The Administrator of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, and the office before him

State Focus Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu Appointment Polity & Governance

The Administrator of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, and the office before him

Background

This office stands behind the Union Territory's October 2026 notices and gazette issues, all published by its Administration.
Shri Praful Patel is the Administrator of the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.
He was born on 28 August 1957 at Unava near Unjha in the Mehsana district of Gujarat, holds a diploma in Civil Engineering, won the 2007 State Assembly election from Himmatnagar and served as an MLA until 2012.
He took charge as Administrator of Daman and Diu on 29 August 2016 and was appointed Administrator of Dadra and Nagar Haveli on 30 December 2016, so he held both offices before the merger.
Before 2016 the post was held by officers of the Indian Administrative Service, the last of them Vikram Dev Dutt from 14 March 2016 to 29 August 2016.
A Union Territory of this kind is headed by an Administrator appointed by the President, not by a Chief Minister and Council of Ministers.

Took charge in Daman and Diu: 29 August 2016 Appointed in Dadra and Nagar Haveli: 30 December 2016 Date of birth: 28 August 1957

Why it matters for exams: The distinction between a Union Territory with a legislature and one headed only by an Administrator is a standard polity question.

UPSCSSC

16 October 2026 Source: U.T. Administration of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu

In plain words

Administrator Administrator of a Union Territory — The head of a Union Territory's administration, appointed by the President under Article 239.