Article 239

Part VIII — The Union Territories · Constitution of India

Article 239

Administration of Union territories. (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.

In plain wordsUnion territories are run by the President through an appointed administrator, so residents are governed by the Centre's representative unless Parliament provides otherwise. A neighboring state's Governor can double as administrator, and in that role acts without the advice of the state's ministers.

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