Union Territories of India.
Union territories are directly administered by the centre. Supreme court of India states that, "Union territories are not a part of centre it's just administered by the centre."
For Political and administrative consideration:
Delhi and Chandigarh.
For strategic importance:
Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep.
For cultural distinctiveness:
Puducherry, Dadra and Nagar haveli and Daman and Diu.
Structures;
Administrative structure
There is no uniformity in administrative structure . Head of the state and all the union territories is the President. All the states have own government but same wise all the states and union territories are controlled by the centre with the name of governor. Indian states and union territories are also administered and controlled by the president of India. President appoints the officer to union territory by the name of administrator or lieutenant governor or chief commissioner. The function of the administrative structure is to advise the government.
Legislative structure;
Parliament has all the powers to make or create new laws to any States as well as union territories. For example: Puducherry, Puducherry have legislative assembly and can make all state subject which are mentioned in state list or concurrent list. If those laws override the parliament laws, then parliament power came to the union territory of Puducherry. All the union territories have power to make any new laws but if those overrides the parliament laws, there is no power for the state to continue with the same law.
Judicial structure;
Except, Delhi there are no union territories have individual or separate high courts. The other union territories have to go with neighbouring States for example Chandigarh can go with Punjab and Haryana and Andaman Nicobar can go with Kolkata.
UTs, the Outcasts of democracy in India?
we look that with Delhi caught in tussle between the centre and state government the city is a perfect example of how democracy is undermined in union territories.
Background of creation of union territories:
After the independence of India we have four parts (A,B,C,D). Part Cand D are separated to chief commissioners by British administration. After the independence, State reorganisation committee was formed and it recommends the government to create new states and new union territories from the part C and D. State reorganisation committee advice the government, to merge with neighbouring states and balance 11 States, from the part C and part D should make 3 separate union territories of India. But, the government of India created six union territories. In 1956, we have Delhi, Lakshadweep, Manipur, Tripura, Himachal Pradesh, Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
Reason for creation of union territories in first place;
-Those states are not financially viable.
- some States have small terms of population.
Abolition and solution:
-union territories can merge with adjoining state.
-union territories can give full statehood status.
-continuously union territory for a specified period before with neighbouring states.
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