Administrators of Union Territories in India function as agents of the Union and are directly responsible to which constitutional authority?

Introduction / Context:
Union Territories in India have a different administrative structure from that of the States. Rather than having elected Governors in the same sense as States, they often have Administrators or Lieutenant Governors appointed by the Union Government. This question examines your knowledge of the constitutional chain of responsibility: to whom are these Administrators answerable in the final analysis?

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The question specifically refers to Administrators of Union Territories.
• The options include the Union Home Minister, Lok Sabha, President, and Union Parliament.
• We assume the constitutional framework laid down in Articles 239 and related provisions of the Constitution of India.
• The issue is the authority to whom these Administrators are responsible in their official capacity.

Concept / Approach:
Under Article 239, every Union Territory is to be administered by the President acting through an Administrator appointed by the President. This Administrator acts as an agent of the President. While in practice there may be consultation with the Ministry of Home Affairs, formally and constitutionally the Administrator is responsible to the President of India, not directly to the Lok Sabha or to Parliament as a whole. The Lok Sabha and Parliament may discuss Union Territory administration, but the official chain of responsibility is from Administrator to President.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that Union Territories are administered by the President through Administrators or Lieutenant Governors.Step 2: Recognise that the Administrator is appointed by the President and functions as the President's agent.Step 3: Understand that while the Home Ministry handles day-to-day administrative matters, the ultimate constitutional responsibility is to the President.Step 4: Note that Lok Sabha and Parliament have oversight and can ask questions, but they are not the direct authority to whom the Administrator is formally responsible.Step 5: Therefore, pick 'President' as the authority to whom the Administrators of Union Territories are responsible.

Verification / Alternative check:
You can verify this by referring to Article 239 of the Constitution or standard polity textbooks, which explain that Union Territories are administered by the President through an Administrator. The language clearly shows that the Administrator is an extension of the President's authority. Many exam questions repeat this fact: the Administrator of a Union Territory is an agent of the President, just as a Governor is an agent of the President in the States. This confirms that the correct answer is 'President'.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Union Home Minister: Though the Home Minister plays a major role in policy and oversight, the constitutional responsibility of the Administrator is to the President, not personally to the Home Minister.
• Lok Sabha: The Lok Sabha can debate and control the Union Government politically, but Administrators do not report directly to it in constitutional terms.
• Union Parliament: Parliament may legislate for Union Territories, yet the daily administration is carried out under the President's authority through the Administrator.

Common Pitfalls:
A frequent mistake is to conflate administrative practice with constitutional responsibility. Because the Ministry of Home Affairs handles many Union Territory issues, some candidates think the Administrator is primarily responsible to the Home Minister. Others assume that, since Parliament is supreme in legislation, every administrative head must report to Parliament. Remember that in constitutional law, the President is the formal head of the Union, and Union Territories are administered in the President's name through appointed Administrators.

Final Answer:
Administrators of Union Territories are directly responsible to the President of India.