Q. Consider the following statements regarding the Union Territories in India:
1. A Union Territory is administered by the President through an administrator appointed by him/her.
2. The President can appoint the Governor of a state as the administrator of an adjoining union territory.
3. The President can specify the designation of the administrator of the Union Territory.
How many of the above given statements are correct?
Exp) Option c is the correct answer.
Articles 239 to 241 in Part VIII of the Constitution deal with the union territories. Even though all the union territories belong to one category, there is no uniformity in their administrative system.
Statement 1 is correct.: Every union territory is administered by the President acting through an administrator appointed by him. An administrator of a union territory is an agent of the President and not head of state like a governor.
Statement 2 is correct: The President can appoint the governor of a state as the administrator of an adjoining union territory. In that capacity, the governor is to act independently of his council of ministers.
Statement 3 is correct. The President can specify the designation of an administrator; it may be Lieutenant Governor or Chief Commissioner or Administrator. At present, it is Lieutenant Governor in the case of Delhi, Puducherry, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh and Administrator in the case of Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu and Lakshadweep.
