Union territory: Difference between revisions

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A '''union territory''' ({{lang-hi|script=latn|kendraśāsit pradeś||centrally administered province}}) is a type of [[administrative divisions of India|administrative division]] in the [[India|Republic of India]]. Unlike the [[states and union territories of India|states of India]], which have their own governments, union territories are [[federal territory|federal territories]] governed, in part or in whole, by the [[Government of India|Union Government of India]]<ref name="UT"/><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.knowindia.gov.in/knowindia/state_uts.php |title=States and Union Territories |publisher=KnowIndia.gov.in |access-date=2013-11-17|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131024173954/http://knowindia.gov.in/knowindia/state_uts.php |archive-date=2013-10-24|df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mapsofindia.com/maps/india/union-territories.html|title=Union Territories of India}}</ref>. There are currently 8 union territories of India.

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By early 1970s, Manipur, Tripura, and Himachal Pradesh had become full-fledged states, and [[Chandigarh]] became a union territory. Another three ([[Dadra and Nagar Haveli]] and [[Daman and Diu]] and [[Puducherry (union territory)|Puducherry]]) were formed from acquired territories that formerly belonged to non-British colonial powers ([[Portuguese India]] and [[French India]] respectively).

In November 2019, the Government of India introduced legislation to merge the union territories of [[Dadra and Nagar Haveli]] and [[Daman and Diu]] into a single union territory to be known as [[Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu]].<ref>{{cite news | url=https://theprint.in/india/there-will-be-one-ut-less-as-modi-govt-plans-to-merge-dadra-nagar-haveli-and-daman-diu/261056/ | title=There will be one UT less as Modi govt plans to merge Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu | date=2019-07-10| agency=The Print | access-date=2019-08-22| author=Dutta, Amrita Nayak | location=New Delhi}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|publisher=Press Trust of India|title=Govt plans to merge 2 UTs -- Daman and Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli|url=https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/national/754685-govt-plans-to-merge-2-uts----daman-and-diu-dadra-and-nagar-haveli|date=2019-11-22|access-date=2019-11-22}}</ref><ref>{{Cite act|type=|index= |date=21 November 2019|article=Article 240 (2)|article-type=|legislature=[[Lok Sabha]]|title=Bill No. 366 of 2019|trans-title=THE DADRA AND NAGAR HAVELI AND DAMAN AND DIU (MERGER OF UNION TERRITORIES) BILL, 2019|page= |url=http://164.100.47.4/BillsTexts/LSBillTexts/Asintroduced/366_2019_LS_Eng.pdf|language=en}}</ref>

Delhi, Puducherry and Jammu and Kashmir operate differently from the other five. They were given [[Capital districts and territories#India|partial statehood]] and Delhi was redefined as the [[National Capital Territory]] (NCT) and incorporated into a larger area known as the [[National Capital Region (India)|National Capital Region]] (NCR). Delhi, Puducherry and Jammu and Kashmir have an elected [[State Legislative Assembly (India)|legislative assembly]] and an executive [[Cabinet (government)|council of ministers]] with partially state-like function.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=DelhiAugust 6|first1=India Today Web Desk New|last2=August 6|first2=2019UPDATED|last3=Ist|first3=2019 08:22|title=Union territories with and without legislature: How will Ladakh be different from Jammu and Kashmir|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/union-territories-with-and-without-legislature-how-will-ladakh-be-different-from-jammu-and-kashmir-1577619-2019-08-06|access-date=2021-05-12|website=India Today|language=en}}</ref>

Due to existence of union territories, many critics have resolved India into a semi-federal nation, as the central and state governments each have their own domains and territories of legislation. Union territories of India have special rights and status due to their constitutional formation and development. The status of "union territory" may be assigned to an Indian sub-jurisdiction for reasons such as safeguarding the rights of indigenous cultures, averting political turmoil related to matters of governance, and so on. These union territories could be changed to states in the future for more efficient administrative control.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://indiankanoon.org/doc/50919315/ |title= Supreme Court judgement, New Delhi Municipal Corporation ... vs State Of Punjab Etc.Etc on 19 December, 1996 |access-date=2017-09-17}}</ref>

The Constitution does not stipulate how tax revenue is to be devolved to the union territories, unlike for the states. The funds devolution to union territories by the union government have no criteria where all the revenue goes to the union government. Some union territories are provided more funds, while others are given less, in an arbitrary manner by the union government.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/puducherry-cm-n-rangasamy-seeks-clear-formula-for-devolution-of-central-funds/articleshow/46167853.cms |title=Puducherry CM N Rangasamy seeks 'clear formula' for devolution of Central funds |access-date=2017-09-17}}</ref> As union territories are directly ruled by the union government, some union territories get more funds from the union government than entitled on per capita and backwardness basis when compared to states.

After the introduction of [[Goods and Services Tax (India)|GST]], UT-GST is applicable in union territories which are not having legislative assembly. UT-GST is levied at par with the applicable state GST in rest of the country which would eliminate the previous lower taxation in the union territories.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.udyogsoftware.com/why-union-territory-gst-law-utgst-is-important-under-gst/ |title=Why Union Territory GST law (UTGST) is important? |access-date=2017-09-17}}</ref>

[[s:Constitution of India/Part I|Article 1 (1)]] of the Indian constitution says that India shall be a "Union of States", which are elaborated under Parts [[s:Constitution of India/Part V|V (The Union)]] and [[s:Constitution of India/Part VI|VI (The States)]] of the constitution. Article 1 (3) says the territory of India comprises the territories of the states, the union territories and other territories that may be acquired. The concept of union territories was not in the original version of the constitution, but was added by the [[States Reorganisation Act, 1956|Constitution (Seventh Amendment) Act, 1956]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://indiacode.nic.in/coiweb/amend/amend7.htm |title=The Constitution (Seventh Amendment) Act, 1956 |access-date=2017-09-17 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170501011646/http://indiacode.nic.in/coiweb/amend/amend7.htm |archive-date=2017-05-01|df=dmy-all }}</ref> In the constitution wherever it refers to Territories of India, it is applicable to whole country including union territories. Where it refers to only India, it is applicable to all states only but not to union territories. Thus, citizenship (part II), fundamental rights [[s:Constitution of India/Part III|(part III)]], Directive Principles of State Policy (part IV), Judiciary role, the Union Territories (part VIII), [[s:Constitution of India/Part XI|Article 245]], etc. are applicable to union territories as it refers specifically to Territories of India. The executive power of Union (i.e. union of states only) rests with [[President of India]]. President of India is also chief administrator of union territories per [[s:Constitution of India/Part VIII|Article 239]]. Union public service commission role is not applicable to all territories of India as it refers to India only in [[s:Constitution of India/Part XIV|Part XIV]].

The constitutional status of a union territory is similar to a state under the perennial [[president's rule]] per [[s:Constitution of India/Part XVIII|Article 356]] subject to specific exemptions to few union territories with legislative assembly. Per [[s:Constitution of India/Part VIII|Article 240 (2)]], supreme power is accorded to the president in regulating the affairs of all the union territories except Chandigarh, [[Delhi|NCT]] and Puducherry, including powers to override the laws made by Parliament and the constitution of India. Article 240 (2) allows to implement [[United States as a tax haven|tax haven laws]] in these union territories to attract foreign capital and investments in to India instead of depending on foreign [[tax haven]] countries.

Three of the union territories have representation in the upper house of the Indian Parliament, the [[Rajya Sabha]]. Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, and Puducherry which are also exceptional among union territories in that each has its own locally elected [[State Legislative Assembly (India)|legislative assembly]] and government.

! scope="col" width=8%|Union territory

! scope="col" width="1%" |[[ISO 3166-2:IN]]

! scope="col" width="1%" |[[Vehicle registration plates of India|Vehicle<br />code]]

! scope="col" width="1%" |[[Zonal Council|Zone]]

! scope="col" width=1%|Capital

! scope="col" width=1%|Largest city

! scope="col" width=1%|UT established

! scope="col" width=1%|Population

! scope="col" width="1%"|[[List of states and union territories of India by area|Area]]<br />(km²)

! scope="col" width=8%|Official<br />languages

! scope="col" width=8%|Additional official<br />languages

| [[English language|English]]

| [[English language|English]]

! scope="row"|[[Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu]]

| [[Gujarati language|Gujarati]], [[Hindi]]

| [[Konkani language|Konkani]], [[Marathi language|Marathi]]  

| [[Hindi]], [[English language|English]]

! scope="row" |[[Jammu and Kashmir (union territory)|Jammu and Kashmir]]

| [[Srinagar]] <small>(Summer)</small><ref>{{Cite web|title=Srinagar {{!}} History, Life, Lakes, & Map|url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Srinagar|access-date=2021-07-26|website=Encyclopedia Britannica|language=en}}</ref><ref name="jk_capital">{{Cite news|title=Jammu and Kashmir Government Puts An End To 149-Year-Old Practice Of ‘Darbar Move’|url=https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/india-news-jammu-and-kashmir-government-puts-an-end-to-149-year-old-practice-of-darbar-move/386683|access-date=2021-07-26|website=Outlook India}}</ref><br />[[Jammu]] <small>(Winter)</small><ref name="jk_capital" /><ref>{{Cite web|title=Jammu {{!}} History, Map, & Facts|url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Jammu|access-date=2021-07-26|website=Encyclopedia Britannica|language=en}}</ref>

| align="right" |12,258,433

| align="right" |55,538

| [[Kashmiri language|Kashmiri]], [[Urdu]]  

| [[Dogri language|Dogri]], [[Hindi]]

| [[Leh]] <small>(Summer)</small><br />[[Kargil]] <small>(Winter)</small><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dailyexcelsior.com/lg-ut-hqrs-head-of-police-to-have-sectts-at-both-leh-kargil-mathur/|title=LG, UT Hqrs, Head of Police to have Sectts at both Leh, Kargil: Mathur|first=Daily|last=Excelsior|date=12 November 2019|access-date=17 December 2019}}</ref>

| align="right" |290,492

| align="right" |174,852

| [[Hindi]], [[English language|English]]

| [[Malayalam]], [[English language|English]]

| [[French language|French]]<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.lawsofindia.org/pdf/puducherry/1965/1965Pondicherry3.pdf|title=Regional data |website=lawsofindia.org}}</ref> [[Tamil language|Tamil]], [[English language|English]]

[[Mahe district]] is one of the four districts of [[Puducherry (union territory)|Puducherry]], lying completely opposite to [[Puducherry district]] on Kerala coast. It is argued by many advocating the adjoining of Mahe with [[Lakshadweep]] or Kerala or make a separate union territory because of a perceived lack of development compared to the rest of Puducherry.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}

[[Panun Kashmir]] is a proposed union territory in the [[jammu Valley]] which is advocated by the Kashmiri Pandit Network as a homeland for [[Kashmiri Hindus]] who have fled the Kashmir valley as a result of [[Exodus of Kashmiri Hindus|ongoing violence]] and hope to return.<ref>http://www.panunkashmir.org/</ref>