About Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu
- It is a Union Territory in western India
- It was created through the merger of the former union territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.
- The territory is made up of four separate geographical entities Dadra, Nagar Haveli, Daman and the island of Diu.
- All four areas were part of Portuguese India with the capital in Velha Goa; they came under Indian administration in the mid-20th century.
- The capital city is Daman while Silvassa is the largest city.
History of Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu
- Daman and Diu were under Portuguese administration from the 1500s until they were annexed by India on 19 December 1961.
- Dadra and Nagar Haveli were under Portuguese administration from 1818 until they were captured by pro-India forces in 1954 and were formally annexed to India on 11 August 1961.
- Portugal officially recognised Indian sovereignty over the areas in 1974 following the Carnation Revolution.
- Dadra and Nagar Haveli was administered as a de facto state, Free Dadra and Nagar Haveli, before becoming a union territory in 1961.
- Daman and Diu were administered as part of the union territory of Goa, Daman and Diu between 1962 and 1987, becoming a separate union territory when Goa was granted statehood
Geographical location
- Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu is composed of four distinct areas located in Western India.
- Dadra is a small enclave within the state of Gujarat.
- Nagar Haveli is a C shaped enclave located between the states of Gujarat and Maharashtra which contains a counter enclave of Gujarat around the village of Maghval.
- Daman is an enclave on the coast of Gujarat and Diu is an island off the coast of Gujarat.
Administration
Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu is administered as a union territory of India by virtue of Article 240 (2) of the Constitution of India. The President of India appoints an administrator to administer the territory on behalf of the central Government of India.
The Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (Merger of Union Territories) Bill, 2019
- The Bill amended the First Schedule to merge the territories of the two UTs: (a) Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and (b) Daman and Diu.
- The First Schedule to the Representation of the People Act, 1950 provides one seat in Lok Sabha to each of the two UTs. The Bill seeks to amend the Schedule to allocate two Lok Sabha seats to the merged UT
- The Bill provides that the jurisdiction of the High Court of Bombay will continue to extend to the merged UT.
Source: PRS India
