Indian States, Union Territories, and Capitals: There are a total of 28 states and 8 Union Territories in India. Starting with the States Reorganisation Act, of 1956, various other amendments and acts have facilitated the formation of these states and union territories. Knowing the list of states, union territories, and their capitals is important for competitive exams as a lot of questions are asked about this topic. We have provided the complete list here in this article. Read this blog to know the Indian states, union territories, and their capitals. For more Current Affairs news Download the Safalta App
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Table of Contents
List of States in India
As already mentioned there are 28 states in India and 8 Union Territories. Each of these States and Union Territories is unique in its culture and people. Each state of India has administrative, legislative, and judicial capital. In some states, all three functions are conducted in one capital. Every state is ruled by a Chief Minister. Hence India as a nation is an amalgamation of diverse cultures and identities. The different states and union territories of India are as follows:
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| State | Capital | Founded On |
|---|---|---|
| Andhra Pradesh | Amaravati | 1 Nov 1956 |
| Arunachal Pradesh | Itanagar | 20 Feb 1987 |
| Assam | Dispur | 26 Jan 1950 |
| Bihar | Patna | 26 Jan 1950 |
| Chhattisgarh | Raipur | 1 Nov 2000 |
| Goa | Panaji | 30 May 1987 |
| Gujarat | Gandhinagar | 1 May 1960 |
| Haryana | Chandigarh | 1 Nov 1966 |
| Himachal Pradesh | Shimla | 25 Jan 1971 |
| Jharkhand | Ranchi | 15 Nov 2000 |
| Karnataka | Bengaluru | 1 Nov 1956 |
| Kerala | Thiruvananthapuram | 1 Nov 1956 |
| Madhya Pradesh | Bhopal | 1 Nov 1956 |
| Maharashtra | Mumbai | 1 May 1960 |
| Manipur | Imphal | 21 Jan 1972 |
| Meghalaya | Shillong | 21 Jan 1972 |
| Mizoram | Aizawl | 20 Feb 1987 |
| Nagaland | Kohima | 1 Dec 1963 |
| Odisha | Bhubaneswar | 26 Jan 1950 |
| Punjab | Chandigarh | 1 Nov 1956 |
| Rajasthan | Jaipur | 1 Nov 1956 |
| Sikkim | Gangtok | 16 May 1975 |
| Tamil Nadu | Chennai | 26 Jan 1950 |
| Telangana | Hyderabad | 2 June 2014 |
| Tripura | Agartala | 21 Jan 1972 |
| Uttar Pradesh | Lucknow | 26 Jan 1950 |
| Uttarakhand | Dehradun (Winter)
Gairsain (Summer) |
9 Nov 2000 |
| West Bengal | Kolkata | 1 Nov 1956 |
You can also read: Indian States & Union Territories (सम्पूर्ण भारत दर्शन)
List of Indian States and Their Formation
Some states existed in the Indian Nation before Independence and were divided into four parts. Post Independence there have been various changes in the boundaries of these states to give us the political and administrative setup that we have now.| Indian States | Formation Dates/Years | Formed By | Status Before Foundation |
| Andhra Pradesh | 1 November 1953 | States Reorganisation Act, 1956. | Part of Andhra State and Hyderabad State |
| Arunachal Pradesh | 20 February 1987 | Created as a Union Territory by the North-Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) Act, 1971. Converted to a state by the State of Arunachal Pradesh Act, 1986 | Arunachal Pradesh Union Territory |
| Assam | 1950 | Founded as the Ahom Kingdom, reorganized as North-East Frontier Province in 1874, Eastern Bengal and Assam in 1905, Assam Province in 1912, and achieved statehood in 1950. | Part of Kamarupa Kingdom |
| Bihar | 1950 | Founded as Bihar and Orissa Province reorganized as Bihar Province in 1936 and achieved statehood in 1950. | Part of Bengal Province, British India |
| Chhattisgarh | 1 November 2000 | The Madhya Pradesh Reorganisation Act, of 2000 founded it. | Part of Madhya Pradesh |
| Goa | 30 May 1987 | Founded by the State of Goa Act, 1986. | Part of Goa, Daman, and Diu |
| Gujarat | 1 May 1960 | Founded by the Bombay Reorganisation Act, of 1960. | Part of Bombay State |
| Haryana | 1 November 1966 | Founded by the Punjab Reorganisation Act, of 1966. | Part of East Punjab Himachal |
| l Pradesh | 1971 | Founded by the Himachal Pradesh (Administration) Order, in 1948 as Himachal Pradesh Province, reorganized as Himachal Pradesh (Part C State) in 1950, Himachal Pradesh Union Territory in 1956, and achieved statehood in 1971. | Part of the princely states of the former Punjab State Agency |
| Jharkhand | 15 November 2000 | Founded by the Bihar Reorganisation Act, 2000 | Part of Bihar |
| Karnataka | 1 November 1956 | Founded by the States Reorganisation Act, 1956 as Mysore State, renamed Karnataka in 1973 | Part of Bombay State, Coorg State, Hyderabad State, and Mysore State |
| Kerala | 1 November 1956 | Founded by the States Reorganisation Act, of 1956 | Part of Madras State and Travancore-Cochin |
| Madhya Pradesh | 1 November 1950 | Achieved statehood in 1950 | Part of the Central Provinces and Berar, the Princely State of Makrai, and the princely states of the former Eastern States Agency |
| Maharashtra | 1 May 1960 | Founded by the Bombay Reorganization Act, of 1960. | Part of Bombay State |
| Manipur | 21 January 1972 | Founded by the North-Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) Act, 1971 | Manipur Union Territory |
| Meghalaya | 21 January 1972 | Founded by the North-Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) Act, 1971 | Part of Assam |
| Mizoram | 20 February 1987 | Created as a Union Territory by the North-Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) Act, 1971. Converted to a state by the State of Mizoram Act, 1986 | Mizoram Union Territory |
| Nagaland | 1 December 1963 | Founded by the State of Nagaland Act, 1962 | Nagaland Union Territory |
| Odisha | 1950 | Founded as Orissa Province in 1936, achieved statehood in 1950, renamed Odisha on 1st November 2011. | Part of Bihar and Orissa Province, British India |
| Punjab | 1947 | Founded by the Punjab Reorganisation Act, of 1966 | Part of East Punjab |
| Rajasthan | 30 March 1949 | Rajasthan, earlier known as Rajputana, came into existence as part | t of the princely states of the former Rajputana Agency |
| Sikkim | 16 May 1975 | Founded by the Thirty-sixth Amendment of the Constitution of India in 1975 | Kingdom of Sikkim |
| Tamil Nadu | 1 November 1956 | Founded by the States Reorganisation Act, 1956 as Madras State, renamed Tamil Nadu in 1969 | Part of Madras State and Travancore-Cochin |
| Telangana | 2 June 2014 | Founded by the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014 | Part of Andhra Pradesh |
| Tripura | 21 January 1972 | Founded by the North-Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) Act, 1971 | Tripura Union Territory |
| Uttar Pradesh | 24 January 1950 | Created as the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh during British rule in 1937 and Achieved statehood as UP in 1950. | United Provinces |
| Uttarakhand | 9 November 2000 | Founded by the Uttar Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2000 as Uttaranchal, renamed Uttarakhand in 2007. | Part of Uttar Pradesh |
| West Bengal | 1950 | Achieved statehood in 1950 | Part of Bengal Province, British India |
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Indian States And Their Capital With Map
The latest political map of India provides the total number of states and union territories in India and their capitals at present.
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List of Union Territories in India
The 8 Union Territories in India are as follows:| Union Territories Names | Capital | Founded on |
|---|---|---|
| Andaman and Nicobar Islands | Port Blair | 1 Nov 1956 |
| Chandigarh | Chandigarh | 1 Nov 1966 |
| Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu | Daman | 26 Jan 2020 |
| Delhi | New Delhi | 9 May 1905 |
| Jammu and Kashmir | Srinagar (Summer) Jammu (Winter) |
31 Oct 2019 |
| Lakshadweep | Kavaratti | 1 Nov 1956 |
| Puducherry | Pondicherry | 1 Nov 1954 |
| Ladakh | Leh | 31 Oct 2019 |
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Differences Between States and Union Territories
The differences between States and Union Territories are given below.| State | Union Territories |
| The state has its administrative units with its own elected government. | Union Territories are constituent units that are controlled and administered by the Central Government. |
| The Executive Head is the Governor | The Executive Head is the President |
| The relationship with the Centre is Federal. | Unitary with the Centre. i.e. all the powers rest in the hands of the Union. |
| Administered by the Chief Minister and elected by the people. | Administered by the Administrator which is appointed by the President. ( except Delhi, Puducherry, and Jammu & Kashmir) |
| The Chief Minister is the real head. | The Lieutenant Governor is the real head. |
How many states and union territories are there in India?
There are a total of 28 states and 8 union territories in India.
Is Jammu and Kashmir a state or a union territory?
Jammu and Kashmir was earlier a state but by the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act 2019 the state has been bifurcated into two different union territories.
When was the state of Uttarakhand established?
Uttarakhand came into being as a separate state on 9 November 2000. It was earlier a part of Uttar Pradesh.
Do Union Territories have their own government like that of states?
No, union territories are administered by the Central Government.
What is the capital of Andhra Pradesh?
The capital of Andhra Pradesh is Amravati.
How many states are there in India?
India has 28 states.
How many union territories are there in India?
India has 8 union territories.
Which state has the highest population in India?
Uttar Pradesh is the most populous state in India.
Which state has the highest literacy rate in India?
Kerala has the highest literacy rate among Indian states.
Which state is known as the "Land of the Gods"?
Uttarakhand is known as the "Land of the Gods.
Which state is famous for the Taj Mahal?
The Taj Mahal is located in the state of Uttar Pradesh.