UPSC Prelims 2000 Q47: Indian Polity – Federalism & Centre - State Relations
- (a) Goa attained full statehood in 1987
- (b) Diu is an island in the Gulf of Khambhat
- (c) Daman and Diu were separated from Goa by the 56th Amendment of the Constitution of India
- (d) Dadra and Nagar Haveli were under French colonial rule till 1954
Answer: (d) Dadra and Nagar Haveli were under French colonial rule till 1954
Explanation
The incorrect statement about Goa, Daman, Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli
| Statement | Fact |
|---|---|
| (a) Goa attained full statehood in 1987 | True — 30 May 1987 |
| (b) Diu is an island in the Gulf of Khambhat | True — off the southern tip of Saurashtra at the mouth of the gulf |
| (c) Daman and Diu separated from Goa by the 56th Amendment | True — Goa, Daman and Diu Reorganisation Act 1987 with the 56th Amendment |
| (d) Dadra and Nagar Haveli under French rule till 1954 | False — they were Portuguese until freed in 1954 |
Dadra and Nagar Haveli were Portuguese territories, not French, until local volunteers freed them in 1954; they were merged with India by the 10th Amendment in 1961.
The French held Pondicherry, Karaikal, Mahe, Yanam and Chandernagore.
Goa became the 25th State on 30 May 1987, when Daman and Diu became a separate Union Territory; the 56th Amendment made the constitutional change.
Diu is an island near the southern coast of Saurashtra, usually described as lying in the Gulf of Khambhat.
So statement (d) is the incorrect one.
Answer: (d) Dadra and Nagar Haveli were under French colonial rule till 1954.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. This is true: Goa became a State on 30 May 1987.
- (b) Incorrect. This is true: Diu is an island at the mouth of the Gulf of Khambhat.
- (c) Incorrect. This is true: the 56th Amendment came with Goa's statehood, leaving Daman and Diu a separate Union Territory.
- (d) CORRECT. This is the wrong statement: Dadra and Nagar Haveli were Portuguese, not French.
Key point
Portuguese: Goa, Daman, Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli. French: Pondicherry, Karaikal, Mahe, Yanam, Chandernagore.
Remember
Dadra and Nagar Haveli: Portuguese until 1954, part of India by the 10th Amendment (1961).
Common mistakes
- Missing that the question asks for the incorrect statement.
- Mixing up Portuguese and French enclaves.
- Thinking Goa became a State in 1961, when it was freed.
Exam tip
1954 freedom + Portuguese = Dadra and Nagar Haveli; 1961 = Goa freed; 1987 = Goa a State.
Sources
- M. Laxmikanth — Indian Polity
- Constitution of India — 10th and 56th Amendment Acts (legislative.gov.in)