Indian States & Union Territories Module
Northeast States & Island Territories
Northeast India and the offshore island archipelagos exhibit distinct administrative structures, cultural heritages, and strategic geographic positions. The Northeast region comprises the 'Eight Sisters'—Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, and Sikkim—connected to the mainland via the narrow Siliguri Corridor. Governance in tribal tracts is reinforced through Autonomous District Councils under the Sixth Schedule and asymmetric federal protections under Article 371. In maritime regions, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal and the coral atolls of Lakshadweep in the Arabian Sea safeguard critical Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) and vital shipping lanes.
Key Concepts & Examination Highlights
- The Sixth Schedule of the Constitution provides autonomous administrative governance for tribal areas in four northeastern states: Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram (AMTM).
- The Siliguri Corridor, colloquially known as the 'Chicken's Neck', is a narrow stretch of land in West Bengal measuring roughly 22 km wide at its narrowest point, connecting mainland India to the Northeast.
- The Ten Degree Channel separates the Andaman Islands from the Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal, lying along the 10°N latitude.
- Lakshadweep is India's smallest Union Territory, consisting of 36 coral islands and atolls in the Arabian Sea, with Kavaratti serving as its administrative capital.
Curriculum & Reference Sources: North Eastern Council (NEC), Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER), Census of India, and Survey of India.