Consider the following statements 1. The legal transfer of Pondicherry to the Union of India took place in 1954. 2. The then French territories of Chandernagore and Yanam were merged with India by Sardar Patel with police action. Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

Statement 1 is incorrect because the legal (de jure) transfer of Pondicherry to the Union of India occurred on August 16, 1962, following the ratification of the Treaty of Cession by the French Parliament [t1, t3]. The 1954 event was a de facto transfer of administration [c1, t7]. Statement 2 is also incorrect. Chandernagore was merged with India following a referendum held on June 19, 1949, where citizens voted for merger; it was transferred de jure in 1952 and merged with West Bengal via the Chandernagore (Merger) Act, 1954 [t2, t4, t5]. Yanam's integration involved a local political coup in 1954 rather than police action by Sardar Patel, who had passed away in 1950 [t6]. The integration of French territories was primarily achieved through diplomatic negotiations and treaties rather than the military 'police action' used for Hyderabad.

Sources

1. [1] https://py.gov.in/rural-development
2. [2] Introduction to the Constitution of India, D. D. Basu (26th ed.). > Chapter 6: TERRITORY OF THE UNION > TERRITORY OF THE UNION > p. 74
3. [3] https://www.indiacode.nic.in/repealedfileopen?rfilename=A1954-36.pdf
4. [4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coup_d'état_of_Yanaon