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- A state is a division under Indian constituency, which has a separate government, whereas, a Union Territory is ruled directly by the Central Government by a Lieutenant Governor as an administrator, who is the representative of the President of India and appointed by the Central government.
byjus.com › free-ias-prep › difference-between-state-and-union-territoryDifference between State and Union Territory - Indian Polity
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How are States and union territories divided?
Why is India divided into States and union territories?
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India is a federal union comprising 28 states and 8 union territories, for a total of 36 entities. The states and union territories are further subdivided into districts and smaller administrative divisions.
- 28 States, 8 Union territories
- Republic of India
When was India divided into states and union territories? India was divided into states and union territories, as per the States Reorganisation Act of 1956. States were created based on language and ethnicity in 1956 and abolished the system of provinces and princely states.
- On what basis was India divided into states?India was divided into states based on linguistics, i.e. based on language.
- What are the reasons for the creation of union territories?Union territories were created as they were too small to be independent, politically unstable, or financially weak, or they were culturally, geogra...
- Why do we have states and union territories?India is the world’s seventh largest country and the world’s second most populous country soon to overtake China. It is not possible to manage the...
- What is the difference between state and union territory?The basic difference between a State and a Union Territory is that union territories are directly ruled by the Union Government, while states have...
- Overview
- Government and administration
- History and current union territories
•Andaman and Nicobar Islands
•Chandigarh
•Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu
•Delhi (also called National Capital Territory)
•Jammu and Kashmir
•Ladakh
The Republic of India is made up of eight union territories and 28 states. These two first-order subdivisions have significantly different governments. Each state has its own directly elected government under a chief minister, and the union government is represented by the state’s governor, who is the constitutional head of the state and is appointed by the president of India. Union territories, on the other hand, are governed, partly or wholly, by the union government of India. According to the Constitution of India, union territories are to be administered directly by the president of India, acting through an administrator (typically called a lieutenant governor) appointed by the president. Articles 239–241 of the constitution pertain to the administration of union territories.
The union government has the power to create new states, combine states, change state boundaries, and terminate a state’s existence. The union government may also create and dissolve a union territory, whose powers are more limited than those of the states. The union government also has the power to pass a law to provide a union territory with a legislature consisting of elected members as well as a chief minister, as has been done in the cases of Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, and Puducherry. The lieutenant governors of Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, and Puducherry play only a ceremonial role because these territories have elected governments. In union territories without an elected governor, the lieutenant governor holds power and can pass ordinances with the approval of the president of India.
When the Constitution of India was adopted in November 1949, Indian states were divided into four categories. Part A states were former governor-ruled provinces of British India, and they continued with governors and elected legislatures. Part B states were former princely states, or groups of princely states, with appointed governors (called rajpramukhs) and elected legislatures. Part C states included some former princely states and former chief commissioners’ provinces. The only Part D state was Andaman and Nicobar Islands, which was administered by a lieutenant governor appointed by the union government.
During the reorganization of Indian states that was carried out through the States Reorganisation Act in 1956, all Part C and Part D states were either merged into other states or combined into a single category called “union territory.” Six union territories were thus created: Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep (called the Laccadive, Minicoy and Amindivi Islands until 1973), Delhi, Manipur, Tripura, and Himachal Pradesh.
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Himachal Pradesh is no longer a union territory; it was conferred statehood in 1971. Manipur and Tripura followed suit in 1972. Three regions—Nagaland, Mizoram, and Arunachal Pradesh—were all previously part of the Indian state of Assam and were carved out into union territories. Subsequently all of them became states of the Republic of India. Only Delhi, Lakshadweep, and Andaman and Nicobar Islands have maintained their union territory status from the original list. Delhi was granted a legislature in 1952.
Puducherry comprises four distinct locations and was formed out of four former colonies of French India. It includes Puducherry (then called Pondicherry) and Karaikal along India’s Coromandel Coast, surrounded by Tamil Nadu state; Yanam, farther north along the eastern coast in the delta region of the Godavari River, surrounded by Andhra Pradesh state; and Mahe, lying on the western Malabar Coast, surrounded by Kerala state. Transfer of these French possessions to the union of India took place on November 1, 1954. In 1962 Pondicherry became a union territory of India. The Government of Union Territories Act of 1963 granted Pondicherry a state legislature. The territory formally took the name Puducherry in 2006.
India has 28 states and 8 union territories after the bifurcation of Jammu & Kashmir into two union territories - Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. Read how states and union territories evolved, and what is the difference between state and union territory, for UPSC exam. For UPSC 2023, follow BYJU'S.
- What is the basic difference between a State and a Union Territory?A state is a division under Indian constituency, which has a separate government, whereas, a Union Territory is ruled directly by the Central Gover...
- How many States and Union Territories are there in India?As in 2020, India has a total of 28 States and 8 Union Territories.
- How are Union Territories different from States?During independence and due to the constitutional provisions, Union Territories were created either because they were too small in area to be calle...
- Who is the administrator of the States and Union Territories?In terms of administrator, there is a difference between states and the union territories. States are headed by a Chief Minister and Union Territor...
- Why is India divided into States and Union Territories?For better administration of the entire country, India was divided into states and Union territories.
Nov 2, 2016 · The government, while not agreeing with the recommendations entirely, divided the country into 14 states and 6 union territories under the States Reorganisation Act that was passed in...
Mar 10, 2024 · The states and union territories are administered either by elected governments or by administrators appointed by the President of India. The division of states in India was primarily carried out through the State Reorganization Commission and the 7th Amendment of 1956. This reorganization was primarily based on linguistic considerations.
States and union territories are the largest administrative divisions in India. They can both be further divided into districts, and each has a capital city. The primary difference between states and union territories in India is that states have a higher degree of self-governance.
