India is a federal union of 28 states and 8 union territories. It is the seventh-largest country in the world. The political map of India has undergone various changes over the years. The States Reorganization Act, formulated in 1956 along with the 7th Amendment Act changed the political landscape of India. The boundaries of the states have been merged and separated, union territories have been created and assimilated. The latest changes were made through the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act 2019 which has bifurcated the state into two union territories- Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. The list of states in India is important for the citizens to know as this is a part of the general knowledge that we should be aware of. Read this article to know the list of states in India and their capitals. If you are preparing for competitive exams and looking for expert guidance, you can download our General Knowledge Free Ebook Download Now.
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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 an administrative, legislative and judicial capital some state 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:
| 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 |
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List of Indian States and Their Formation
Some states existed in the Indian Nation prior to 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 set up 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 Ahom Kingdom, reorganised as North-East Frontier Province in 1874, Eastern Bengal and Assam in 1905, Assam Province in 1912, achieved statehood in 1950. | Part of Kamarupa Kingdom |
| Bihar | 1950 | Founded as Bihar and Orissa Province, reorganised as Bihar Province in 1936, achieved statehood in 1950. | Part of Bengal Province, British India |
| Chhattisgarh | 1 November 2000 | The Madhya Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 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, 1960. | Part of Bombay State |
| Haryana | 1 November 1966 | Founded by the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966. | Part of East Punjab |
| Himachal Pradesh | 1971 | Founded by the Himachal Pradesh (Administration) Order, 1948 as Himachal Pradesh Province, reorganised as Himachal Pradesh (Part C State) in 1950, Himachal Pradesh Union Territory in 1956, achieved statehood in 1971. | Part of the princely states of former Punjab States 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, 1956 | Part of Madras State and Travancore-Cochin |
| Madhya Pradesh | 1 November 1950 | Achieved statehood in 1950 | Part of the Central Provinces and Berar, Princely State of Makrai and the princely states of the former Eastern States Agency |
| Maharashtra | 1 May 1960 | Founded by the Bombay Reorganization Act, 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, 1966 | Part of East Punjab |
| Rajasthan | 30 March 1949 | Rajasthan, earlier known as Rajputana, came into existence | Part of the princely states of 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 |
Indian States And Their Capital With Map
Latest political map of India which 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 |
Difference Between States and Union Territories
| State | Union Territories |
| The state has its own administrative units with its own elected government. | Union Territories are constituent units that are controlled and administered by the Central Government. |
| Executive Head is the Governor | 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) |
| Chief Minister is the real head. | Lieutenant 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.
