Union Territories (UTs) in India are regions governed directly by the Central Government of India. Unlike states, Union Territories may lack the same degree of autonomy. Each Union Territories of India has a Lieutenant Governor appointed by the President of India. This Governor represents the central authority. Some Union Territories, like Delhi and Puducherry, have legislatures. These legislatures handle certain aspects of governance. The status and administrative structure of Union Territories can vary. There are a total of 8 Union Territories in India.
In this article, we will look into the list of the union territories of India. We will also discuss their capitals, area, and population.
What are the Union Territories of India?
Union territories of India are administrative units. They are governed in part or wholly by the Union Government of India.
- As per Article 1 of the Constitution, the territory of India shall comprise:
- The territories of the States
- The Union Territories
- Such other territories may be acquired.
- Part VIII of the Indian Constitution( Article 239- Article 241) deals with the Union territories.
8 Union Territories in India
Union Territories are ruled directly by the Central Government. They have a Lieutenant Governor as an administrator. The Lieutenant Governor is the representative of the President of India. The President appoints the Lieutenant Governor on the recommendation of the Prime Minister.
Union Territories have no representation in the Rajya Sabha, except for Delhi and Puducherry. Each Administrator of the Union Territories has functional responsibilities independent of the other Administrators. The Union Territories are further subdivided into smaller administrative blocks for effective governance. Villages form the smallest administrative area. Each village has a representative administrative body called the Gram Panchayat. A Gram Panchayat may have administrative control over several villages.
There are a total of 8 Union Territories in India, and all of them play a very important role not only demographically, but also politically.
Union Territories of India 2025 List
India is a union of states. It is a Sovereign, Secular, Democratic Republic with a Parliamentary system of Government. The President serves as the constitutional head of the Executive of the Union. The Union territories are notionally administered by the representative of the Indian President.
India has 8 Union Territories. Each UT varies in size, ranging from the largest to the smallest. They all have unique demographics, histories, and cultures. Additionally, each territory has its own distinct dress, festivals, and languages.
Below is the list of Union Territories of India:
| Serial No. | Union Territory | Date of Creation |
| 1 | Puducherry | 1st November 1954 |
| 2 | Andaman and Nicobar Islands | 1st November 1956 |
| 3 | Chandigarh | 1st November 1956 |
| 4 | Lakshadweep | 1st November 1956 |
| 5 | Delhi | 1st November 1956 |
| 6 | Jammu and Kashmir | 31st October 2019 |
| 7 | Ladakh | 31st October 2019 |
| 8 | Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu | 26th January 2020 |
1. Union Territories of India with Capitals
Below is the list of Union Territories of India with capitals:
| Serial no. | Union Territory | Capital |
| 1 | Puducherry | Puducherry |
| 2 | Andaman and Nicobar Islands | Port Blair |
| 3 | Chandigarh | Chandigarh |
| 4 | Lakshadweep | Kavaratti |
| 5 | Delhi | Delhi |
| 6 | Jammu and Kashmir | Srinagar (Summer)Jammu (Winter) |
| 7 | Ladakh | Leh |
| 8 | Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu | Silvassa and Daman |
2. Union Territories by Area and Population
Below is the list of Union Territories by area and population:
| Union Territory | Area (km²) | Population (Census 2011) | |
| 1 | Jammu and Kashmir | 1,20,355 (including PoK) | 1,25,41,302 |
| 2 | Ladakh | 59,146 | Not Available |
| 3 | Andaman and Nicobar Islands | 8,249 | 380,581 |
| 4 | Delhi (National Capital Territory) | 1,484 | 16,787,941 |
| 5 | Puducherry | 479 | 1,247,953 |
| 6 | Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu | 603 | 343709 and 243247 |
| 7 | Chandigarh | 114 | 1,055,450 |
| 8 | Lakshadweep | 32 | 64,473 |
- Delhi (National Capital Territory), despite having one of the smallest areas, has the highest population among the Union Territories listed.
- Ladakh is the largest by area but has a relatively small population (Note: Population data is listed as ‘Not Available’ in the table, but the text is making a comparative point).
3. Largest Union Territory of India by Area, 2025: Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir is the largest Union Territory in India by area. It spans approximately 42,241 square kilometres (16,309 square miles). The Union Territory was formed on October 31, 2019, following the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act. This act divided the former state into two Union Territories: Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. Jammu and Kashmir has two capitals. Srinagar serves as the summer capital, while Jammu is the winter capital.
a. Demographics: Population: 12.5 million, sex ratio of 889 females/1,000 males, child sex ratio of 925 girls/1,000 boys, and a literacy rate of 67.16% (76.75% male, 56.43% female).
- The UT is divided into 20 districts, 207 tehsils, 49 sub-divisions, and 520 nayabats. The UT’s three main rivers are the Jhelum, Chenab, and Ravi.
b. Topography: Jammu and Kashmir features diverse topography. The Himalayas are located to the north. The Pir Panjal Range lies to the south. This region is home to scenic valleys. The Kashmir Valley is one such valley. The Jammu Valley is also known for its landscapes.
c. Climate: The region experiences a temperate climate with four seasons, ranging from -2°C in winter to 35°C in summer.
d. Biodiversity: Jammu and Kashmir is rich in biodiversity, with coniferous forests, alpine meadows, and diverse wildlife like the Himalayan black bear, snow leopard, and Markhor.
e. Economic overview: Jammu and Kashmir has a diverse economy, with key sectors like agriculture, tourism, manufacturing, and services.
- The projected GSDP for 2024-25 is ₹2.63 lakh crore (US$31.8 billion), reflecting a 7.5% growth, contributing 0.816% to India’s GDP.
Union Territories of India
India has a total of 8 Union Territories having unique demography, history, culture, language and so on. The Union Territories are administered by the President, who appoints an Administrator/Lieutenant Governor. However, the NCT of Delhi and Puducherry are the only Union Territories to have serving Chief Ministers.
Below are the Union Territories of India:
1. Andaman and Nicobar Islands
It is the first Union Territory of India after Independence and is located at the juncture where the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea merge. The Union Territory is administered by Lieutenant Governor Devendra Kumar Joshi.
- Capital: Port Blair
- Total Area: 8,249 sq km
- Total Districts: 3
- Total Population: 4,34,192 (as of 2019)
2. Chandigarh
Chandigarh is both the Union Territory and the capital of Punjab and Haryana. However, despite being the capital of two Indian states, it is governed by the central government. Banwarilal Purohit is the administrator of this region.
- Capital: Chandigarh
- Total Area: 114 sq km
- Total Districts: 1
- Total Population: 1,055,450 (as of 2011)
3. Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu
The two Union Territories, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, were merged together with effect from 26 January 2020. With this merger, the new Union Territory is called Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu. Praful Patel is the administrator of the UT.
- Capital: Daman
- Total Area: 603 sq km
- Total Districts:
- Total Population: 585,764 (as of 2011)
4. NCT of Delhi
Delhi was a Union Territory from 1956 to 1992. On 1 February 1992, it was redefined as the National Capital Territory of Delhi. The state has its own elected legislative assembly. It also has an executive council of ministers with partially state-like functions. Arvind Kejriwal is the current Chief Minister of Delhi. Anil Baijal is the Lieutenant Governor.
- Capital: Delhi
- Total Area: 1,484 sq km
- Total Districts: 11
- Total Population: 16,787,941
5. Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir was stripped of its state status on 31 October 2019. It is now a Union Territory. The former state was bifurcated into two UTs: Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. Unlike Ladakh, the UT has its own Legislature. The Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha, administers the state.
- Capital: Srinagar (summer), Jammu (winter)
- Total Area: 222,236 sq km
- Total Districts: 20
- Total Population: 12,267,013 (as of 2011)
6. Ladakh
Ladakh was bifurcated on 31 October 2019 from the former state of Jammu and Kashmir. The region jas only two districts– Leh and Kargil– and is administered by Lieutenant Governor Radha Krishna Mathur. The newly formed Union Territory is without a Legislature.
- Capital: Leh (summer), Kargil (winter)
- Total Area: 59,146 sq km
- Total Districts: 2
- Total Population: 274,289 (as of 2011)
7. Lakshadweep
Lakshadweep is the smallest Union Territory of India. It was formerly a part of Madras, which is present-day Chennai. On 1 November 1956, it was bifurcated from the capital city of Tamil Nadu and redefined as a Union Territory. Initially, it was called the Laccadive, Minicoy, and Aminidivi islands. It was officially named Lakshadweep on 1 November 1973. Praful Patel currently administers it.
- Capital: Kavaratti
- Total Area: 32.69 sq km
- Total Districts: 1
- Total Population: 64,473
8. Puducherry
Puducherry was under French rule for 138 years. It became a Union Territory on 1 November 1954 when French possessions in India were de facto transferred to the Indian Union. However, it became an integral part of India in 1963. Similar to the NCT of Delhi, Puducherry has its own legislature and executive councils of ministers. N. Rangaswamy is the current Chief Minister of Puducherry. Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan is the Lieutenant Governor.
- Capital: Puducherry
- Total Area: 479 sq km
- Total Districts: 4
- Total Population: 12,44,464 (as of 2011)
How do Delhi and Puducherry Differ from Other Union Territories of India?
In India, all the states and two union territories, i.e. Puducherry, Delhi, and Jammu and Kashmir, possess elected legislature. Out of the total eight union territories in India, two U.T., i.e., Delhi, and Puducherry, have their elected assembly, as these are granted with partial statehood by an amendment to the Constitution.
Delhi and Puducherry have their own legislative assembly and executive council and operate like states. They have a few subjects on the State list with them and a few lies with the centre.
History of the Indian Union Territories
During the discussion on the re-organisation of states in 1956, the States Re-organisation Commission made a recommendation. They suggested creating a different category for certain territories. These territories neither fit the model of a state nor follow a uniform pattern in governance. It was observed that these areas are economically unbalanced, financially weak, and politically unstable. They cannot survive as separate administrative units without depending heavily on the Union government.
Considering all these reasons, the union territory was formed. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands were the first union territory of India. Chandigarh serves as the joint capital of the Punjab and Haryana states. Recently, the Jammu and Kashmir state was bifurcated into two union territories: Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. Additionally, Dadra and Nagar Haveli were merged with Daman and Diu.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Union Territories of India are important to the nation’s governance and cultural diversity. With 8 distinct territories, each having unique characteristics, they play an important role in India’s political landscape. Their capitals, area, and population highlight their significance. As we approach 2026, these territories remain important for national development and unity.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How many Union Territories are there in India in 2025?
As of 2025, there are 8 Union Territories and 28 states in India.
2. Which are the new Union Territories included in India?
Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are new Union Territories of India.
3. How many Union Territories of India have a Legislative Assembly?
There are three Union Territories that have a Legislative Assembly.
4. Which Union Territories have a legislative assembly?
The Puducherry, Jammu and Kashmir and NCT Delhi have legislative assemblies.
5. Which two Union Territories were merged recently?
Daman and Diu are merged into Dadar and Nagar Haveli.
