List of Union Territories of India with their Capitals 2025

Explore the 8 Union Territories of India, their capitals, administrative setup, governance structure and their significance with the Indian federal system. This article by Veranda RACE offers a detailed overview of the eight union territories of India and their capitals in a detailed manner for competitive exam aspirants.

List of Union Territories of India 2025

There are 8 union territories in India other than the 28 states. These union territories in India are administrative regions governed directly by the Indian Government. The eight Union Territories in India are:

1.Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (2020)

2.Ladakh (2019)

3.Jammu & Kashmir (2019)

4.Chandigarh (1966)

5.Puducherry (1962)

6.Lakshadweep (1956)

7.Delhi (1956)

8.Andaman and Nicobar Islands (1956)

At present as of July 2025, there are 8 Union Territories in India. Recently on 31 October 2019, the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir was split into two union territories, Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.

Later, on 26 January 2020, the union territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu were merged into single union territory.

Because of these two changes, there are currently 8 union territories instead of 9 union territories in India.

What is a Union Territory in India?

Article 1 of the Indian Constitution describes India, that is, Bharat as a ‘Union of States’. According to Article 1, the territory of India can be classified into three categories:

The States

The Union Territories

Territories that may be acquired by the Indian Government

The Union Territories (UTs) in India are areas that are directly administered by the Indian Government. They are known as ‘Centrally Administered Territories’.

Part VIII of the Indian Constitution spanning Articles 239 to 241 deals with the Union Territories in India. The names of states and union territories and their territorial extent are mentioned in the First Schedule of the Indian Constitution.

Union Territories in India are administered by the President of India. Usually, an Administrator or Lieutenant Governor (LG) appointed by the Indian President administers the Union Territories. The Indian President can also appoint the Governor of an Indian state as the Administrator of an adjacent Union Territory.

The Indian Parliament can make laws on any subject of the three lists (including the State List) for the Union Territories. This also extends to the union territories of Puducherry, Delhi and Jammi and Kashmir which have their own legislatures.

Administrative System of Union Territories in India

Union Territories (UTs) in India are directly governed by the Indian Government. Lieutenant Governor (LG) or the Administrator is chief administrator and representative of the Indian President in the Union Territory.The Indian President directly administers the Union Territories in India through Administrators and Lieutenant Governors appointed by him.

At present, the union territories of Puducherry, Delhi, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh are administered by a Lieutenant Governor. The Union Territories of Chandigarh, Lakshadweep and Dadra and Nagar Haveli & Daman and Diu are administered by Administrators.

The Governor of Punjab is concurrently the Administrator of Chandigarh.

Only the union territories of Puducherry, Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir have legislative assemblies with limited law-making powers. These union territories are provided with a legislative assembly and a council of ministers headed by a Chief Minister.

A regulation made by the President with regards to the Union Territories has the same force and effect as an Act of the Indian Parliament. The Indian President can also repeal or amend any act of the Parliament in relation to these Union Territories of India.

The Indian Parliament can establish a High Court for a Union Territory in India or place it under the jurisdiction of the High Court of an adjacent Indian State.The Union Territory of Delhi is the only union territory that has a High Court of its own since 1966. The Bombay High Court has got jurisdiction over the union territory of Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu. The union territories of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chandigarh, Lakshadweep and Puducherry are placed under the Calcutta, Punjab and Haryana, Kerala and Madras High Courts respectively. The Jammu and Kashmir High Court is the common high court for the two union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

Union Territories of India and Their Capitals 2025

As we have learnt earlier, India has a total of 8 union territories within its borders. Knowing the names of the union territories along with their capitals will help the students to understand India’s administrative divisions in a clean way.

The capital of the Union Territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands was renamed from Port Blair to Sri Vijaya Puram in September 2025 by the Indian Government.

Articles Related to Union Territories of India

Students can find the Articles listed in the Indian Constitution that are related to the Union Territories of India and their subject mattershere. This is very important to tackle questions that are asked in the section of Indian Polity and Governance in Bank, SSC, TNPSC, Railways and other government competitive exams such as UPSC CSE, CDS, CAPF, NDA, etc.

Article 239: Administration of Union Territories

Article 239A: Creation of local legislatures or Council of Ministers or both for certain Union Territories

Article 239AA: Special provisions with respect to Delhi

Article 239AB: Provision in case of failure of constitutional machinery

Article 239B: Power of Administrator to promulgate Ordinances during Recess of Legislature

Article 240: Power of President to make regulations for certain Union Territories

Article 241: High Courts for Union Territories

Article 242: Coorg (repealed)

Lt. Governors & Administrators of Union Territories in India 2025

The Union Territories of India are governed by Lieutenant Governors or Administrators who are appointed by the President of India.The Lt. Governors and Administrators oversee the governance of the Union Territories on behalf of the Indian Government.

They serve as representatives of the President of India. They ensure the implementation of central policies and governance of the union territories in the absence of a state legislature.

To be clear, the following Indian Union Territories have Lieutenant Governors – Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Delhi (NCT), Jammu & Kashmir, Puducherry, Ladakh.

The following Indian Union Territories have Administrators – Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli & Daman and Diu and Lakshadweep.

Union Territories of India: Key Things to Remember

As learnt earlier about the union territories of India, it is crucial to know more about each union territory in detail to understand them better. Every Union Territory in India is unique. Here are some of the important features of each union territory of India:

Jammu & Kashmir

Jammu and Kashmir became a Union Territory of India on 31 October 2019 from the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir through the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act of 2019. The Union Territory of Ladakh was separated and became a separate union territory.

The Union Territory of Kashmir has two capitals. The summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir is Srinagar and its winter capital is Jammu. Srinagar is the largest city in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

The official languages are Dogri, English, Hindi, Kashmiri and Urdu. There are around 20 districts in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

It is administered under the provisions of Article 239 of the Indian Constitution.

The literacy rate of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir is 67.16 per cent.

The Kishtwar region of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir is known as the ‘Land of Sapphire and Saffron’.

Andaman & Nicobar Islands

Andaman and Nicobar Islands is the first union territory of India which was formed in November 1956. It comprises of 572 islands out of which only 38 are inhabited.

Sri Vijaya Puram, formerly Port Blair, is the capital of the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. There are 3 districts here.

The official languages are English and Hindi. There are around 20 districts in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

India’s southernmost point, Indira Point, is located here in Great Nicobar. Barren Island, the only active volcan in India is located in the Andaman Sea.

The only known uncontacted tribe in India known as the Sentinelese reside in the North Sentinel Islands of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu

The two union territories of Dadra & Nager Haveli and Daman & Diu were merged and formed as a single union territory on 26 January 2020. It consists of 3 districts and its capital is Daman.

It is administered as a union territory by virtue of Article 240(2) of the Indian Constitution.

Dadra and Nagar Haveli was a Portuguese territory and was annexed by the Indian Army in 1961. All others were also former Portuguese colonies.

The official languages are English and Hindi. Ther overall literacy rate of the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu is 76.20 per cent.

It was created as a union territory of India by the 10^th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1961.

Puducherry

Puducherry, also known as Pondicherry, is a union territory consisting of four geographically unconnected districts. It was formed in August 1962 out of former French India namely Pondicherry, Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam.

It was made a Union Territory of India by the 14^th Constitutional Amendment Act of 1962.

Puducherry was the capital city of erstwhile French India.It is the third most densely populated union territory of India.

Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam are the official languages of Puducherry while French and English serve as additional official languages.

This is one of the three union territories along with Union Territories of Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir to have a legislative assembly and council of ministers with Chief Minister.

The literacy rate of Puducherry is 92.7 per cent.

Ladakh

Ladakh was carved as a separate union territory in India from the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir in 2019 through the passing of Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act of 2019.

Leh is the capital city of Ladakh. It consists of 7 districts.

Ladakh holds the distinction of being the largest union territory of India and the second least populous union territory.

Hindi and English are the official languages of the Union Territory of Ladakh.

Ladakh is administered by two autonomous district councils namely Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Kargil and Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councill, Leh.

Ladakh is under the jurisdiction of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

Chandigarh

The Union Territory of Chandigarh serves as the shared capital of the states of Punjab and Haryana. It was made a union territory through the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966.

It is famously known as the ‘Pensioner’s Paradise’.

This city was designed by Le Corbusier, a Swiss French architect.

The Union Territory of Chandigarh has one of the highest Human Development Index among Indian states and union territories.

English and Hindi are the official languages of the Chandigarh Union Territory.

The Capitol Complex in Chandigarh was declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2016.

Delhi

Delhi or the National Capital Territory of Delhi became a Union Territory of India in November 1956.

Article 239AA of the Indian Constitution deals with the special provisions with respect to the Union Territory of Delhi.

Among the union territories in India, Delhi alone has a separate high court (since 1966).

Hindi and English are the official languages of Delhi UT. The Union Territory of Delhi is jointly administered by the Indian Government and the local government of Delhi.

Delhi also stands as the National Capital Region and is situated on the banks of Yamuna river.

New Delhi serves as the seat of the Indian Government.

Lakshadweep

The Union Territory of Lakshadweep is the smallest union territory of India, both in terms of area and population. It is an archipelago consisting of 36 islands and is situated in the Arabian Sea.

The capital of the Union Territory of Lakshadweep is Kavaratti. It was established in November 1956. English is the official language while Malayalam is an additional official language.

The meaning of Lakshadweep is ‘one hundred thousand islands’ in Malayalam. It consists of a single administrative district.

It is also known as Laccadives.

Difference Between States and Union Territories

Union territories are special areas that are directly managed by the Indian Government. Here, we can see about the major differences between the states and union territories of India with respect to control, autonomy, etc.

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