CAPITALS AND STATES OF INDIA
1\. Introduction
India is a vast country situated in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country in the world by area and the most populous country.
India is a Union of States. According to the present administrative structure, India consists of:
* 28 States
* 8 Union Territories
* 36 administrative units in total
The Constitution of India describes India as a Union of States under Article 1.
### Important Constitutional Facts
| Particular | Information |
| ------------------------------ | ----------------- |
| Official name | Republic of India |
| Capital of India | New Delhi |
| Constitution adopted | 26 November 1949 |
| Constitution came into force | 26 January 1950 |
| Article dealing with the Union | Article 1 |
| Number of States | 28 |
| Number of Union Territories | 8 |
| Largest state by area | Rajasthan |
| Smallest state by area | Goa |
| Largest state by population | Uttar Pradesh |
| Smallest state by population | Sikkim |
### 2\. What is a State?
A state is an administrative unit of the Indian Union that has its own elected government, headed by a Chief Minister.
Each state has:
* A Governor appointed by the President.
* A Chief Minister who heads the elected government.
* A Legislative Assembly.
* Its own administrative machinery.
* Defined geographical boundaries.
Some states also have a Legislative Council.
### 3\. What is a Union Territory?
A Union Territory is an administrative unit that is governed directly by the Union Government through the President, generally acting through an appointed Administrator or Lieutenant Governor.
Some Union Territories have their own elected legislatures, while others do not.
Important: Delhi, Puducherry and Jammu and Kashmir have legislatures. The remaining five Union Territories do not have their own legislatures.
### 4\. Complete List of 28 States and Their Capitals
The following table is one of the most important sections for competitive examinations.
| S. No. | State | Capital |
| ------ | ----------------- | ------------------ |
| 1 | Andhra Pradesh | Amaravati |
| 2 | Arunachal Pradesh | Itanagar |
| 3 | Assam | Dispur |
| 4 | Bihar | Patna |
| 5 | Chhattisgarh | Raipur |
| 6 | Goa | Panaji |
| 7 | Gujarat | Gandhinagar |
| 8 | Haryana | Chandigarh |
| 9 | Himachal Pradesh | Shimla |
| 10 | Jharkhand | Ranchi |
| 11 | Karnataka | Bengaluru |
| 12 | Kerala | Thiruvananthapuram |
| 13 | Madhya Pradesh | Bhopal |
| 14 | Maharashtra | Mumbai |
| 15 | Manipur | Imphal |
| 16 | Meghalaya | Shillong |
| 17 | Mizoram | Aizawl |
| 18 | Nagaland | Kohima |
| 19 | Odisha | Bhubaneswar |
| 20 | Punjab | Chandigarh |
| 21 | Rajasthan | Jaipur |
| 22 | Sikkim | Gangtok |
| 23 | Tamil Nadu | Chennai |
| 24 | Telangana | Hyderabad |
| 25 | Tripura | Agartala |
| 26 | Uttar Pradesh | Lucknow |
| 27 | Uttarakhand | Dehradun |
| 28 | West Bengal | Kolkata |
Reference: Updated state-capital list, NEXT IAS, October 2026. UPSC CSE +1
### 5\. Complete List of 8 Union Territories and Their Capitals
| S. No. | Union Territory | Capital |
| ------ | ---------------------------------------- | --------------------------------- |
| 1 | Andaman and Nicobar Islands | Sri Vijaya Puram |
| 2 | Chandigarh | Chandigarh |
| 3 | Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu | Daman |
| 4 | Delhi (NCT) | New Delhi |
| 5 | Jammu and Kashmir | Srinagar (Summer), Jammu (Winter) |
| 6 | Ladakh | Leh |
| 7 | Lakshadweep | Kavaratti |
| 8 | Puducherry | Puducherry |
Important examination note:
* Port Blair was renamed Sri Vijaya Puram in September 2024.
* Jammu and Kashmir has two seasonal capitals.
* Chandigarh serves as the capital of both Punjab and Haryana.
* New Delhi is the national capital of India.
BookOfExams +2
### 6\. States Having Seasonal or Additional Capitals
Some states have seasonal capitals or additional administrative centres. These are important for GK examinations.
| State | Main/Administrative Capital | Other Capital or Centre |
| ---------------- | --------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------- |
| Himachal Pradesh | Shimla | Dharamshala (second capital) |
| Uttarakhand | Dehradun | Gairsain/Bhararisain (summer capital) |
| Maharashtra | Mumbai | Nagpur (second capital; winter legislative session) |
Jammu and Kashmir (Union Territory):
* Summer capital: Srinagar
* Winter capital: Jammu
Remember: A second capital, a seasonal capital and a place where a legislative session is held are not necessarily the same administrative arrangement.
### 7\. States and Capitals According to Geographical Regions
Learning states region-wise makes memorisation easier.
### A. Northern India
| State/UT | Capital |
| ---------------------- | ---------------- |
| Jammu and Kashmir (UT) | Srinagar / Jammu |
| Himachal Pradesh | Shimla |
| Punjab | Chandigarh |
| Haryana | Chandigarh |
| Uttarakhand | Dehradun |
| Uttar Pradesh | Lucknow |
| Rajasthan | Jaipur |
| Delhi (UT) | New Delhi |
### B. Southern India
| State/UT | Capital |
| --------------- | ------------------ |
| Andhra Pradesh | Amaravati |
| Telangana | Hyderabad |
| Karnataka | Bengaluru |
| Kerala | Thiruvananthapuram |
| Tamil Nadu | Chennai |
| Puducherry (UT) | Puducherry |
### C. Eastern India
| State | Capital |
| ----------- | ----------- |
| Bihar | Patna |
| Jharkhand | Ranchi |
| Odisha | Bhubaneswar |
| West Bengal | Kolkata |
### D. Western India
| State/UT | Capital |
| --------------------------------------------- | ----------- |
| Gujarat | Gandhinagar |
| Maharashtra | Mumbai |
| Goa | Panaji |
| Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (UT) | Daman |
### E. Central India
| State | Capital |
| -------------- | ------- |
| Madhya Pradesh | Bhopal |
| Chhattisgarh | Raipur |
### F. North-Eastern India
| State | Capital |
| ----------------- | -------- |
| Arunachal Pradesh | Itanagar |
| Assam | Dispur |
| Manipur | Imphal |
| Meghalaya | Shillong |
| Mizoram | Aizawl |
| Nagaland | Kohima |
| Sikkim | Gangtok |
| Tripura | Agartala |
Union Territories in the island region:
* Andaman and Nicobar Islands – Sri Vijaya Puram
* Lakshadweep – Kavaratti
### 8\. Important Facts About Indian States
These one-liners are frequently useful in SSC, JKSSB, Railway, Police and other examinations.
* Largest Indian state by area – Rajasthan.
* Smallest Indian state by area – Goa.
* Most populous state – Uttar Pradesh.
* Least populous state – Sikkim (according to the 2011 Census).
* Longest coastline among Indian states – Gujarat.
* State known as the Land of Five Rivers – Punjab.
* State known as the Spice Garden of India – Kerala.
* State known as the Land of Rising Sun – Arunachal Pradesh.
* State known as the Tea Garden of India – Assam.
* State known as the Land of Festivals – Nagaland.
* State known as God's Own Country – Kerala.
* Pink City – Jaipur, Rajasthan.
* City of Lakes – Udaipur, Rajasthan.
* Silicon Valley of India – Bengaluru, Karnataka.
* City of Joy – Kolkata, West Bengal.
* Manchester of India – Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
* Queen of the Arabian Sea – Kochi, Kerala.
* City of Nawabs – Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.
* Scotland of the East – Shillong, Meghalaya.
* Jewel of India – Manipur.
### 9\. Formation of Indian States: Important Historical Facts
The formation of Indian states is an important topic in Indian Polity and History.
| State | Formation / Statehood Date |
| ----------------- | --------------------------------------------------------- |
| Andhra Pradesh | 1 November 1956 |
| Arunachal Pradesh | 20 February 1987 |
| Assam | 26 January 1950 |
| Bihar | 22 March 1912 |
| Chhattisgarh | 1 November 2000 |
| Goa | 30 May 1987 |
| Gujarat | 1 May 1960 |
| Haryana | 1 November 1966 |
| Himachal Pradesh | 25 January 1971 (Statehood) |
| Jharkhand | 15 November 2000 |
| Karnataka | 1 November 1956 (Mysore State; renamed Karnataka in 1973) |
| Kerala | 1 November 1956 |
| Madhya Pradesh | 1 November 1956 |
| Maharashtra | 1 May 1960 |
| Manipur | 21 January 1972 |
| Meghalaya | 21 January 1972 |
| Mizoram | 20 February 1987 |
| Nagaland | 1 December 1963 |
| Odisha | 1 April 1936 (as a separate province) |
| Punjab | 1 November 1966 (present form) |
| Rajasthan | 30 March 1949 (formation process) |
| Sikkim | 16 May 1975 |
| Tamil Nadu | 1 November 1956 (renamed in 1969) |
| Telangana | 2 June 2014 |
| Tripura | 21 January 1972 |
| Uttar Pradesh | 24 January 1950 (renamed from United Provinces) |
| Uttarakhand | 9 November 2000 |
| West Bengal | 15 August 1947 (as a state of independent India) |
Note: Some states have a long formation process, so their formation dates and dates of statehood are different.
### 10\. Reorganisation of Indian States: Important Years
The following events are particularly important for competitive examinations.
| Year | Important Event |
| ---- | ------------------------------------------------------------- |
| 1953 | Andhra State was formed from Madras State. |
| 1956 | States Reorganisation Act came into effect on 1 November. |
| 1960 | Bombay State was divided into Maharashtra and Gujarat. |
| 1963 | Nagaland became a state. |
| 1966 | Haryana was created out of Punjab. |
| 1971 | Himachal Pradesh became a full-fledged state. |
| 1972 | Manipur, Meghalaya and Tripura became states. |
| 1975 | Sikkim became the 22nd state of India. |
| 1987 | Goa, Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram became states. |
| 2000 | Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand and Jharkhand were formed. |
| 2014 | Telangana became the 29th state of India at that time. |
| 2019 | Jammu and Kashmir was reorganised into two Union Territories. |
### Important Historical Explanation
1\. States Reorganisation Act, 1956
* It came into effect on 1 November 1956.
* States were reorganised mainly on linguistic grounds.
* It was an important step towards the present administrative structure of India.
2\. Creation of Gujarat and Maharashtra
* Both states were created on 1 May 1960.
* They were formed after the division of Bombay State.
* Gujarat's capital is Gandhinagar.
* Maharashtra's capital is Mumbai.
3\. Creation of Haryana
* Haryana was separated from Punjab on 1 November 1966.
* Chandigarh became the capital of both Haryana and Punjab.
* Chandigarh was also made a Union Territory.
4\. Creation of Telangana
* Telangana was separated from Andhra Pradesh on 2 June 2014.
* It became the 29th state of India at that time.
* It is now the 28th state following the reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir.
5\. Reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir
* The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act was passed in 2019.
* The erstwhile state was divided into two Union Territories.
* Jammu and Kashmir became a Union Territory with a legislature.
* Ladakh became a Union Territory without a legislature.
* The reorganisation came into effect on 31 October 2019.
### 11\. Important Geographical Facts About States
| Question | Answer |
| ----------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------- |
| Which is the largest state of India by area? | Rajasthan |
| Which is the smallest state by area? | Goa |
| Which state has the longest coastline? | Gujarat |
| Which state shares its borders with the maximum number of states? | Uttar Pradesh (commonly cited answer: 8) |
| Which state is famous for tea production? | Assam |
| Which state is famous for backwaters? | Kerala |
| Which state has the highest population? | Uttar Pradesh |
| Which state has the lowest population? | Sikkim |
| Which is the southernmost state of mainland India? | Tamil Nadu |
| Which state is known for the Sundarbans? | West Bengal |
| Which state is famous for the Gir National Park? | Gujarat |
| Which state is famous for Kaziranga National Park? | Assam |
| Which state is famous for the Valley of Flowers? | Uttarakhand |
| Which state is famous for the Chilika Lake? | Odisha |
| Which state is famous for Loktak Lake? | Manipur |
### 12\. Important Facts About Union Territories
* India has eight Union Territories.
* Delhi is officially known as the National Capital Territory of Delhi.
* Chandigarh is both a Union Territory and the capital of two states.
* Lakshadweep is the smallest Union Territory by area.
* Ladakh is a Union Territory without a legislature.
* Jammu and Kashmir is a Union Territory with a legislature.
* Puducherry is a Union Territory with a legislature.
* Delhi has a Legislative Assembly.
* Andaman and Nicobar Islands are situated in the Bay of Bengal and adjoining waters.
* Lakshadweep is situated in the Arabian Sea.
* Daman is the capital of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.
* Kavaratti is the capital of Lakshadweep.
### 13\. Constitutional Provisions Related to States and Union Territories
| Article | Subject |
| ------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Article 1 | Name and territory of the Union |
| Article 2 | Admission or establishment of new states |
| Article 3 | Formation of new states and alteration of areas, boundaries or names |
| Article 4 | Laws made under Articles 2 and 3 |
| Article 153 | Governors of states |
| Article 154 | Executive power of the state |
| Article 163 | Council of Ministers to aid and advise the Governor |
| Article 164 | Other provisions relating to Ministers |
| Article 168 | Constitution of Legislatures in states |
| Article 239 | Administration of Union Territories |
| Article 239AA | Special provisions with respect to Delhi |
| Article 240 | Power of President to make regulations for certain Union Territories |
Exam tip: Articles 1, 2, 3 and 4 are particularly important for questions concerning the formation and reorganisation of states.
### 14\. Important Differences Between a State and a Union Territory
| State | Union Territory |
| ------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------- |
| Has its own elected state government. | Generally administered by the Union Government. |
| Has a Governor. | Generally has an Administrator or Lieutenant Governor. |
| Has a Chief Minister. | Only some UTs have a Chief Minister. |
| Has a Legislative Assembly. | Only some UTs have a legislature. |
| Has constitutional status under the Indian Union. | Is administered under the constitutional framework for UTs. |
### 15\. Most Important One-Liner Questions
* What is the capital of Andhra Pradesh? — Amaravati.
* What is the capital of Arunachal Pradesh? — Itanagar.
* What is the capital of Assam? — Dispur.
* What is the capital of Bihar? — Patna.
* What is the capital of Chhattisgarh? — Raipur.
* What is the capital of Goa? — Panaji.
* What is the capital of Gujarat? — Gandhinagar.
* What is the capital of Haryana? — Chandigarh.
* What is the capital of Himachal Pradesh? — Shimla.
* What is the capital of Jharkhand? — Ranchi.
* What is the capital of Karnataka? — Bengaluru.
* What is the capital of Kerala? — Thiruvananthapuram.
* What is the capital of Madhya Pradesh? — Bhopal.
* What is the capital of Maharashtra? — Mumbai.
* What is the capital of Manipur? — Imphal.
* What is the capital of Meghalaya? — Shillong.
* What is the capital of Mizoram? — Aizawl.
* What is the capital of Nagaland? — Kohima.
* What is the capital of Odisha? — Bhubaneswar.
* What is the capital of Punjab? — Chandigarh.
* What is the capital of Rajasthan? — Jaipur.
* What is the capital of Sikkim? — Gangtok.
* What is the capital of Tamil Nadu? — Chennai.
* What is the capital of Telangana? — Hyderabad.
* What is the capital of Tripura? — Agartala.
* What is the capital of Uttar Pradesh? — Lucknow.
* What is the capital of Uttarakhand? — Dehradun.
* What is the capital of West Bengal? — Kolkata.
### 16\. Important Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQs)
1\. How many states are there in India?
A) 27 B) 28 C) 29 D) 30
Answer: B) 28
2\. How many Union Territories are there in India?
A) 7 B) 9 C) 8 D) 10
Answer: C) 8
3\. Which is the largest state of India by area?
A) Maharashtra B) Rajasthan C) Madhya Pradesh D) Uttar Pradesh
Answer: B) Rajasthan
4\. Which is the smallest state of India by area?
A) Sikkim B) Tripura C) Goa D) Manipur
Answer: C) Goa
5\. What is the capital of Meghalaya?
A) Kohima B) Shillong C) Imphal D) Aizawl
Answer: B) Shillong
6\. Which state has Chandigarh as its capital?
A) Punjab only B) Haryana only C) Both Punjab and Haryana D) Rajasthan
Answer: C) Both Punjab and Haryana
7\. What is the capital of Mizoram?
A) Aizawl B) Gangtok C) Agartala D) Itanagar
Answer: A) Aizawl
8\. Which state was formed on 2 June 2014?
A) Jharkhand B) Telangana C) Chhattisgarh D) Uttarakhand
Answer: B) Telangana
9\. What is the capital of Sikkim?
A) Shillong B) Kohima C) Gangtok D) Imphal
Answer: C) Gangtok
10\. Which Union Territory has Kavaratti as its capital?
A) Puducherry B) Lakshadweep C) Ladakh D) Chandigarh
Answer: B) Lakshadweep
11\. Which state is known as the Land of Five Rivers?
A) Haryana B) Punjab C) Rajasthan D) Gujarat
Answer: B) Punjab
12\. Which is the capital of Nagaland?
A) Imphal B) Kohima C) Aizawl D) Dispur
Answer: B) Kohima
13\. Which state was formed on 1 November 2000?
A) Goa B) Haryana C) Chhattisgarh D) Telangana
Answer: C) Chhattisgarh
14\. Which Union Territory was created after the reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir?
A) Delhi B) Chandigarh C) Ladakh D) Puducherry
Answer: C) Ladakh
15\. What is the capital of Tripura?
A) Agartala B) Shillong C) Gangtok D) Dispur
Answer: A) Agartala
16\. Which state has the longest coastline in India?
A) Kerala B) Tamil Nadu C) Gujarat D) Maharashtra
Answer: C) Gujarat
17\. Which state is famous for Kaziranga National Park?
A) Assam B) Meghalaya C) Sikkim D) Manipur
Answer: A) Assam
18\. What is the capital of Jharkhand?
A) Patna B) Ranchi C) Raipur D) Bhopal
Answer: B) Ranchi
19\. Which Article of the Indian Constitution deals with the formation of new states?
A) Article 1 B) Article 2 C) Article 3 D) Article 5
Answer: C) Article 3
20\. Which Union Territory has Srinagar and Jammu as seasonal capitals?
A) Ladakh B) Delhi C) Jammu and Kashmir D) Chandigarh
Answer: C) Jammu and Kashmir
21\. Which city is known as the Silicon Valley of India?
A) Hyderabad B) Mumbai C) Bengaluru D) Chennai
Answer: C) Bengaluru
22\. Which state became the 22nd state of India in 1975?
A) Goa B) Sikkim C) Nagaland D) Mizoram
Answer: B) Sikkim
23\. What is the capital of Arunachal Pradesh?
A) Dispur B) Itanagar C) Kohima D) Shillong
Answer: B) Itanagar
24\. Which Union Territory has Sri Vijaya Puram as its capital?
A) Lakshadweep B) Andaman and Nicobar Islands C) Puducherry D) Ladakh
Answer: B) Andaman and Nicobar Islands
25\. Which state has Gairsain as its summer capital?
A) Himachal Pradesh B) Uttarakhand C) Haryana D) Punjab
Answer: B) Uttarakhand
### 17\. Practice Questions Without Answers
Test your knowledge with these additional questions.
* Which is the capital of Gujarat?
* Which state has the capital Imphal?
* Which is the capital of Odisha?
* Which state was formed on 15 November 2000?
* Which is the capital of Kerala?
* Which state has the capital Agartala?
* Which Union Territory has Leh as its capital?
* Which state is known as the Land of Rising Sun?
* Which is the capital of Madhya Pradesh?
* Which state has the capital Panaji?
* When was Haryana formed?
* Which state has the capital Bhubaneswar?
* Which is the capital of West Bengal?
* Which Article deals with the administration of Union Territories?
* Which state has the capital Itanagar?
### 18\. Quick Revision: Most Important Facts to Remember
### 28
Indian States
### 8
Union Territories
### Rajasthan
Largest state by area
### Goa
Smallest state by area
### Uttar Pradesh
Most populous state
### Sikkim
Least populous state (2011 Census)
Remember these important pairs:
* Punjab – Chandigarh
* Haryana – Chandigarh
* Gujarat – Gandhinagar
* Assam – Dispur
* Sikkim – Gangtok
* Meghalaya – Shillong
* Nagaland – Kohima
* Mizoram – Aizawl
* Manipur – Imphal
* Tripura – Agartala
Conclusion
The states and capitals of India are an essential part of Indian Geography and General Knowledge. Candidates preparing for SSC, JKSSB, JKPSC, Railway, Banking, Police and other competitive examinations should memorise the 28 states, 8 Union Territories, their capitals, formation dates and important geographical features.
Regular revision and MCQ practice will help candidates answer these questions quickly and accurately.
Suggested next study activity: A weekly capitals and Indian Geography practice quiz can help reinforce this material.
