One district, ten sub-divisions: how the Union Territory of Lakshadweep is administered

Background

The whole of the Union Territory of Lakshadweep is treated as a single district. It was earlier divided into four tehsils and now has ten sub-divisions. Sub-Divisional Officers coordinate development work in eight islands, while the sub-divisions of Minicoy and Agatti are under a Deputy Collector. The Administration Secretariat was shifted from Kozhikode to Kavaratti in March 1964. Revenue, land settlement and law and order come under the Collector cum Development Commissioner, who is also the District Magistrate, assisted by one Additional District Magistrate and ten Executive Magistrates. The Administrator commands Lakshadweep Police in his capacity as Inspector General of Lakshadweep Police, and the force has a sanctioned strength of 349 personnel for nine police stations, two police out posts and one police aid post. A company of the India Reserve Battalion was raised by the Union Government for Lakshadweep together with Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, and 355 of its personnel are stationed across the islands.