Featured – First of all, let us tell you that there are 8 union territories in India which include Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Lakshadweep and Puducherry.
Now let’s take a look at the importance and existence of Union Territories of India.
Because India is a huge country and hence different states and union territories have their own responsibilities to run the administration smoothly in India. India’s capital Delhi is also a union territory.
Now the first question that arises is what is the difference between a state and a union territory, so let us first know this difference.
Because to know the importance of Union Territories, it is very important to know the difference between State and Union Territories.
Our India is a huge country, which is made up of both States and Union Territories. There are a total of 29 states and 8 union territories in India.
What is State?
According to the Indian Constitution, the state is an independent unit separate from the centre. States elect their own governments. For this, the government is selected through the election process. At the same time, rules for specific states are not made by the Parliament. Each state has a Chief Minister and an Assembly.
One thing worth noting here is that there are Legislative Councils along with the Legislative Assembly in 6 states of India, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka and Maharashtra have Legislative Assembly Councils. In every state, along with the Chief Minister, there is also a Governor, who is the executive president. Besides, he is also the representative of the President in the state. At the same time, the population and area of a state is greater than that of a union territory.
What are Union Territories (UT)?
Union Territory is also a unit but it is ruled by the Central Government. However, Delhi is an exception here in some cases. In Union Territories, the Lieutenant Governor is appointed by the Central Government. Let us tell you that a Union Territory may or may not have an Assembly.
For example, under the 69th Amendment Act 1991, Delhi got the status of National Capital Territory (NCT). Along with this, there is also a provision for formation of Legislative Assembly. On the other hand, there is assembly in Puducherry also. It is worth noting that Union Territories also have to take approval from the Central Government for making special laws.
Types of Union Territories in India?
There are two types of union territories in India, which are as follows:
Union Territories with Legislature- Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Puducherry.
Union Territories without Legislature –
Andaman and Nicobar, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Ladakh and Lakshadweep. It should be noted that the Union Territories, except Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir and Puducherry, do not have any separate representation in the Rajya Sabha (Upper House).
How is a Union Territory formed?
The question arises that how are Union Territories formed, then let us tell you that Union Territories have been created in India due to different circumstances. These include reasons like small size of the areas and low population, different culture and distance from other states. Apart from this, due to administrative importance and to protect local cultures, Union Territories have been created in India.
After all, why was there a need for Union Territories in India?
If we talk about what was the need for Union Territories in India, then it is very important to know that the concept of Union Territory was first introduced in the States Reorganization Act, 1956. It refers to areas that are too small to be independent or too isolated to merge with surrounding states, either economically, culturally and geographically, or are economically weak or politically unstable.
For all these reasons, they could not survive as separate administrative units and needed to be administered by the central government.Because of this Union Territories came into existence
Some facts about Union Territories:
Let’s talk about some facts about Union Territories.
Andaman and Nicobar, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and Puducherry have Lieutenant Governors.
There are Administrators in Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu and Lakshadweep.
In 2020, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Daman and Diu were merged into one union territory and administered by Praful Patel. The merged union territories are known as Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.
According to Article 239, the President of India is the Chief Administrator of the Union Territories.
What is the importance of Union Territory?
If we look at the importance of Union Territories, we know that in 1954, Puducherry was merged into the Republic of India after gaining independence from French rule and Puducherry became a Union Territory. Puducherry was given partial statehood in 1963. In 1961, after gaining independence from Portuguese rule, Daman and Diu and Goa were merged into the Republic of India. In 1987, Goa was granted statehood and became the first union territory to receive such status.
In the early 1970s, Manipur, Tripura and Himachal Pradesh were granted statehood. Chandigarh became a union territory.
Delhi was earlier a state. The first Delhi Legislative Assembly elections were held on 27 March 1952 for 48 seats. Chaudhary Brahm Prakash Yadav was the first Chief Minister of Delhi. However, after the States Reorganization Act of 1956, Delhi lost its state status and became a union territory. In 1991, the Union Territory of Delhi was granted partial statehood and became known as the National Capital Territory of Delhi.
In 2019, the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act, 2019 was passed by the Indian Parliament and it reorganized the state of Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories – Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory and Ladakh Union Territory.
Subsequently in the year 2020, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Daman and Diu were merged into a single union territory known as Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.
: Some facts about Union Territories:
‘Delhi’ is a union territory
Let us tell you that the country’s capital Delhi also has its own Assembly, Cabinet and Chief Minister and in both these states the Lieutenant Governor is appointed by the President. The government in Puducherry and Delhi is run due to the precise coordination between the Lieutenant Governor and the Chief Minister.
From 1956 to 1991, Delhi was mainly a Union Territory, but Assembly and Cabinet did not exist here.With the 69th amendment to the Constitution, Delhi got the status of National Capital Territory in 1991, since then the Legislative Assembly and the Cabinet have been in existence here.
