The union territories of India are centrally administered regions governed directly by the President of India through appointed Administrators or Lieutenant Governors.
India currently has 8 Union Territories \u2014 a number that changed in 2019 when Jammu & Kashmir was bifurcated and reorganised. This topic is tested in virtually every competitive exam \u2014 UPSC Prelims, SSC CGL, Banking, Railways, State PSC \u2014 and covers capitals, area, formation dates, legislature status, and constitutional provisions. This page gives you everything you need for quick, accurate revision.
⚡ Quick Facts
- India currently has 8 Union Territories \u2014 reduced from 9 after Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli were merged on 26 January 2020.
- Jammu & Kashmir was bifurcated into two UTs \u2014 J&K (with legislature) and Ladakh (without legislature) \u2014 on 31 October 2019.
- Delhi and Puducherry are UTs with elected Legislative Assemblies; J&K also has one after 2019 reorganisation.
- Lakshadweep is the smallest UT by area (32 sq. km) and population; also India\u2019s only Muslim-majority UT.
- Andaman & Nicobar Islands (8,249 sq. km) is the largest UT by area among the remaining 7; Ladakh (59,146 sq. km) is the largest overall.
Many students say Andaman & Nicobar is the largest UT \u2014 this was true before 2019. After Ladakh became a UT in October 2019, Ladakh (59,146 sq. km) became the largest UT. Also note: India has 28 States + 8 UTs = 36 total (not 29+7 or 28+9). And only 3 UTs have legislatures (Delhi, Puducherry, J&K) \u2014 Ladakh does NOT, despite being a UT with an LG.
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🗺️ All 8 Union Territories of India (2026)
| # ↕ | Union Territory ↕ | Capital | Area (sq. km) ↕ | Legislature | Head | Region ↕ | Key Fact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Delhi (NCT of Delhi) | New Delhi | 1,484 | Yes \u2014 70 seats | Lt. Governor (Art. 239AA) | North India | National Capital; HQ of Central Government; special constitutional status |
| 2 | Jammu & Kashmir | Srinagar (S) / Jammu (W) | 42,241 | Yes \u2014 90 seats | Lieutenant Governor | North India | Formed after J&K Reorganisation Act 2019; bifurcated from full state on 31 Oct 2019 |
| 3 | Puducherry (Pondicherry) | Puducherry | 483 | Yes \u2014 30 seats | Lieutenant Governor | South India | 4 enclaves: Puducherry, Karaikal, Mah\u00e9, Yanam; former French colony until 1954 |
| 4 | Andaman & Nicobar Islands | Sri Vijaya Puram (formerly Port Blair) | 8,249 | No Legislature | Lieutenant Governor | Islands | Largest UT by area (excl. Ladakh); Cellular Jail (Kala Pani); capital renamed Sri Vijaya Puram in Sep 2024 |
| 5 | Chandigarh | Chandigarh | 114 | No Legislature | Administrator | North India | Capital of both Punjab AND Haryana; designed by Le Corbusier; belongs to neither state |
| 6 | Dadra & NH and Daman & Diu | Daman | 603 | No Legislature | Administrator | West India | Formed by merger of two UTs on 26 Jan 2020; former Portuguese territories |
| 7 | Lakshadweep | Kavaratti | 32 | No Legislature | Administrator | Islands | Smallest UT by area & population; only Muslim-majority UT; coral island group in Arabian Sea |
| 8 | Ladakh | Leh | 59,146 | No Legislature | Lieutenant Governor | North India | Largest UT by area; borders China & Pakistan; formed 31 Oct 2019; two districts: Leh & Kargil |
⚖️ Compare Two Union Territories
📝 Key Notes & Memory Tips
India had 7 UTs and 29 States before 2019. On 31 October 2019, J&K was bifurcated into J&K UT (with legislature) and Ladakh UT (without legislature) \u2014 making it 9 UTs, 28 States. On 26 January 2020, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu were merged into one UT \u2014 making the current 8 UTs, 28 States. Both dates are highly exam-tested.
Only three Union Territories have elected Legislatures: Delhi (70 seats), Puducherry (30 seats), and Jammu & Kashmir (90 seats). All three are headed by Lieutenant Governors, not Administrators. Delhi has the most complex status under Article 239AA \u2014 the Central Government retains direct control over land, police, and services, as affirmed by SC judgments and the GNCT Amendment Acts (2021 and 2023).
Chandigarh is a unique UT \u2014 it serves as the capital of two states (Punjab and Haryana) simultaneously, while being a separate UT itself. It was designed by the famous Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier and is known for its planned grid layout. This \u201ccapital of two states but belonging to neither\u201d status is a very frequently tested exam fact.
Ladakh, after becoming a UT in October 2019, is now the largest UT in India by area at 59,146 sq. km \u2014 larger than most Indian states. It borders both China (Aksai Chin) and Pakistan (PoK), making it of immense strategic importance. It has no legislature and is governed by a Lieutenant Governor. Its two districts are Leh and Kargil.
Puducherry consists of four geographically separated enclaves: Puducherry (Tamil Nadu), Karaikal (Tamil Nadu), Mah\u00e9 (Kerala), and Yanam (Andhra Pradesh). It was a French colony until 1954. Lakshadweep (32 sq. km) is India\u2019s smallest UT and its only Muslim-majority UT. It is a group of coral islands in the Arabian Sea, administered by an Administrator with no legislature.
\u201cDelhi Jammu Puducherry Andaman Chandigarh Dadra Lakshadweep Ladakh\u201d
Short form: \u201cDJ PA CDL\u00b2\u201d \u2014 Delhi, J&K, Puducherry, Andaman, Chandigarh, Dadra, Lakshadweep, Ladakh
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India currently has 8 Union Territories. In October 2019, J&K was bifurcated into J&K (UT) and Ladakh (UT), increasing UTs from 7 to 9. In January 2020, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu were merged into one UT, reducing the count from 9 to the current 8.
Ladakh, which became a Union Territory on 31 October 2019 after the bifurcation of Jammu & Kashmir, is the largest Union Territory by area at approximately 59,146 sq. km. Andaman & Nicobar Islands (8,249 sq. km) is the second largest UT by area.
Chandigarh is a Union Territory that serves as the capital of both Punjab and Haryana simultaneously. Designed by Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier in the 1950s, Chandigarh is a planned city with a distinctive grid layout. It belongs to neither state \u2014 it is directly administered by the Central Government.
Puducherry (30 seats), Delhi (70 seats), and Jammu & Kashmir (90 seats) are the only Union Territories with elected Legislative Assemblies. Lakshadweep, Chandigarh, and Ladakh are administered directly without a legislature, headed by an Administrator or Lieutenant Governor.
The Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (Merger of Union Territories) Act, 2019 merged these two UTs into a single Union Territory effective from 26 January 2020 \u2014 Republic Day. The merged UT has its capital at Daman and is administered by an Administrator appointed by the President.
✅ Key Takeaways
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
India has 8 Union Territories as of 2026. The number has changed twice in recent years. In October 2019, the state of Jammu & Kashmir was bifurcated under the J&K Reorganisation Act 2019 into two Union Territories \u2014 Jammu & Kashmir (with a legislature) and Ladakh (without a legislature) \u2014 increasing the UT count from 7 to 9. In January 2020, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu were merged into a single UT, reducing the total to the current 8. India now has 28 States and 8 Union Territories.
Union Territories with a legislature \u2014 Delhi, Puducherry, and Jammu & Kashmir \u2014 have elected assemblies and Council of Ministers, allowing a degree of self-governance. They are headed by Lieutenant Governors who work with the elected government. Union Territories without a legislature \u2014 Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Chandigarh, Dadra & NH and D&D, Lakshadweep, and Ladakh \u2014 are governed directly by an Administrator or Lieutenant Governor appointed by the President, with no elected assembly at the UT level. Delhi has an additional layer of complexity under Article 239AA, with the Central Government retaining direct control over land, police, and services.
Lakshadweep is the smallest Union Territory of India by both area (32 sq. km) and population (approximately 65,000). It is a group of coral islands and atolls located in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Kerala. Lakshadweep is India\u2019s only Union Territory that is Muslim-majority. It has no legislature and is administered directly by an Administrator appointed by the President. Its name means \u201cOne Hundred Thousand Islands\u201d in Sanskrit, though the archipelago has only 36 islands, of which 10 are inhabited.
Union Territories are tested in virtually every competitive exam \u2014 UPSC Prelims (Polity and Geography), SSC CGL, Railway, Banking, and State PSC papers. Frequently tested facts include the total number of UTs (currently 8), capitals of each UT, UTs with legislatures (Delhi, Puducherry, J&K), the largest UT by area (Ladakh), the smallest (Lakshadweep), Chandigarh\u2019s dual-capital role, Puducherry\u2019s four enclaves, the 2019 J&K bifurcation date (31 October 2019), and the 2020 merger of Dadra & NH with Daman & Diu (26 January 2020). The recent changes to J&K\u2019s status make this a high-probability current affairs question.
