States and capitals of India


This article gives important details about the states and capitals of India. It is an important topic for banking aspirants as questions about it are often asked in the General Awareness section of the examinations and during interviews. Candidates should learn all the states and capitals carefully. Read this article to get complete information on this topic.

States and capitals of India

India is a diverse country divided into 28 states and 8 union territories. Known for its vibrant culture and astonishing geographical diversity, each state and union territory has its own unique significance and charm. Each region is steeped in history, with stories that reflect its deep cultural roots. Located in Southern Asia, India operates under a parliamentary system of government. To efficiently manage such a vast country, the Indian Constitution provides for the creation of states to ensure smooth governance under the central government.

States and union territories are divided into smaller administrative units, such as districts and subdivisions, for better management. In this article, we bring for you a detailed list of states and union territories of India.

List of states and capitals of India

India is divided into 28 states and 8 union territories. An important change came with the enactment of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act in 2019. This resulted in the creation of two new union territories, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, on 31 October, making the date an important milestone in the history of the country. Keep reading this article for the complete list of states and capitals of India along with details of union territories.

States of India and their capitals

Sl.No. name of states capital founded on
1 Andhra Pradesh Hyderabad (proposed capital Amaravati) 1 November 1956
2 Arunachal Pradesh Itanagar 20 February 1987
3 Assam Dispur 26 January 1950
4 Bihar Patna 26 January 1950
5 Chattisgarh Raipur 1 November 2000
6 Goa Panaji 30 May. 1987
7 Gujarat Gandhinagar 1 May. 1960
8 Haryana Chandigarh 1 November 1966
9 Himachal Pradesh Shimla 25 January 1971
10 Jharkhand Ranchi 15 November 2000
11 Karnataka Bengaluru 1 November 1956
12 Kerala Thiruvananthapuram 1 November 1956
13 Madhya Pradesh Bhopal 1 November 1956
14 Maharashtra Mumbai (summer)

Nagpur (Winter)

1 May. 1960
15 Manipur Imphal 21 January 1972
16 Meghalaya Shillong 21 January 1972
17 Mizoram aizawl 20 February 1987
18 Nagaland Kohima 1 December 1963
19 Odisha Bhubaneswar 26 January 1950
20 Punjab Chandigarh 1 November 1956
21 Rajasthan Jaipur 1 November 1956
22 Sikkim Gangtok 16 May. 1975
23 Tamil Nadu Chennai 26 January 1950
24 Telangana Hyderabad 2 June 2014
25 Tripura Agartala 21 January 1972
26 Uttar Pradesh Lucknow 26 January 1950
27 Uttarakhand Dehradun (Winter)
Gairsain (summer)
9 November 2000
28 west bengal Kolkata 1 November 1956

Union territories of India and their capitals

Union territories in India are areas that are directly governed by the federal government of the country. Unlike states, union territories have less autonomy and are usually administered by a Lieutenant Governor or Administrator appointed by the President of India. These areas are often created for various administrative and governance purposes. As of now, there are 8 union territories in India:

Two union territories which are Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh have been added to the list of Union Territories of India under the Reorganization Act passed by the Parliament on 5-6 August 2020. The table below shows the detailed list of 8 union territories of the country. ,

names of union territories capital founded on
Andaman and Nicobar islands port blair 1 November 1956
Chandigarh Chandigarh 1 November 1966
Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu repression 26 January 2020
Delhi New Delhi 9 May. 1905
Jammu and Kashmir Srinagar (summer)
Jammu (Winter)
31 October 2019
Lakshadweep Kavaratti 1 November 1956
Puducherry Pondicherry 1 November 1954
Ladakh Yes 31 October 2019

Delhi, Puducherry and Jammu and Kashmir do not function like the other five union territories of India as they have partial statehood and have their own elected legislative assemblies.

about india

India is located primarily in South Asia and is officially known as the Republic of India. Its total area is 3,287,263 km² and its estimated population is 135.26 crore (2019) making it the second most populous country in the world.
India is a federal constitutional republic and is known as the world’s most populous democracy. It is governed by a parliamentary system. Earlier there were 28 states and 8 union territories but the Government of India canceled Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir and declared it a union territory along with Ladakh. After the implementation of the decision At present, there are 28 states and 8 union territories since Daman and Diu merged with Dadra and Nagar Haveli.

Each state and union territory has its own administrative, legislative and judicial capital. (As per the new guidelines there is a common High Court in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh)

types of capital

Below is a brief distinction between the different types of capitals.

  • Administrative capital refers to the capital where all the offices of the executive government are located.
  • Legislative capital means the place where the state assembly convenes.
  • Judicial capital refers to the place where the regional high courts are located.

All states, including two union territories, Pondicherry and the National Capital Territory of Delhi, have an elected form of government and legislatures. They are led by their elected Chief Minister, who is elected for a term of five years. The central government directly rules over all other union territories and each union territory has a representative called the Governor. Under the States Reorganization Act 1956, states were reorganized on the basis of the language used there.

capital of india

New Delhi is the capital of India. The foundation stone of New Delhi was laid by Emperor George V during the Delhi Durbar of 1911. It was designed by British architects Sir Edwin Lutyens and Sir Herbert Baker. It was finally inaugurated on 13 February 1931 by the Viceroy and Governor-General of India, Lord Irwin.

financial capital of india

Mumbai is known as the financial, commercial and entertainment capital of India as it accounts for 25% of industrial output, 5% of India’s GDP and 70% of capital transactions in the Indian economy and houses financial institutions of national importance. It houses the Reserve Bank of India, the Bombay Stock Exchange Market and the corporate headquarters of many Indian companies.

According to an article in The Times of India, based on data released by Oxford Economics, Mumbai has lost its position as the financial capital of India and the center is shifting to Gurugram and Delhi.

Difference between states and union territories

The table below highlights detailed information about the differences between states and union territories of India.

State union territory
A state is a division of a nation which has its own legislative assembly. A union territory does not have a legislative assembly (Delhi, Puducherry and Jammu and Kashmir).
The Chief Minister is the real head. The lieutenant is the real chief.
The executive head is the Governor. The executive head is the President.
Administered by the Chief Minister. Administered by an administrator, appointed by the President.
States have autonomous power. UT does not have this.

States and Capitals of India: Articles in the Constitution

Under Part 1 of the Constitution, Articles 1 to 4 describe India and its territories.

  • Article 1 describes India as a “Union of States” and not as a “Union of States”. The names of the states and their territories are mentioned in the First Schedule of the Constitution.
  • Article 2 allows Parliament to ‘admit to the Union of India or establish new States on such terms as it thinks fit or proper.’ Therefore, it gives the power to the Parliament to establish new states.
  • Article 3 allows Parliament to-
    a) Creating a new state by separating the existing territory
    b) Increase the area of ​​the state as appropriate
    c) reducing the area of ​​any state as necessary
    d) Make changes in the boundaries of any state as you see fit.
    e) Change the name of any state as you see fit.

Features of different Indian states

India is a country of diversity, where each state has its own unique charm and attraction. From the bustling metropolises of Maharashtra to the tranquil backwaters of Kerala, every state displays a distinct cultural, historical and geographical identity. Here in this table, we have tried to cover the rich diversity of our country in detail.

Features of different Indian states
Indian state expertise
Andhra Pradesh Spicy food, historical sites, rich culture
Arunachal Pradesh Breathtaking landscape, diverse tribal cultures, Tawang Monastery
Assam Tea plantations, Kaziranga National Park, Bihu dance, silk weaving
Bihar Historical importance, Buddhist pilgrimage site, Madhubani art
Chattisgarh Tribal Heritage, Mineral Resources, Chitrakote Waterfall
Delhi Iconic Place, India Gate, Cultural Diversity
Goa Beautiful beaches, nightlife, Indian-Portuguese mix, seafood
Gujarat Industrial Strength, Rann of Kutch, Festivals, Sabarmati Ashram
Haryana Agricultural Productivity, Industry, Chandigarh
Himachal Pradesh Hill Station, Adventure Tourism, Residence of Dalai Lama
Jharkhand Mineral Resources, Tribal Culture, Betla National Park
Karnataka IT Industry, Historical Places, Bharatnatyam Dance
Kerala Backwaters, Ayurveda, Greenery, High Literacy Rate
Maharashtra Financial Centre, Bollywood, Gateway of India, Vada Pav
Manipur Traditional Dance, Loktak Lake, Lively Festivals

List of Indian states and their languages

Every state in India has its own language and our country is also known for its culture, languages ​​and religion. The table below shows the languages ​​of each state.

Sl.No. states usa Language
1 Andhra Pradesh Telugu and Urdu
2 Arunachal Pradesh mizi, apotanji, mardukpen, tagin
3 Assam Assamese
4 Bihar Hindi
5 Chhattisgarh Hindi
6 Goa Marathi and Konkani
7 Gujarat Gujarati
8 Haryana Hindi
9 Himachal Pradesh Hindi and Pahari
10 Mizoram Mizo and English
11 Jammu and Kashmir Kashmiri, Dogiri, Urdu, Ladakki, Pahari, Panjabi and Dadri
12 Jharkhand Hindi
13 Karnataka Kannada
14 Kerala Malayalam
15 Madhya Pradesh Hindi
16 Maharashtra Marathi
17 Manipur Manipuri
18 Meghalaya Khashi, Jaintia and Garo
19 Nagaland Ao, Konyak, Angami, Sema and Lotha
20 Odisha Oriya
21 Punjab Punjabi
22 Rajasthan Rajasthani and Hindi
23 Sikkim Bhutia, Hindi, Nepali, Lepcha, Limbu
24 Tamil Nadu tamil
25 Tripura Bengali, Tripuri, Manipuri, Kakborak
26 Telangana Telugu
27 Uttar Pradesh Hindi
28 Uttrakhand Hindi
29 west bengal Bengali

Delhi, Puducherry, Jammu and Kashmir are separate from other union territories

  1. In India, most of the states and three union territories, i.e. Puducherry, Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir have elected legislature and government.
  2. At present, there are a total of eight Union Territories in India, out of which 3, i.e. Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi and Puducherry, They have elected members and a Chief Minister and are granted partial statehood by amendment to the Constitution.
  3. Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi and Puducherry are the only Union Territories that have their own Legislative Assembly and Executive Council And act like states. The remaining union territories are controlled and regulated by the country’s union, That is why it was named Union Territory,

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Hello friends, I am Ashok Nayak, the Author & Founder of this website blog, I have completed my post-graduation (M.sc mathematics) in 2022 from Madhya Pradesh. I enjoy learning and teaching things related to new education and technology. I request you to keep supporting us like this and we will keep providing new information for you. #We Support DIGITAL INDIA.

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