States and Union Territories of India
- About India
- Introduction
- What is a State?
- List of 28 Indian States and their Capitals
- What is a Union Territory?
- List of 8 Union Territories and their Capitals
- States V/S Union Territories
- FAQs about States and Union Territories of India
About India
India is one of the oldest civilizations in the world with a kaleidoscopic variety and rich cultural heritage. It has achieved all-around socio-economic progress since its Independence. As the 7th largest country in the world, India stands apart from the rest of Asia, marked off as it is by mountains and the sea, which give the country a distinct geographical entity. Bounded by the Great Himalayas in the north, it stretches southwards and at the Tropic of Cancer, tapers off into the Indian Ocean between the Bay of Bengal on the east and the Arabian Sea on the west.
Lying entirely in the northern hemisphere, the mainland extends between latitudes 8° 4′ and 37° 6′ north, longitudes 68° 7′ and 97° 25′ east, and measures about 3,214 km from north to south between the extreme latitudes and about 2,933 km from east to west between the extreme longitudes. It has a land frontier of about 15,200 km. The total length of the coastline of the mainland, Lakshadweep Islands, and Andaman & Nicobar Islands is 7,516.6 km.
Introduction of States and Union Territories of India
- India, a union of states, is a Sovereign, Secular, Democratic Republic with a Parliamentary system of Government.
- The President is the constitutional head of the Executive of the Union.
- In States, the Governor, as the representative of the President, is the head of the Executive.
- The System of Government in states closely resembles that of the Union.
- There are 28 states and 8 Union territories in the country.
- Union Territories are administered by the President through an Administrator appointed by him/her.
- From the largest to the smallest, each State/U.T. of India has a unique demography, history, culture, dress, festivals, Language, etc. This section introduces you to the various States/UTs in the Country and urges you to explore their magnificent uniqueness
What is a State?
A state is an independent unit that consists of its Legislative Assembly with elected representatives. Or we can say that a state is a defined territory that has its own Chief Minister. The state has its separate government. The basic functions of the state are handled by the State Government like security, healthcare, governance, revenue generation, etc.
List of 28 Indian States and their Capitals:-
| Sl. No | States Name | Capital | Founded on |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andhra Pradesh | Amaravati (Formerly Visakhapatnam) | 1 Nov. 1956 |
| 2 | Arunachal Pradesh | Itanagar | 20 Feb. 1987 |
| 3 | Assam | Dispur | 26 Jan. 1950 |
| 4 | Bihar | Patna | 26 Jan. 1950 |
| 5 | Chhattisgarh | Raipur | 1 Nov. 2000 |
| 6 | Goa | Panaji | 30 May. 1987 |
| 7 | Gujarat | Gandhinagar | 1 May. 1960 |
| 8 | Haryana | Chandigarh | 1 Nov. 1966 |
| 9 | Himachal Pradesh | Shimla | 25 Jan. 1971 |
| 10 | Jharkhand | Ranchi | 15 Nov. 2000 |
| 11 | Karnataka | Bengaluru | 1 Nov. 1956 |
| 12 | Kerala | Thiruvanantha- puram | 1 Nov. 1956 |
| 13 | Madhya Pradesh | Bhopal | 1 Nov. 1956 |
| 14 | Maharashtra | Mumbai | 1 May. 1960 |
| 15 | Manipur | Imphal | 21 Jan. 1972 |
| 16 | Meghalaya | Shillong | 21 Jan. 1972 |
| 17 | Mizoram | Aizawl | 20 Feb. 1987 |
| 18 | Nagaland | Kohima | 1 Dec. 1963 |
| 19 | Odisha | Bhubaneswar | 26 Jan. 1950 |
| 20 | Punjab | Chandigarh | 1 Nov. 1956 |
| 21 | Rajasthan | Jaipur | 1 Nov. 1956 |
| 22 | Sikkim | Gangtok | 16 May. 1975 |
| 23 | Tamil Nadu | Chennai | 26 Jan. 1950 |
| 24 | Telangana | Hyderabad | 2 Jun. 2014 |
| 25 | Tripura | Agartala | 21 Jan. 1972 |
| 26 | Uttar Pradesh | Lucknow | 26 Jan. 1950 |
| 27 | Uttarakhand | Dehradun (Winter) Gairsain (Summer) | 9 Nov. 2000 |
| 28 | West Bengal | Kolkata | 1 Nov. 1956 |
What is a Union Territory?
A Union Territory is a type of administrative division which is controlled by the Central Government. According to the Indian Constitution Articles, 1 to 4 under Part-1 of the Constitution deals with the Union and its Territory.
Article 1 described India, that is Bharat as a “Union of States” rather than a “Federation of States”. This type of provision deals with two things: one, the name of the country, and another type of polity.
We can say that Union Territories are ruled directly by the Central Government having a Lieutenant Governor as administrator, who is the representative of the President of India and appointed by the Central government. Let us tell you that Union Territories have no Representation in the Rajya Sabha except Delhi and Puducherry.
List of 8 Union Territories and their Capitals:-
| Sl. No | Union Territories Names | Capital | Founded on |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andaman and Nicobar Islands | Port Blair | 1 Nov. 1956 |
| 2 | Chandigarh | Chandigarh | 1 Nov. 1966 |
| 3 | Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu | Daman | 26 Jan. 2020 |
| 4 | Delhi (The Government of NCT of Delhi) | New Delhi | 9 May. 1905 |
| 5 | Jammu and Kashmir | Srinagar (Summer) Jammu (Winter) | 31 Oct 2019 |
| 6 | Lakshadweep | Kavaratti | 1 Nov. 1956 |
| 7 | Puducherry | Pondicherry | 1 Nov. 1954 |
| 8 | Ladakh | Leh | 31 Oct 2019 |
Difference between the State and Union Territory of India
| 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. |
| The Executive Head is the President | The lieutenant is the real head. |
| 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. | The Chief Minister is the real head. |
| Large in Area | Small in the area as compared to States. |
| States possess autonomy (self-government) | UT does not possess autonomy. |
FAQs about States and Union Territories of India
Q1. How many states and union territories are there in India?
Ans: In India, there are 28 states and 8 union territories.
Q2. Which Union territories were merged in January 2020?
Ans: Daman and Diu are merged with Dadar and Nagar Haveli
Q3. Which state has been divided to make union territory?
Ans: On 5th August 2019 Jammu and Kashmir are divided into two unions.
- Jammu & Kashmir
- Ladakh
Q4. What is the capital of India?
Ans: New Delhi is the capital of India.
Q5. Who is the head of Union Territory?
Ans: The Lieutenant Governor is the head of the Union Territory.
Q6. Who is the head of the State?
Ans: The Chief Minister is the head of the State.
Q7. Why is India divided into States and Union Territories?
Ans. It is not possible to manage the entire country from just one location because India is the world’s 7th largest country and the world’s 2nd most populated country. So, for better administration of the entire country, India was divided into states and Union territories.
Q8. What do you know about the states and union territories of India?
Ans: There are 28 states and 8 Union territories in the country. Union Territories are administered by the President through an Administrator appointed by him/her. From the largest to the smallest, each State/ UT of India has a unique demography, history and culture, dress, festivals, language, etc.
Q9. What is the alternative name of India?
Ans: While India is the most commonly used name for the country, it is often called Bharat and sometimes Hindustan by Indian officials and the public. Bharat is a Sanskrit term found in scriptures from around 2,000 years ago.
The Information about the States and Union Territories of India is Collected from the Official Website Know India.