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Which is the smallest Union Territory of India in terms of area?
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Answer: Option C — Lakshadweep
Detailed Solution
Lakshadweep is the smallest Union Territory of India by area, with only about 32 square kilometres of land. It is also the least populated Union Territory, with a population of about 64,000 (Census 2011).
About Lakshadweep:
It is a group of 36 islands (coral islands, atolls, reefs and banks) in the Arabian Sea, about 200-440 km off the coast of Kerala. Only about 10 of the islands are inhabited.
Its name means "a hundred thousand islands" in Sanskrit and Malayalam.
Its capital is Kavaratti.
The islands are divided into three main groups: the Amindivi Islands in the north, the Laccadive Islands in the centre, and Minicoy Island in the south. Minicoy is separated from the rest by the Nine Degree Channel, and from the Maldives by the Eight Degree Channel.
Most of its people are Muslims, and almost all are listed as Scheduled Tribes, giving it one of the highest shares of ST population in India.
The main languages are Malayalam, and Mahl (similar to Dhivehi) in Minicoy.
It comes under the jurisdiction of the Kerala High Court.
Its economy depends mainly on fishing (especially tuna) and coconut cultivation; coconut is the main crop. Tourism is being developed.
India's Union Territories (8):
- Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Delhi (National Capital Territory), Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Lakshadweep and Puducherry.
- Ladakh is the largest Union Territory by area, and Delhi is the most populous.
- In 2020, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu were merged into a single Union Territory.
- Delhi, Puducherry and Jammu and Kashmir have their own legislatures.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Puducherry is larger (about 490 sq km).
- ✗Chandigarh is about 114 sq km.
- ✗Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu is about 603 sq km.
Quick tip
Remember: Smallest UT = Lakshadweep (~32 sq km, capital Kavaratti, 36 islands, Kerala HC); largest UT = Ladakh; most populous UT = Delhi; 8 UTs in total.
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This question tests your understanding of Firsts in India & World, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers the first persons and events in India and the world: the first Indian to win a Nobel Prize, the first woman to hold major offices, the first to climb Everest or reach space, and India's first institutions, newspapers, railways and satellites. It also covers the largest, longest, highest and smallest records in India and the world. These are pure memory questions, so revise them as short lists by theme: first women, first in sports, first in science and space, and first in governance. Be careful with the exact wording, such as 'first Indian' versus 'first person of Indian origin', or 'first woman President' versus 'first woman Prime Minister', since options are often designed to exploit this. Practise the firsts in India and the world questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.