Which of the following is the smallest Union Territory of India in terms of geographical area?

Introduction / Context:
Union Territories (UTs) in India are directly administered by the central government and vary widely in area and population. Some UTs are archipelagos, while others are small pockets on the mainland. General knowledge questions commonly ask which Union Territory is the smallest by area to test familiarity with India's political geography. Lakshadweep, a group of coral islands in the Arabian Sea, holds this distinction.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The question is about the smallest Union Territory by geographical area.
• The options are Lakshadweep, Pondicherry (Puducherry), Daman and Diu, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli.
• We assume the standard administrative configuration where Lakshadweep is a separate UT.
• We look at total area in square kilometres, not population or economic size.

Concept / Approach:
Lakshadweep consists of a small chain of islands off the southwestern coast of India and has a very small total land area, well under 100 square kilometres. Puducherry (formerly Pondicherry) comprises several enclaves on the east and west coasts and is larger in area. Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli are also small, but together or separately they cover more area than Lakshadweep. Therefore, by comparing known approximate areas, we can identify Lakshadweep as the smallest Union Territory.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that Lakshadweep is made up of a small group of coral islands with limited land area.Step 2: Remember that its total area is only a few dozen square kilometres, making it very small compared to most other regions.Step 3: Note that Puducherry includes four main enclaves and has a higher combined land area than Lakshadweep.Step 4: Recognise that Daman and Diu, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli, while small, each have land areas larger than the tiny island group of Lakshadweep.Step 5: Conclude that Lakshadweep is the smallest Union Territory by area among the options given.

Verification / Alternative check:
India yearbooks and standard GK compilations list Union Territories along with their area and population. In these tables, Lakshadweep consistently appears at the bottom of the area column as the smallest UT. Maps also show Lakshadweep as a tiny speck relative to the mainland UTs. This repeated numerical confirmation supports the conclusion that Lakshadweep is the smallest Union Territory by area.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Pondicherry (Puducherry): While not very large, the combined area of its four enclaves exceeds that of Lakshadweep.
Daman and Diu: These coastal territories have more land area than the small coral islands of Lakshadweep.
Dadra and Nagar Haveli: This inland territory between Gujarat and Maharashtra is larger in area than Lakshadweep.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes mix up smallest by area and smallest by population, or they may think that the smallest looking unit on some maps must be the smallest administratively. The safest strategy is to explicitly remember that Lakshadweep is the smallest Union Territory by land area, while different units might be smallest by population depending on the comparison set.

Final Answer:
The smallest Union Territory of India in terms of geographical area is Lakshadweep.