Kavaratti is the seat of administration for the Union Territory of Lakshadweep. Because Lakshadweep is a Union Territory without its own legislative assembly, it is governed directly by the Union Government of India.
- **Executive**: The President of India appoints an Administrator who acts as the head of the Union Territory. The Administrator's Secretariat and all major directorates of the UT are located in Kavaratti. - **Local Governance**: At the grassroots level, the island is administered by a Village (Dweep) Panchayat, which handles local civic duties, sanitation, and community welfare. - **Representation**: Kavaratti, along with the rest of the islands, forms a single parliamentary constituency that elects one Member of Parliament (MP) to the Lok Sabha (the lower house of India's parliament).
