Part VIII · The Union Territories
Article 239: Administration of Union territories
Text of Article 239
(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.]
*[239A. Creation of local Legislatures or Council of Ministers or both for certain Union territories.—(1) Parliament may by law create [for the Union territory of [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.
Words in [square brackets] were inserted or substituted by later amendments (see below). Source: Legislative Department, Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India
A plain-English explanation of Article 239, landmark judgments and exam facts are being added to this page.
Amendment history
Changed by: 14th Amendment Act, 1962, 20th Amendment Act, 1966
- Subs. by s. 17, ibid., for art. 239 (w.e.f. 1-11-1956).
- Ins. by the Constitution (Fourteenth Amendment) Act, 1962, s. 4 (w.e.f. 28-12-1962).
- 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).
- Subs. by the Pondicherry (Alteration of Name) Act, 2006 (44 of 2006), s. 4, for "Pondicherry" (w.e.f. 1-10-2006). * Article 239A has been made applicable to Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir by the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 (34 of 2019) S.13 (w.e.f. 31-10-2019)
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