{"id":3869,"date":"2026-01-05T23:29:02","date_gmt":"2026-01-05T17:59:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/?p=3869"},"modified":"2026-01-06T10:55:50","modified_gmt":"2026-01-06T05:25:50","slug":"union-territories","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/union-territories\/","title":{"rendered":"Union Territories"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><strong>What are Union territories?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n<p>Union territories are the administrative units that are governed in part or wholly by the Union Government of India.<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>As per\u00a0<strong>Article 1<\/strong>\u00a0of the constitution, the territory of India shall comprise:\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>The territories of the States<\/li>\r\n\t<li>The\u00a0<strong>Union Territories<\/strong><\/li>\r\n\t<li>Such other territories may be acquired.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Part VIII\u00a0<\/strong>of the Indian Constitution( Article 239- Article 241) deals with the Union territories.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2><strong>What are the present Union Territories in India?<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n<p>Currently, India has\u00a0<strong>eight<\/strong>\u00a0Union territories which were constituted for various purposes across time. These include<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><strong>Delhi<\/strong>\u00a0(1956): For administrative needs as it is the National Capital Territory.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Andaman and Nicobar<\/strong>\u00a0(1956): Strategic significance due to its presence in the Bay of Bengal.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Chandigarh<\/strong>(1966): For administrative needs as it is the common capital for Punjab and Haryana.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu\u00a0<\/strong>(2020): Cultural uniqueness as it used to be Portuguese possession.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Jammu and Kashmir\u00a0<\/strong>(2019): For administrative, developmental, and security purposes.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Ladakh<\/strong>\u00a0(2019): For special attention to the tribal communities and territorial remoteness.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Lakshadweep<\/strong>\u00a0(1956): For the strategic significance due to the presence in the Arabian Sea.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Puducherry<\/strong>\u00a0(1956): For its cultural uniqueness for being an erstwhile French territory.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2><strong>How did the Union Territories evolve in India?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n<p>The Constitution of India, adopted in November 1949, divided Indian states into four categories.\u00a0<strong>Part C<\/strong>\u00a0States included former princely states and chief commissioners\u2019 provinces. The only Part D State was Andaman and Nicobar Islands, administered by a lieutenant governor appointed by the Union government.<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><strong>1956:<\/strong>\u00a0The States Reorganisation Act of 1956 merged all Part C and Part D states into a new category called \"<strong>Union territory<\/strong>\".\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>Six Union territories created were:\u00a0<strong>Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Delhi, Manipur, Tripura, and Himachal Pradesh.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n\t<li>Later, Himachal Pradesh became a state, followed by Manipur and Tripura.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>1961: Dadra<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0<strong>Nagar<\/strong><strong>Haveli,<\/strong>\u00a0which were under Portuguese rule, were merged into India and were made a Union territory.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>1962<\/strong>:\u00a0<strong>Pondicherry<\/strong>\/Puducherry became a Union territory after its transfer from French possession and was granted a state legislature by the\u00a0<strong>Government of Union Territories Act 1963.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>1966: Chandigarh<\/strong>\u00a0was made the shared capital of Haryana and Punjab and became a Union territory.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>1987: Daman<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0<strong>Diu\u00a0<\/strong>earlier used to be part of Goa and became a Union territory.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>2019<\/strong>: The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act split the state into two Union territories:\u00a0<strong>Jammu and Kashmir<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0<strong>Ladakh<\/strong>.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>2020<\/strong>: The two Union territories of\u00a0<strong>Dadra and Nagar Haveli<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0<strong>Daman and Diu\u00a0<\/strong>were merged into a single territory.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2><strong>What are the differences between the States and Union Territories?<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n<figure>\r\n<table>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td class=\"tb-color\"><strong>Feature<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td class=\"tb-color\"><strong>States<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td class=\"tb-color\"><strong>Union Territories<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td><strong>Form of government<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td>A state is a constituent division that has a separate government.<\/td>\r\n<td>The Union territories are administered and controlled directly by the Central Government of India.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td><strong>Federal relationship\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td>States enjoy a federal relationship with the central government. The legislative and executive powers are distributed.<\/td>\r\n<td>Union territories are part of the unitary structures under the central government. This means all the legislative and executive powers rest with the Union.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><strong>Role of Governor\/<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p><strong>Administrator\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>The Governor acts in aid and advice of the Council of Ministers.<\/td>\r\n<td>The Administrator acts on behalf of the President.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td><strong>Representation in parliament<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td>Represented in both Houses of Parliament. (Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha)<\/td>\r\n<td>Represented in Lok Sabha only except for\u00a0<strong>Delhi<\/strong>,\u00a0<strong>Puducherry<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0<strong>Jammu<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0<strong>Kashmir<\/strong>\u00a0which have representation in Rajya Sabha also.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td><strong>Legislative assembly<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td>Has its own Legislative Assembly.<\/td>\r\n<td>Does not have its own Legislative Assembly, except for\u00a0<strong>Delhi<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0<strong>Puducherry,<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0<strong>Jammu and Kashmir.<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<h2><strong>How are the Union Territories classified in India?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n<figure>\r\n<table>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td class=\"tb-color\" colspan=\"3\"><strong>Union Territories of India\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td colspan=\"2\"><strong>With Legislature\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td><strong>Without legislature\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Delhi NCR<\/td>\r\n<td>Puducherry<\/td>\r\n<td>Other Union Territories<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td><strong>Executive\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td>Lieutenant Governor on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers.<\/td>\r\n<td>Lieutenant Governor on the aid and the advice of the Council of Ministers.<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p>Administered by the President acting to such extent through an Administrator.<\/p>\r\n<p>Administrator\u2019s Advisory Councils and Home Minister\u2019s Advisory Committees (HMACs) are set up to advise the Administrators on matters concerning these UTs.<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td><strong>Legislature\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p>Legislative assembly on the State list (except\u00a0<strong>police, public order, and land<\/strong>) and concurrent list of the 7th Schedule.<\/p>\r\n<p>Parliament on the three lists of the 7th Schedule. (In case of conflict, the law made by Parliament prevails)<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p>Legislative Assembly on the State list and concurrent list of the 7th Schedule<\/p>\r\n<p>Parliament on the three lists of the 7th Schedule. (In case of conflict, the law made by Parliament prevails)<\/p>\r\n<p>President can make regulations when the assembly is suspended<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p>Parliament on the three lists of the 7th Schedule<\/p>\r\n<p>President can make regulations for the peace, progress and good governance<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td><strong>Judiciary\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td>Delhi High Court<\/td>\r\n<td>Madras High Court<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p>Andaman - Kolkata High Court<\/p>\r\n<p>Chandigarh- Punjab and Haryana High Court<\/p>\r\n<p>Dadra and Nagar, Daman and Diu - Mumbai High Court<\/p>\r\n<p>Lakshadweep - Kerala High Court.<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<\/figure>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Union territories are the administrative units that are governed in part or wholly by the GoI.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":8386,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[173],"tags":[40,564],"class_list":{"0":"post-3869","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-quest-level-3","8":"tag-quest","9":"tag-union-territories"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3869","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3869"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3869\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22185,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3869\/revisions\/22185"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8386"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3869"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3869"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3869"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}