India - Political | Geography for UPSC CSE PDF Download

 Page 1


India - Political
States and Union Territories Map of India
Page 2


India - Political
States and Union Territories Map of India
India - Political
Introduction
Since October 31st, 2019, the political map of India has undergone significant
changes with the official bifurcation of the state of Jammu and Kashmir into two
Union Territories (UTs): Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. These changes have
important implications, particularly for aspirants preparing for the IAS Exam. This
article aims to shed light on the altered political map of India, highlighting the
withdrawal of special status from Jammu and Kashmir and presenting an updated
list of states and Union Territories.
Changes in the Political Map of India
The political map of India underwent a transformation following the withdrawal
of special status granted to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 by the central
government. This decision resulted in the creation of two new Union Territories:
Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019,
introduced in the Rajya Sabha on August 5th, 2019, proposed the bifurcation of
the state into these two UTs. With the approval of both houses of parliament, the
number of states and Union Territories in India has changed.
Details of the New Political Map of India
The new political map of India reflects the bifurcation of the former state of
Jammu and Kashmir. The Union Territory of Ladakh comprises the districts of
Kargil and Leh, while the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir encompasses the
remaining territories of the erstwhile state. Similar to Puducherry, the UT of
Jammu and Kashmir will have a legislature, whereas Ladakh will function as a UT
without a legislature, much like Chandigarh. The Act specifies that each UT will
have a separate lieutenant governor.
Under the new arrangement, the central government assumes direct control over
the police and law and order in Jammu and Kashmir, while the elected
government retains authority over the land. In the case of Ladakh, the central
government exercises direct control through the lieutenant governor. For further
Page 3


India - Political
States and Union Territories Map of India
India - Political
Introduction
Since October 31st, 2019, the political map of India has undergone significant
changes with the official bifurcation of the state of Jammu and Kashmir into two
Union Territories (UTs): Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. These changes have
important implications, particularly for aspirants preparing for the IAS Exam. This
article aims to shed light on the altered political map of India, highlighting the
withdrawal of special status from Jammu and Kashmir and presenting an updated
list of states and Union Territories.
Changes in the Political Map of India
The political map of India underwent a transformation following the withdrawal
of special status granted to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 by the central
government. This decision resulted in the creation of two new Union Territories:
Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019,
introduced in the Rajya Sabha on August 5th, 2019, proposed the bifurcation of
the state into these two UTs. With the approval of both houses of parliament, the
number of states and Union Territories in India has changed.
Details of the New Political Map of India
The new political map of India reflects the bifurcation of the former state of
Jammu and Kashmir. The Union Territory of Ladakh comprises the districts of
Kargil and Leh, while the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir encompasses the
remaining territories of the erstwhile state. Similar to Puducherry, the UT of
Jammu and Kashmir will have a legislature, whereas Ladakh will function as a UT
without a legislature, much like Chandigarh. The Act specifies that each UT will
have a separate lieutenant governor.
Under the new arrangement, the central government assumes direct control over
the police and law and order in Jammu and Kashmir, while the elected
government retains authority over the land. In the case of Ladakh, the central
government exercises direct control through the lieutenant governor. For further
India - Political
historical context, readers can refer to the Instrument of Accession of Jammu and
Kashmir dated October 26, 1947.
Number of States and Union Territories in India
Following the recent changes, India will have a total of 28 states and 8 Union
Territories. It is worth noting that Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu were
merged into a single UT, which came into effect on January 26th, 2020. The table
below presents the complete list of states and Union Territories in India.
Table: List of States and Union Territories in India
States Union Territories
Andhra Pradesh Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Arunachal Pradesh Chandigarh
Assam Dadra and Nagar Haveli & Daman and
Diu
Bihar Delhi
Chhattisgarh Jammu & Kashmir
Goa Ladakh
Gujarat Lakshadweep
Haryana Puducherry
Himachal Pradesh
Jharkhand
Karnataka
Kerala
Madhya Pradesh
Maharashtra
Manipur
Meghalaya
Page 4


India - Political
States and Union Territories Map of India
India - Political
Introduction
Since October 31st, 2019, the political map of India has undergone significant
changes with the official bifurcation of the state of Jammu and Kashmir into two
Union Territories (UTs): Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. These changes have
important implications, particularly for aspirants preparing for the IAS Exam. This
article aims to shed light on the altered political map of India, highlighting the
withdrawal of special status from Jammu and Kashmir and presenting an updated
list of states and Union Territories.
Changes in the Political Map of India
The political map of India underwent a transformation following the withdrawal
of special status granted to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 by the central
government. This decision resulted in the creation of two new Union Territories:
Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019,
introduced in the Rajya Sabha on August 5th, 2019, proposed the bifurcation of
the state into these two UTs. With the approval of both houses of parliament, the
number of states and Union Territories in India has changed.
Details of the New Political Map of India
The new political map of India reflects the bifurcation of the former state of
Jammu and Kashmir. The Union Territory of Ladakh comprises the districts of
Kargil and Leh, while the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir encompasses the
remaining territories of the erstwhile state. Similar to Puducherry, the UT of
Jammu and Kashmir will have a legislature, whereas Ladakh will function as a UT
without a legislature, much like Chandigarh. The Act specifies that each UT will
have a separate lieutenant governor.
Under the new arrangement, the central government assumes direct control over
the police and law and order in Jammu and Kashmir, while the elected
government retains authority over the land. In the case of Ladakh, the central
government exercises direct control through the lieutenant governor. For further
India - Political
historical context, readers can refer to the Instrument of Accession of Jammu and
Kashmir dated October 26, 1947.
Number of States and Union Territories in India
Following the recent changes, India will have a total of 28 states and 8 Union
Territories. It is worth noting that Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu were
merged into a single UT, which came into effect on January 26th, 2020. The table
below presents the complete list of states and Union Territories in India.
Table: List of States and Union Territories in India
States Union Territories
Andhra Pradesh Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Arunachal Pradesh Chandigarh
Assam Dadra and Nagar Haveli & Daman and
Diu
Bihar Delhi
Chhattisgarh Jammu & Kashmir
Goa Ladakh
Gujarat Lakshadweep
Haryana Puducherry
Himachal Pradesh
Jharkhand
Karnataka
Kerala
Madhya Pradesh
Maharashtra
Manipur
Meghalaya
India - Political
Mizoram
Nagaland
Odisha
Punjab
Rajasthan
Sikkim
Tamil Nadu
Telangana
Tripura
Uttarakhand
Uttar Pradesh
West Bengal
Conclusion
The political map of India has witnessed significant changes with the creation of
two new Union Territories: Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. Aspirants preparing for
the IAS Exam should stay informed about these alterations. With the state of
Jammu and Kashmir bifurcated, India now comprises 28 states and 8 Union
Territories. It is crucial to have an up-to-date understanding of India's political
map for a comprehensive grasp of its administrative divisions.