Indian States and Their Capitals

India, a union of states, is a Sovereign, Secular, Democratic Republic with a Parliamentary system of Government. India comprises 28 states and 8 Union territories. Union Territories are overseen by the President through an Administrator appointed by them. Each State/Union Territory in India, ranging from the largest to the smallest, boasts a distinct demography, history, culture, attire, festivals, language, and more.

When Indian gained independence in 1947, there was utter chaos. The territories were divided between Indian & Pakistan. Moreover Princely States were given a choice to select which newly formed country they wanted to become a part of. There were 565 such Princely States. However, Sardar Patel, the iron man of India got to work and integrated them all. Since then began the continuing task of formation of states and union territories in India. These are formed on grounds of linguistic differences (Andhra Pradesh, Bombay State & Punjab were created because of their distinct languages), or administrative ease like carving out Jharkhand from Bihar and Uttarakhand from Uttar Pradesh. As recently as 2019, the Union Territories of Jammu, Kashmir & Ladakh were formed due to national security reasons after end of Article 370.

It is the Central Government, Under Part I of the Constitution which has the power to create and re-draw state boundaries. While the State Assemblies can make a representation, their suggestions are only recommendatory. However, in the past States have been created on popular demand by putting political pressure on the Central Government e.g. creation of Andhra Pradesh after self-immolation by activist Potti Sriramulu or creation of Telangana State after widespread demand.

The President serves as the constitutional head of the Executive at the Union level. In the states, the Governor, acting as the representative of the President, assumes the role of the head of the Executive. However, The Chief Minister is the executive de facto head of the state, while Governor has a ceremonial role. The Chief Minister has a Council of Ministers in the Legislative Assembly. The Assembly is headed by a Speaker. The Chief Minister is elected by the people of the State through regularl elections every 5 years.

1. Andhra Pradesh - Amaravati
   • It was the first state created on linguistic basis in 1956 under the State Reorganisation Act, 1956.
2. Arunachal Pradesh - Itanagar
   • It became a Union Territory in 1972 and attained statehood in 1987. The state shares a huge border with China and hence faces significant national security issues.
3. Assam - Dispur
   • Was formed in 1950
   • This is a wildlife rich area with numerous National Parks and Conservation sites and the world famous one-horned rhinoceros.
4. Bihar - Patna
   • Has been a state since British Colonial times in 1912.
   • It shares a substantial border with Nepal. The Ganga river and its tributaries make Bihar an agricultural abundant state.
5. Chhattisgarh - Raipur
   • It is a landlocked state which was carved out of Madhya Pradesh in 2000.
   • It has abundant natural resources both forest cover and also lucrative mines of coal and iron.
6. Goa - Panaji
   • It attained statehood in 1987 and was created by separating the territory of Goa from the Union Territory of Goa, Daman and Diu.
   • It was an erstwhile Portuguese territory which was annexed when the Indian Army conducted Operation Vijay in 1961.
7. Gujarat - Gandhinagar
   • In 1960 , Bombay state was divided into Maharashtra and Gujarat on linguistic lines.
   • It has the longest coastline in the country and fourth largest economy.
8. Haryana - Chandigarh
   • In 1966 , Punjab was bifurcated to create Haryana and Union Territory of Chandigarh on linguistic basis.
   • It is a landlocked state and has India’s 5th highest GDP per capita.
9. Himachal Pradesh - Shimla is the Summar capital while Dharamshala serves as the Winter Capital.
   • In 1971, it gained Statehood.
   • It is a Himalayan state and home to the Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama who is in exile here.
10. Jharkhand - Ranchi
    • In 2000, it attained statehood after being carved out of Bihar.
    • The state has a large tribal population and abundant mineral supply of iron, copper, coal, mica, limestone and uranium. However it battles naxal insurgency.
11. Karnataka - Bengaluru
    • Was created as Mysore state in 1956 for the Kannada speaking population and renamed in 1973.
    • The state borders all other south Indian states, has a long coastline & rich cultural heritage.
12. Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram
    • Created in 1956 for the Malyalam speaking population.
    • It hosts the long Malabar coast and has the highest literacy rate in the country.
13. Madhya Pradesh - Bhopal
    • Was created in 1956 and is the second largest state in India.
    • It is a landlocked state known for its rich cultural heritage and abundant forest areas.
14. Maharashtra - Mumbai
    • Was created in 1960 when it was separated from Gujarat.
    • Originally called Bombay, it has the largest economy of any state in the country.
15. Manipur - Imphal
    • It attained Statehood in 1972.
    • It has a long border with Myanmar and experiences insurgency due to violence between Kuki & Meitei communities in the state.
16. Meghalaya - Shillong
    • Initially it was created as a sub-state within Assam in 1969. It attained Statehood in 1972.
    • Meghalaya literally means abode of the clouds and 70% of the state is covered with forests.
17. Mizoram - Aizawl
    • It attained Statehood in 1987 after being a union territory. It was carved out of Assam.
    • It is a landlocked state with the second least population in the country who are largely tribals.
18. Nagaland - Kohima
    • It attained Statehood in 1963 after taking Naga Hills and Tuensang area out of Assam.
    • It is a tribal state with immense natural and environmental resources.
19. Odisha - Bhubaneswar
    • Created in 1950
    • The state has third largest Scheduled Tribes population in India. It has a long coastline and a rich cultural history.
20. Punjab - Chandigarh
    • In 1966 , Punjab was bifurcated to create Haryana and Union Territory of Chandigarh.
    • It is the land of 5 rivers of the Indus river system making it prime for agricultural production.
21. Rajasthan - Jaipur
    • Created in 1956.
    • It is the largest state in India by area. It comprises the Great Indian Desert known as Thar Desert.
22. Sikkim - Gangtok
    • In 1947 , it became a protectorate of India
    • In 1974 , it became an associated state of Indian Union ( 35th Constitutional Amendment Act 1974)
    • Finally , in 1975 it attained statehood ( 36th Constitutional Amendment Act 1975). It is the least populous state of India.
23. Tamil Nadu - Chennai
    • Created in 1950 from the historical Madras Presidency of British Colonial times.
    • It is the home to tamil speaking population. It is an ancient land with many powerful kingdoms of Cheras, Cholas, Pandyas, Vijayanagara Empire etc.
24. Telangana - Hyderabad
    • It attained Statehood in 2014.
    • It has the ninth largest economy in India situated on the Deccan Plateau.
25. Tripura - Agartala
    • It attained Statehood in 1972
    • It is the third smallest state in India bordered by Bangladesh.
26. Uttar Pradesh - Lucknow
    • Created in 1950
    • It is the most populous state in India.
27. Uttarakhand - Dehradun is the Winter capital while Bhararisain is the Summer Capital.
    • In 2000 , it attained statehood after being carved out from Uttar Pradesh.
    • It is a himalayan state with rich flora and fauna.
28. West Bengal - Kolkata
    • Created in 1956 for the Bengali speaking population.
    • It hosts varied natural resources like the Ganges delta, Sundarbans mangrove forests and Darjeeling Himalayas.

Here are the Union territories and their capitals:

1. Andaman and Nicobar Islands - Port Blair
   • It is a group of 836 islands in the Bay of Bengal.
2. Chandigarh - Chandigarh
   • It is a dual capital of Punjab & Haryana.
3. Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu - Daman
   • Daman and Diu: It was acquired by means of a police action from Portuguese in 1961.
   • Dadra and Nagar Haveli: It was liberated from Portuguese in 1954. Later , via the 10th Constitutional Amendment Act of 1961 , it became a union territory.
   • The union territory was merged with the neighbouring union territory of Daman and Diu to form the new union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu on January 26, 2020.
4. Lakshadweep - Kavaratti
   • Is a group of 36 island archipelago in the Arabian Sea.
5. Delhi - New Delhi
   • Also called the National Capital region of Delhi is a large metropolitan area.
6. Puducherry - Puducherry
   • The French handed it over to India in 1954 and in 1962 it was made a Union Territory.
7. Ladakh - Leh
   • It became a Union Territory on August 5 ,2019 following the bifurcation of erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.
8. Jammu and Kashmir - Srinagar ( Summer) , Jammu ( Winter)
   • After removal of Articles 35A and 370 , it became the first state to be downgraded into a Union territory on August 5,2019.