Indian States, Capitals and Symbols Notes

Questions on Indian states, their capitals and symbols are asked in SSC, banking, railways, defence, state-level examinations and the UPSC Prelims. They look easy, but they can be tricky because of recent changes in capitals, names and new territories. India today is a union of 28 states and 8 Union Territories. This note gives the complete list of states and capitals, Union Territories, national symbols, selected state symbols, key facts about area and population, and the history of the formation of states, with memory tricks, in simple language.

List of 28 States and Their Capitals

Note that Chandigarh is the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana, and is a Union Territory itself. Andhra Pradesh's capital is Amaravati after Hyderabad's joint-capital arrangement ended in 2024. Keep an eye on the news in case of any further change before your examination.

Union Territories and Their Capitals

The number of Union Territories rose to eight when the state of Jammu and Kashmir was reorganised into two Union Territories, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, in October 2019, and when Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu were merged into one in January 2020. Delhi and Puducherry have legislative assemblies, and so does Jammu and Kashmir, while the others do not.

How States Were Formed

At independence, India had provinces and princely states that were merged by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and V. P. Menon. The first state formed on a linguistic basis was Andhra State in 1953, after the death of Potti Sreeramulu on a fast. The States Reorganisation Commission (1953), headed by Fazl Ali with H. N. Kunzru and K. M. Panikkar as members, recommended the reorganisation on linguistic lines. The States Reorganisation Act, 1956 created 14 states and 6 Union Territories from 1 November 1956. Later, Maharashtra and Gujarat were formed in 1960, Nagaland in 1963, Haryana and Punjab were separated in 1966, Himachal Pradesh got statehood in 1971, Manipur, Meghalaya and Tripura in 1972, Sikkim joined as the 22nd state in 1975, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh got statehood in 1987 along with Goa, and Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand and Jharkhand were formed in 2000. Telangana, formed on 2 June 2014 out of Andhra Pradesh, is the youngest state of India.

Important Facts About States

• Largest state by area: Rajasthan. Smallest by area: Goa.
• Most populous state: Uttar Pradesh. Least populous state: Sikkim.
• Highest literacy rate: Kerala (among states). Longest coastline: Gujarat.
• Largest Union Territory by area: Ladakh; the smallest UT is Lakshadweep.
• State with the most neighbouring states: Uttar Pradesh shares borders with many states and also with Nepal.
• States without a coastline in the North-East: Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura are landlocked states.

National Symbols of India

Remember that India has no officially declared "national sport", even though hockey is often called one. Ministries have clarified this in the past.

Selected State Animals and Birds

Memory Tricks

Group the states by region: the seven sister states of the North-East (Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura), with Sikkim as the eighth. Learn capitals with a story: "Dispur is in Assam, near Guwahati", "Gandhinagar is in Gujarat, named after Gandhi", "Gangtok in Sikkim" and "Imphal in Manipur". Use the first letters: for the south, remember the order "Karnataka (Bengaluru), Kerala (Thiruvananthapuram), Tamil Nadu (Chennai), Telangana (Hyderabad), Andhra (Amaravati)". Practise by drawing a blank map of India and filling the states with their capitals. Do this weekly, and the facts will stay in your memory.

Region-wise Grouping of States

Dividing the states by region is a simple way to remember them. In North India, we find Jammu and Kashmir (UT), Ladakh (UT), Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Chandigarh. In West India, we find Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Goa. Central India has Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. East India includes Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal. South India includes Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, along with the Union Territories of Puducherry, Lakshadweep, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The North-East has the seven sisters and Sikkim. When you meet a question on a river, a dance or a festival, first place it in a region, and then pick the state, which cuts the number of choices drastically.

Renamed Cities and Places in the News

Examinations love to ask about places whose names have changed. Bombay became Mumbai in 1995, Madras became Chennai in 1996, Calcutta became Kolkata in 2001, Bangalore became Bengaluru in 2014, Allahabad became Prayagraj in 2018, Gurgaon became Gurugram in 2016, Trivandrum became Thiruvananthapuram in 1991, and Pondicherry became Puducherry in 2006. Among states, Orissa became Odisha in 2011 and Uttaranchal became Uttarakhand in 2007. Port Blair, the capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, was renamed Sri Vijaya Puram in 2024. Always read the latest news on any new name changes or capital shifts, because they are a favourite of the question setters.

Why States and Capitals Matter Beyond the Examination

Knowing the states and their capitals is a base for geography, polity and current affairs. When you read about floods in Assam, a new highway in Uttarakhand or a political event in Karnataka, a clear mental map helps you to place the news and understand its context. The capitals are also centres of administration, culture and economy, and many have rich histories: Jaipur, the Pink City, was planned in the 18th century; Chandigarh was designed by the architect Le Corbusier after independence; Bhubaneswar is known as the Temple City; and Kohima was a site of a famous battle in the Second World War. Linking a capital with one interesting fact makes memory stronger and learning more enjoyable.

Practice Questions

Test yourself with a few questions. Which state has Dispur as its capital? Assam. Which Union Territory has Kavaratti as its capital? Lakshadweep. Which state has two capitals for summer and winter? Himachal Pradesh has Shimla and Dharamshala, and Uttarakhand has Dehradun and Gairsain in its arrangements. Which commission recommended the reorganisation of states on a linguistic basis? The States Reorganisation Commission of 1953, led by Fazl Ali. Which is the youngest state of India? Telangana, formed in 2014. Note that after the 2019 change that turned Jammu and Kashmir into a Union Territory, India has 28 states. Which state has the longest coastline? Gujarat. Practise such questions in short bursts of five to ten minutes, which will keep your revision fresh, and always check the count of states and Union Territories in the latest government sources before your examination.

Quick Revision

• 28 states and 8 Union Territories; Telangana is the youngest state.
• Chandigarh is the capital of both Punjab and Haryana; Himachal has two capitals; J&K and Ladakh are UTs.
• Largest state: Rajasthan; most populous: Uttar Pradesh; highest literacy: Kerala.
• National animal: tiger; bird: peacock; flower: lotus; tree: banyan; fruit: mango.

Make a habit of revising these tables for ten minutes every day. Check the news for any change in names or capitals, and you will be fully prepared for the static GK part of any competitive examination.

Related Notes to Read Next

Continue your preparation with these related notes from the same subject:

• Important Days and Dates Notes for Competitive Exams
• Awards and Honours Notes for Competitive Exams
• Important Books and Authors Notes for Competitive Exams
• All General Awareness notes

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How many states and Union Territories are there in India?

India has 28 states and 8 Union Territories at present.

Which is the youngest state of India?

Telangana, formed on 2 June 2014, is the youngest state of India.

Which city is the capital of both Punjab and Haryana?

Chandigarh is the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana, and it is also a Union Territory.

Which is the largest state in India by area?

Rajasthan is the largest state by area, and Goa is the smallest.

Which state has the highest literacy rate?

Kerala has the highest literacy rate among Indian states.

What is the capital of Andhra Pradesh?

Amaravati is the capital of Andhra Pradesh, after the end of Hyderabad’s joint-capital status in 2024.

What is the national animal of India?

The tiger is the national animal of India, and the Indian peacock is the national bird.

What is the national motto of India?

"Satyameva Jayate", meaning "truth alone triumphs", from the Mundaka Upanishad, is the national motto.

How many spokes does the Ashoka Chakra have?

The Ashoka Chakra on the national flag has 24 spokes.

Who designed the rupee symbol?

The Indian rupee symbol was designed by D. Udaya Kumar and adopted in 2010.

When was the States Reorganisation Act passed?

The States Reorganisation Act was passed in 1956 and created 14 states and 6 Union Territories from 1 November 1956.

Which was the first state formed on a linguistic basis?

Andhra State, formed in 1953 for Telugu speakers, was the first state created on a linguistic basis.