Лакшадвип: Территория и административное устройство

Union territory of India

Lakshadweep is a union territory of India. It is an archipelago of 36 islands

The islands form a part of the union territory of Lakshadweep and is administered by a Lieutenant Governor on behalf of the Government of India. The union territory was established in 1956 and constitutes a single Indian district. The headquarters of the union territory remained at Kozhikode until 1964, when the seat of administrator of the islands was shifted to Kavaratti. For administration, the territory is divided into ten sub divisions headed by sub divisional officers except in Minicoy and Agatti, which are headed by deputy collectors. The ten inhabited islands have village panchayats with total of 88 members across islands which form a district panchayat which has 26 directly elected members including the chairpersons of the ten village panchayats and the Member of Parliament for Lakshadweep Lok Sabha Constituency. The territory is also divided into five community development blocks: Kavaratti, Amini, Andrott, Minicoy and Kiltan, each administered by Collector cum Development Commissioner, who is in charge of revenue, land settlement, law and order. The Lakshadweep is a reserved constituency for Scheduled Tribes. The union territory falls under the judicial jurisdiction of the Kerala High Court at Kochi, and corresponds to a system of lower courts under it. There is a district and sessions court in Kavaratti since 1997 and two munsiff courts in Andrott and Amini. +List of islands of LakshadweepNameSub divisionArea(km2) Population(2011)Aminidivi IslandsBitraBitra0.10271ChetlatChetlat1.1742,347KiltanKiltan1.73,946Kadmat Kadmat3.345,404AminiAmini2.677,661Laccadive IslandsAndrottAndrott4.911,191AgattiAgatti3.847,556Kalpitti0.085Bangaram0.57Thinnakkara0.522Parali I0.089Parali IIParali IIIKavarattiKavaratti4.2211,221Pitti (Bird Island)0.001Valiyakara0.395Cheriyakara0.383KalpeniKalpeni2.794,419Pitti I0.028Pitti IICheriyam0.537Kodithala0.0027Thilakam I0.055Thilakam IIThilakam IIIMinicoyMinicoyMinicoy4.80110,447Viringili0.025Total32.6964,473

According to the 2011 census, Lakshadweep has a population of 64,473 of which 33,123 (51.3%) were males and 31,350 (48.7%) were females. It also recorded the highest sex ratio at birth as per the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) in 2021. There were a total of 11,574 households and about 50,332 (78%) of the population lived in urban. As per the NFHS, the fertility rate was 1.4, significantly below the national average of 2.0.

The economy is dependent on agriculture and allied industry and fishery with tourism, a developing industry. With a vast lagoon area and an exclusive economic zone of , fishery is a major industry. Commercial fishing is concentrated around 11 islands with skipjack tuna and yellowfin tuna being the only commercial varieties fished. According to India tourism statistics, 10,435 domestic tourists and 1,313 foreign tourists visited the islands in 2018. The government is promoting tourism as a means to increase the income of local population with the islands of Bangaram and Kadmat, promoted as tourist destinations. According to the current alcohol laws of India, alcoholic beverage consumption is not permitted in the islands except on Bangaram island. The government has proposed programmes to improve infrastructure and promote tourism. The potential negative effects of tourism on the environment and ecosystem of the islands is a subject of debate.

There is no single power grid connecting the islands and independent power houses caters to the power requirements of individual islands. Minicoy was the first island to be electrified in 1962 followed by Kavaratti in 1964 and others later, with Bitra being the last island to be electrified in 1982. The technology was developed by the National Institute of Ocean Technology and government announced plans to build three further plants. Mobile communication service is provided by state owned BSNL across all inhabited islands and Airtel in two islands of Kavratti and Agatti. In 2020, the government announced a project to install under sea fiber optic cable for high speed mobile and internet connectivity between Kochi and 11 islands of Lakshadweep. India Post operates nine post offices that provide mail service. As the current long runway is capable of handling only smaller turboprop aircraft, the government has announced a plan in early 2024 to extend the runway to enable it to handle larger narrow body aircraft and expand the infrastructure to convert the airport into dual use for civilian and military purposes. A new greenfield airport is also proposed to be constructed at Minicoy Island. as of 2019, there are of paved roads and no railway in the territory. as of 2024, additional roads have been planned including a peripheral road at Kavaratti and beach front roads at Kadamath and Agatti islands. In 2024, the government unveiled a plan to develop three ports at Androth, Kalpeni and Kadamath islands as a part of the Sagar Mala project. There are fifteen lighthouses in the islands. The Minicoy Island Lighthouse was the first modern light house, established in 1885. Indian Navy operates INS Dweeprakshak, a naval based under the Southern Naval Command, commissioned in 2012. There are ten minor ports, one each on all inhabited islands.

The first public school was opened in Amini in 1904 with an elementary school opened in Kiltan in 1911 and Kadmat in 1925. as of 2023, there are 50 schools catering to 8,350 students. There are four government collegs affiliated to Pondicherry University and two colleges and three university centers affiliated to Calicut University in the territory.