NEWS

Chandigarh Municipal Corporation passed a resolution stating that the city should remain a Union Territory

UNION TERRITORIES

WHAT

• Federal territories
• Administered by the Union Government of India
• Lieutenant Governors (LGs) are appointed by the President of India for administering UTs

REASONS FOR CREATION OF UTS –

• Political and administrative consideration–Delhi and Chandigarh.
• Cultural distinctiveness–Puducherry, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Daman and Diu.
• Strategic importance–Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep.
• Special treatment and care of the backward and tribal people–Mizoram, Manipur, Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh which later became states.

OTHER DETAILS

• There are 28 states, 9 UTs and no acquired territories.
• Presently(2020),UTs of Puducherry, Delhi, J&K have legislative assemblies.
• Unlike UTs, states are the members of the federal system in India and share a distribution of power with the Centre.
• Existence of these territories constitutes a conspicuous departure from federalism in India; the Government of India is plainly unitary in so far as the relationship between New Delhi and these Central enclaves is concerned.
• Ministry of Home Affairs is the nodal Ministry for all matters of Union territories.
• Former UTs – Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Tripura, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh and Goa.
• In Delhi, by Article 239AA and 69th Constitutional Amendment the Assembly cannot legislate on matters in entry 18 of the State List, which is land, public order and police.