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PART VIII · THE UNION TERRITORIES

Article 239: Administration of Union territories

The Constitution of India

1[(1) Save as otherwise provided by Parliament by law, every Union territory shall be administered by the President acting, to such extent as he thinks fit, through an administrator to be appointed by him with such designation as he may specify.

(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in Part VI, the President may appoint the Governor of a State as the administrator of an adjoining Union territory, and where a Governor is so appointed, he shall exercise his functions as such administrator independently of his Council of Ministers.]

3*[239A. Creation of local Legislatures or Council of Ministers or both for certain Union territories.— (1) Parliament may by law create 2[for the Union territory of 3[Puducherry]]—

(a) a body, whether elected or partly nominated and partly elected, to function as a Legislature for the Union territory, or

(b) a Council of Ministers, or both with such constitution, powers and functions, in each case, as may be specified in the law.

(2) Any such law as is referred to in clause (1) shall not be deemed to be an amendment of this Constitution for the purposes of article 368 notwithstanding that it contains any provision which amends or has the effect of amending this Constitution.]

Footnotes in the official text

  1. 1.Subs. by s. 17, ibid., for art. 239 (w.e.f. 1-11-1956).
  2. 2.Subs. by the Goa, Daman and Diu Reorganisation Act, 1987 (18 of 1987) s. 63, for "for any of the Union territories of Goa, Daman and Diu and Pondicherry" (w.e.f. 30-5-1987).
  3. 3.Subs. by the Pondicherry (Alteration of Name) Act, 2006 (44 of 2006), s. 4, for "Pondicherry" (w.e.f. 1-10-2006).

Questions on this article

4 questions in 11 of our papers cite Article 239. Try these from the free papers:

  1. 1. Under Article 239(2), where the President appoints the Governor of a State as the administrator of an adjoining Union territory, the Governor exercises his functions as administrator:

Practise questions on Constitutional Law