from the States. The Union Territory Of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are the latest addition to the list of Union Territories. The executive power of the Union (i.e. union of states only) rests with the President of India. The President of India is also the chief administrator of union territories per Article 239. Article 239 A and 239AA provide special status to the Union Territories of Delhi and Puducherry.

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List Of Union Territories In India

There are 8 Union territories in India. The list for the same is given below:

1. Andaman and Nicobar Islands

2. Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu

3. Chandigarh

4. Lakshadweep

5. Puducherry

6. Delhi

7. Ladakh

8. Jammu and Kashmir

1. Andaman and Nicobar Islands

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands, located in the east of the Indian mainland geographically, float in splendid isolation in the Bay of Bengal. Once a hill range extending form Myanmar to Indonesia, these picturesque undulating islands, islets numbering around 836, are covered with dense rain-fed, damp, and evergreen forests and endless varieties of exotic flora and fauna. Most of these islands (about 550) are in the Andaman Group, 28 of which are inhabited. The smaller Nicobars, comprise some 22 main islands (10 inhabited). The Andaman and Nicobars are separated by the Ten Degree Channel which is 150 Kms. wide.

2. Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu

Recently the Daman and Diu is merged into Dadar and Nagar Haweli to form a single Union Territory i.e., Dadar and Nagar Haweli. From 1954 till 1961, the territory functioned almost independently by what was known as " Free Dadra and Nagar Haveli Administration ". However, the territory was merged with the Indian Union on 11 August, 1961, and since then, is being administered by the Government of India as a Union Territory.

3. Lakshadweep

India’s smallest Union Territory Lakshadweep is an archipelago consisting of 36 islands with an area of 32 sq km. It is a uni-district Union Territory and comprises of 12 atolls, three reefs, five submerged banks and ten inhabited islands. The islands have a total area of 32 sq km. The capital is Kavaratti and it is also the principal town of the UT. All Islands are 220 to 440 km away from the coastal city of Kochi in Kerala, in the emerald Arabian Sea. The natural landscapes, the sandy beaches, an abundance of flora and fauna and the absence of a rushed lifestyle enhance the mystique of Lakshadweep.

4. Puducherry

The Union Territory of Puducherry comprises the former French establishments of Puducherry, Karaikal, Mahe, and Yanam, which lie scattered in South India. Puducherry, the capital of the Territory was once the original headquarters of the French in India, is situated on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal and is about 135 kms. from Chennai Airport. It is bounded on the east by the Bay of Bengal and on the three sides by Tamil Nadu. About 130 km. south of Puducherry on the East Coast lies Karaikal. Mahe is situated on the Malabar coast on the Western Ghats surrounded by Kerala and is about 70 km. from Calicut Airport.

5. NCT of Delhi

The 69th amendment to the Constitution of India inserted Article 239AA, which declared the Union Territory of Delhi to be administered by an L-G who works on ‘aid and advice of elected legislative assembly. Delhi finds prominent references right from the times of the epic Mahabharata. Its control passed from one ruler/dynasty to another, beginning with the Mauryas, Pallavas, Guptas of Central India, and then to the Turks and Afghans during the 13th to 15th centuries, and finally to the Mughals in the 16th century. In the latter half of the 18th century and early 19th century, British rule was established in Delhi.

6. Chandigarh

Chandigarh, the dream city of India's first Prime Minister, Sh. Jawahar Lal Nehru was planned by the famous French architect Le Corbusier. Picturesquely located at the foothills of Shivaliks, it is known as one of the best experiments in urban planning and modern architecture in the twentieth century in India. Chandigarh derives its name from the temple of "Chandi Mandir" located in the vicinity of the site selected for the city. The deity 'Chandi', the goddess of power and a fort of 'Garh laying beyond the temple gave the city its name "Chandigarh-The City Beautiful". The city has a pre-historic past. The gently sloping plains on which modern Chandigarh exists, was in the ancient past, a wide lake ringed by a marsh. The fossil remains found at the site indicate a large variety of aquatic and amphibian life, which was supported by that environment. About 8000 years ago the area was also known to be home to the Harappans.
From the medieval through the modern era, the area was part of the large and prosperous Punjab Province which was divided into East & West Punjab during the partition of the country in 1947. The city was conceived not only to serve as the capital of East Punjab but also to resettle thousands of refugees who had been uprooted from West Punjab.
In March 1948, the Government of Punjab, in consultation with the Government of India, approved the area of the foothills of the Shivaliks as the site for the new capital. The location of the city site was a part of the erstwhile Ambala district as per the 1892-93 gazetteer of District Ambala.

7. Ladakh

Ladakh became a Union Territory on 31st October 2019. The Union Territory of Ladakh comprises two districts namely Leh and Kargil. It is renowned for its remote mountain beauty and distinct culture. The UT of Ladakh shall comprise of two districts namely Leh and Kargil.

8. Jammu and Kashmir

Jammu and Kashmir, union territory of India (until October 31, 2019, a state), located in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent centered on the plains around Jammu to the south and the Valley of Kas to the north.

Union Territories are special arrangements to manage administrative and other affairs. India is divided into various States and Union Territories according to composition, size and need. State are more powerful and are more autonomous than Union Territories.

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