States and Union Territories of India
GS I: Indian Geography; GS II: Polity; GS III: Major crops, cropping patterns in various parts of the country, different types of irrigation and irrigation systems storage, transport and marketing of agricultural produce and issues and related constraints; e-technology in the aid of farmers
- Understanding India’s states and Union Territories is important for the UPSC Civil Services Examination, particularly for Indian Geography, Polity, Economy, Environment, Art and Culture and current affairs.
States of India
India is a federal union consisting of 28 states and 8 Union Territories.
Each state and Union Territory has a distinct geographical identity, historical background, cultural heritage, administrative structure and economic profile.
States exercise authority over subjects included in the State List and share responsibility with the Union Government over subjects in the Concurrent List.
Public order, police, agriculture, public health and local government are some important areas generally administered by state governments.
The constitutional head of a state is the Governor, who is appointed by the President of India.
The real executive authority is exercised by the Chief Minister and the Council of Ministers, who are responsible to the elected State Legislative Assembly

Most states have a unicameral legislature consisting of the Legislative Assembly. A few states also have a Legislative Council, creating a bicameral legislature. Indian states differ significantly in terms of geography, language, culture, population, natural resources and economic development. These regional variations contribute to India’s social and cultural diversity.
28 States
8 Union Territories
- Andhra Pradesh
- Arunachal Pradesh
- Assam
- Bihar
- Chhattisgarh
- Goa
- Gujarat4
- Haryana
- Himachal Pradesh
- Jarkhand
- Karnataka
- Kerala
- Madhya Pradesh
- Maharashtra
- Manipur
- Meghalaya
- Mizoram
- Nagaland
- Odisha
- Punjab
- Rajasthan
- Sikkim
- Tamil Nadu
- Telungana
- Tripura
- Uttar Pradesh
- Uttarakhand
- West Bengal
- Andaman and Nicobar Islands
- Chandigarh \
- Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu
- Delhi
- Jammu and Kashmir
- Ladakh
- Lakshadweep
- Puducherry
| No. | State | Capital | Region | Area (sq. km) | Official Language(s) | State Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andhra Pradesh | Amaravati | Southern India | 1,62,968 | Telugu | Read More |
| 2 | Arunachal Pradesh | Itanagar | Northeastern India | 83,743 | English | Read More |
| 3 | Assam | Dispur | Northeastern India | 78,438 | Assamese | Read More |
| 4 | Bihar | Patna | Eastern India | 94,163 | Hindi | Read More |
| 5 | Chhattisgarh | Raipur | Central India | 1,35,192 | Hindi | Read More |
| 6 | Goa | Panaji | Western India | 3,702 | Konkani | Read More |
| 7 | Gujarat | Gandhinagar | Western India | 1,96,024 | Gujarati | Read More |
| 8 | Haryana | Chandigarh | Northern India | 44,212 | Hindi | Read More |
| 9 | Himachal Pradesh | Shimla | Northern India | 55,673 | Hindi | Read More |
| 10 | Jharkhand | Ranchi | Eastern India | 79,716 | Hindi | Read More |
| 11 | Karnataka | Bengaluru | Southern India | 1,91,791 | Kannada | Read More |
| 12 | Kerala | Thiruvananthapuram | Southern India | 38,863 | Malayalam | Read More |
| 13 | Madhya Pradesh | Bhopal | Central India | 3,08,245 | Hindi | Read More |
| 14 | Maharashtra | Mumbai | Western India | 3,07,713 | Marathi | Read More |
| 15 | Manipur | Imphal | Northeastern India | 22,327 | Meitei | Read More |
| 16 | Meghalaya | Shillong | Northeastern India | 22,429 | English | Read More |
| 17 | Mizoram | Aizawl | Northeastern India | 21,081 | Mizo, English | Read More |
| 18 | Nagaland | Kohima | Northeastern India | 16,579 | English | Read More |
| 19 | Odisha | Bhubaneswar | Eastern India | 1,55,707 | Odia | Read More |
| 20 | Punjab | Chandigarh | Northern India | 50,362 | Punjabi | Read More |
| 21 | Rajasthan | Jaipur | Northern India | 3,42,239 | Hindi | Read More |
| 22 | Sikkim | Gangtok | Northeastern India | 7,096 | English, Nepali and others | Read More |
| 23 | Tamil Nadu | Chennai | Southern India | 1,30,058 | Tamil | Read More |
| 24 | Telangana | Hyderabad | Southern India | 1,12,077 | Telugu, Urdu | Read More |
| 25 | Tripura | Agartala | Northeastern India | 10,486 | Bengali, Kokborok, English | Read More |
| 26 | Uttar Pradesh | Lucknow | Northern India | 2,40,928 | Hindi | Read More |
| 27 | Uttarakhand | Dehradun | Northern India | 53,483 | Hindi | Read More |
| 28 | West Bengal | Kolkata | Eastern India | 88,752 | Bengali | Read More |
Union Territories of India
- India currently has 8 Union Territories. Union Territories are administrative units governed more directly by the Union Government than states.
- The Ministry of Home Affairs is the nodal ministry responsible for matters relating to Union Territory administration, legislation, finance and services.
- The President administers a Union Territory through an appointed Administrator or Lieutenant Governor.
Delhi, Puducherry and Jammu and Kashmir have elected legislative assemblies. However, their constitutional and administrative powers are different from those of full-fledged states.
| No. | Union Territory | Capital | Region | Area (sq. km) | Official Language(s) | UT Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andaman and Nicobar Islands | Port Blair | Bay of Bengal / Southern India | 8,249 | Hindi, English | Read More |
| 2 | Chandigarh | Chandigarh | Northern India | 114 | English, Hindi, Punjabi | Read More |
| 3 | Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu | Daman | Western India | 603 | Gujarati, Hindi, English | Read More |
| 4 | Delhi (NCT) | New Delhi | Northern India | 1,483 | Hindi, English, Punjabi, Urdu | Read More |
| 5 | Jammu and Kashmir | Srinagar (Summer), Jammu (Winter) | Northern India | 42,241 | Kashmiri, Dogri, Urdu, Hindi, English | Read More |
| 6 | Ladakh | Leh | Northern India / Himalayan Region | 59,146 | English, Hindi, Urdu, Bhoti and other local languages | Read More |
| 7 | Lakshadweep | Kavaratti | Arabian Sea / Southern India | 32 | Malayalam, English | Read More |
| 8 | Puducherry | Puducherry | Southern India | 479 | Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, English | Read More |