Union Territories of India – Capitals, Establishment Dates, and Insights

Currently, there are 8 union territories in India. The state of Jammu and Kashmir lost its statehood and was transformed into a separate union territory. Ladakh was separated from Jammu and Kashmir and established as another union territory. It came into effect on 31 October 2019. The Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu was established on 26 January 2020, when two separate union territories “Daman and Diu” and “Dadra and Nagar Haveli” were integrated. Therefore, currently there are 8 union territories. Let’s have at all those union territories.

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List of Union Territories of India:-

Following is the List of Union Territories of India:

Union Territory	Capital	date of creation
Andaman and Nicobar islands	Port Blair	1 November 1956
Chandigarh	Chandigarh	1 November 1966
Dadra and Nagar Haveli,	repression	26 January 2020
Delhi	New Delhi	1 November 1956
Lakshadweep	Kavaratti	1 November 1956
Puducherry	Pondicherry	1 November 1954
Jammu and Kashmir	Srinagar (Summer) Jammu (Winter)	31 October 2019
Ladakh	Leh	31 October 2019

 

 

The Union Territories of India:-

 

Below we have briefly discussed all the Union Territories of India.

1. ANDAMAN AND NICOBAR ISLANDS

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are located in the Bay of Bengal, stretching from the southern border of Myanmar to the northern border of Indonesia.  The capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands is Port Blair, which serves as the administrative headquarters.  It has an area of ​​approximately 8,249 square kilometres, making it one of the largest union territories in India.  The population of Andaman and Nicobar Islands is approximately 4 lakh (roughly). It includes diverse tribes including natural tribes. Major languages ​​spoken in Andaman and Nicobar Islands are Hindi, Nicobarese, Bengali, Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu etc.  Andaman and Nicobar Islands are also important from the tourism point of view. It is famous for natural beauty, beaches, forests, religious places and marine life.

2. DADRA AND NAGAR HAVELI AND DAMAN AND DIU

Daman and Diu has been merged into Dadra and Nagar Haveli by the Government of India by creating a new union territory. The region played an important role from 1954 to 1961, and was then known as the “Free Dadra and Nagar Haveli Administration”. These Union Territories have the same powers as a Union Territory, but have the special status of a Governor and are administered by administrators appointed by the Central Government. The capital of Dadra and Nagar Haveli is Silvassa, while the capital of Daman and Diu is Daman. The main languages ​​of these union territories are Gujarati and Hindi and the local culture, festivals and traditions give an updated version of Indian culture. The major economic sectors here include industry, tourism, paper industry, plastic industry, etc.

3. LAKSHADWEEP

It is a grouped state of India, located in the Arabian Sea. Lakshadweep is an archipelago consisting of a total of 36 islands, out of which only 11 are inhabited. Kavaratti is the capital of Lakshadweep and Malayalam language is the main language here. In addition, island languages ​​such as Jeseri and Mahal are also spoken. The area of ​​Lakshadweep is approximately 32 square kilometers and its population is around 64,429 people. Its main economic sources are shipbuilding, fishing, tourism and palm production. Lakshadweep is also famous for its natural beauty, marine life, clean and beautiful beaches.

4. PUDUCHERRY

This state is an important tourist destination and its capital is also Puducherry. The culture, diversity and historical importance of Puducherry make it an attractive place. The area of ​​Puducherry is 479 square kilometers and its population is around 12,44,464 people. The state is famous for its diverse languages, which include Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, English and French. The influence of French and Tamil language is also visible in the cultural heritage of Puducherry. Puducherry has a very ancient history and was formerly under French sovereignty. The influence of French culture and French architecture can be seen here.

5. DELHI

Delhi is the capital of India and is located in the Indian subcontinent. It is a major city of India and also the city with the highest population. The area of ​​Delhi is 1,483 square kilometers and its population is around 1,67,53,235 people. Delhi is an important center of Indian culture and history. It is recognized as a major religious and tourist destination with various administrative structures, historical monuments, temples, mosques, domes and grand government buildings. The main languages ​​of Delhi are Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu and English. In terms of diversity and organisation, there is a mixed population of multilingual and multi-ethnic residents. Delhi is an important event and commercial centre and people of different religions, languages ​​and cultures live together peacefully.

6. Chandigarh

Chandigarh is not only a union territory of India but also the joint capital of the states of Haryana and Punjab. English is the official language of Chandigarh. The majority of the people speak Hindi, followed by Punjabi. Chandigarh is famously known as “Pensioner’s Paradise”. There are many famous schools and top higher educational institutions located in Chandigarh. Chandigarh is famous for its urban design and architecture. In post-independent India, Chandigarh is one of the earliest planned cities. It was designed by Le Corbusier, a Swiss-French architect. The capitol complex in Chandigarh was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2016.

7. Jammu and Kashmir

On 31st October 2019, Jammu & Kashmir was removed from its status as a state and converted into a union territory. Ladakh was separated from Jammu and Kashmir and was designated as a separate union territory. The winter capital of Jammu & Kashmir is Jammu. The summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir is Srinagar. The literacy rate of the union territory is 67.16%. The most important languages of the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir are Hindi, English, Dogri, and Kashmiri. The economy of Jammu and Kashmir is mainly dependent on agriculture. Major agricultural exports from Jammu and Kashmir include apples, pears, cherries, plums, saffron and walnuts. Kishtwar in Jammu and Kashmir is known as the ‘land of sapphire and saffron’.

 

8. Ladakh

Leh is the capital city of Ladakh. The largest town in Ladakh is Leh. The second largest town in Ladakh is Kargil. The famous Indus, Nubra, and Shyok river valleys are found in Ladakh. After the Government of India passed the Jammu and Kashmir reorganisation act in 2019, Ladakh was carved out as a separate union territory. Muslims are the majority in Ladakh, they constitute 46% of the population. Buddhists are 40% of the population, and Hindus are 12% of the population of Ladakh. Ladakh is bordered by the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh to the south, Tibet Autonomous Region to the east.

 

 

 

So these were all the eight Union Territories of India. As you can see, all of them are strategic locations that need to have direct control from the central government of India. Which is why these eight Union Territories were formed.

 

 

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