States and Union Territories of India

After the independence of India, many princely states got their statehood and identity in the legislature. The Government of India recognised these states and union territories as part and parcel of the country’s integrity and unity. In India, there are two types of administrative divisions. There are a total of 28 states and nine union territories in the Indian subcontinent. These administrative divisions have their own governments. In this article, we will discuss what is the difference between state and union territory.

An Introduction to the Indian Subcontinent

India is the seventh-largest country in the world in terms of area. It got its independence from the British colonial rule in 1947, and the princely states united to form the majority of the states at that time. Over the years, many other states took birth and gave India’s political map a new shape. All these administrative units have their own governments. For instance, the affairs of every state are looked after by the state governments. Similarly, the political affairs of the union territories are taken care of by the President of India.

All the states report to the Central Government or the cabinet of the Prime Minister of India. This is how the political scenario of the Republic of India works. As mentioned earlier, there are 28 states and nine union territories.

The Newest State and Union Territory in India

After the abrogation of Article 370, the state of Jammu and Kashmir ceased to exist. According to the new rule, the Indian subcontinent lost a state and has 28 states, whereas two new union territories are named Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. Telangana is the latest state formed after the partition of Andhra Pradesh in two different segments.

At present, India has 28 states and nine union territories after the addition of these administrative entities to the Indian political map. Let us discuss what this administrative unit is one by one and then will discuss the difference between state and union territory.

What is a State?

A state is an administrative unit that has its own government elected by following the rules of the Indian Constitution. This is probably the prime difference between state and union territory in India. A state has a governing body different from that of the other states.

It means that the people of a state elect their government through democratic rights of participating in polls. The division of a state is done under the roof of the Indian Constitution by the inclusion of a separate government.  This government has a Legislative Assembly under the guidance of a Chief Minister. This body makes the state laws and also implements the central laws mandated by the central government.

Every state has a governor appointed by the president of India to look over the affairs. The executive and sovereign powers are distributed properly between the central government and the state government. The powers and rules vary from one state to the other. It happens due to the difference in topography, demography, culture, tradition, history, language, etc.

There are two different kinds of states on the Indian political map, Princely States and Provinces. The difference between these two terms is that the provinces were ruled by the British Empire and the princely states were under the hereditary rulers of that time. There are a total of 28 states in India. The oldest state in India in Andhra Pradesh. It was formed based on the linguistic difference of the population. The newest state of India is Telangana (2014).

What do you mean by Union Territory?

Union territories, on the other hand, are directly under the rule of the Central Government. Every union territory is controlled by a lieutenant governor appointed by the president of India. He is also the representative of the President and the Central Government of India. There are 9 Union Territories in India, out of which only two, Puducherry and Delhi, participate in the Rajya Sabha. Rest all the union territories do not take part in the assembly of Rajya Sabha. These territories are smaller than the states in size. As they are ruled by a union, they are called union territories. All of them are administered by the Central Government. Now you can answer what is the difference between state and union territory.

From this definition, we can easily understand that the basic difference between state and union territory lies in the administration part. They also do not fall or follow the uniform pattern followed by the states according to the governance features. After the independence, it was found that these territories are unable to survive on their own unless a union government intervenes. These territories have to depend on the rule of the union government and seek help from the centre for survival. This is not the case with the states. The states are chosen as the self-sustaining administrative units in the political map of India.

As per the union territory meaning, Andaman and Nicobar Islands is the first union territory in India. The latest ones that formed are Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. Chandigarh, one of the union territories in India, is also the joint capital of two states, Punjab and Haryana.

Differences between States and Union Territories

• Administration

According to the administration of these two entities, a state has a sovereign government and is independent in terms of laws, revenue generation, sustenance, etc. Union territories, on the other hand, are those administrative units that are unable to survive on their own. This is why these territories have presidential representatives in the form of lieutenant governors to take care of the affairs.

• Meaning

According to the union territory meaning, an administrative unit that was previously a territory but is unable to survive on its own is called a union territory. Hence, all its affairs are taken care of by a union government that runs under the supervision of the central government. Hence, all the territories are under the governance of the president.

On the contrary, the meaning of a state is the sovereignty of an administrative unit in terms of survival, revenue generation, profession, culture, tradition, etc. It has its own government and makes its laws. It also follows the laws made by the central government.

• Relationship with the Central Government

Union territories maintain a union relationship with the central government, whereas the states maintain a federal relationship.

• Election

A chief minister is elected for all the states by following the democratic rules of polling. The president appoints a lieutenant governor for a union territory to take care of the affairs. The union territories of India means all of these administrative units are looked after by a union government.

• Size

The states are larger in size in terms of area and population than the union territories.

• Autonomy

The states have autonomy, and the union territories don’t.

Now that we have studied the meaning and difference of states and union territories according to the Indian Constitution, we can easily find out the points related to state vs union territory questions. Follow the information mentioned in this article to answer all the questions. Study and understand the differences well and give the right answers in the general knowledge section of the government selection exams.

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