Indian States, Capitals and Union Territories Notes for SSC Exams
Rahul Kumar
SSC Exam Expert & Content Editor
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The list of Indian states, capitals and union territories is the most basic static GK topic, and it is asked in almost every SSC paper. India has 28 states and 8 union territories. These Indian states, capitals and union territories notes for SSC give the full list in tables, the formation years, the records and the mistakes to avoid.
28 States and Their Capitals
| State | Capital | State | Capital |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andhra Pradesh | Amaravati | Manipur | Imphal |
| Arunachal Pradesh | Itanagar | Meghalaya | Shillong |
| Assam | Dispur | Mizoram | Aizawl |
| Bihar | Patna | Nagaland | Kohima |
| Chhattisgarh | Raipur | Odisha | Bhubaneswar |
| Goa | Panaji | Punjab | Chandigarh |
| Gujarat | Gandhinagar | Rajasthan | Jaipur |
| Haryana | Chandigarh | Sikkim | Gangtok |
| Himachal Pradesh | Shimla | Tamil Nadu | Chennai |
| Jharkhand | Ranchi | Telangana | Hyderabad |
| Karnataka | Bengaluru | Tripura | Agartala |
| Kerala | Thiruvananthapuram | Uttar Pradesh | Lucknow |
| Madhya Pradesh | Bhopal | Uttarakhand | Dehradun |
| Maharashtra | Mumbai | West Bengal | Kolkata |
Chandigarh is the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana, but it is a union territory. Hyderabad was the joint capital of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana for ten years, until 2 June 2024. Now Hyderabad is the capital of Telangana only, and Amaravati is the capital of Andhra Pradesh. Gairsain is the summer capital of Uttarakhand.
8 Union Territories and Their Capitals
| Union Territory | Capital |
|---|---|
| Andaman and Nicobar Islands | Sri Vijaya Puram (earlier Port Blair, renamed in 2024) |
| Chandigarh | Chandigarh |
| Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu | Daman |
| Delhi (National Capital Territory) | New Delhi |
| Jammu and Kashmir | Srinagar (summer) and Jammu (winter) |
| Ladakh | Leh and Kargil |
| Lakshadweep | Kavaratti |
| Puducherry | Puducherry |
Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu were merged into one union territory in January 2020. Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh became separate union territories in October 2019.
Formation of Important States
| State | Year formed |
|---|---|
| Andhra Pradesh (first state formed on a language basis) | 1953 (as a state in 1956 after reorganisation) |
| Nagaland | 1963 |
| Haryana | 1966 |
| Himachal Pradesh | 1971 |
| Manipur, Tripura and Meghalaya | 1972 |
| Sikkim | 1975 |
| Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh | 1987 |
| Goa | 1987 |
| Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand and Jharkhand | 2000 |
| Telangana (the newest state) | 2014 |
Records Among the States
| Record | State or union territory |
|---|---|
| Largest state by area | Rajasthan |
| Smallest state by area | Goa |
| Most populous state | Uttar Pradesh |
| Least populous state | Sikkim |
| Largest union territory by area | Ladakh |
| Smallest union territory by area | Lakshadweep |
| Most populous union territory | Delhi |
| Newest state | Telangana |
Tips to Remember
- Group the northeastern states and learn their capitals in one go: Dispur, Itanagar, Imphal, Shillong, Aizawl, Kohima, Gangtok and Agartala.
- Learn the capitals that are not the biggest city: Gandhinagar, Dispur, Bhubaneswar, Amaravati and Shimla.
- Learn the new names: Sri Vijaya Puram and the merged union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.
- Check the latest change before the exam, because capitals and names can change.
Quick Tips
- Group states by region and learn their capitals together.
- Learn the capitals that are not the largest city of the state first.
- Remember 28 states and 8 union territories.
- Check recent changes of names and capitals.
Quick Revision Points
- India has 28 states and 8 union territories.
- Telangana is the newest state, formed on 2 June 2014.
- Rajasthan is the largest state and Goa is the smallest.
- Chandigarh is the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana.
- Amaravati is the capital of Andhra Pradesh.
Practice Questions With Answers
- What is the capital of Chhattisgarh?
Answer: Raipur - What is the capital of Uttarakhand?
Answer: Dehradun - How many states and union territories does India have?
Answer: 28 states and 8 union territories - Which city is the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana?
Answer: Chandigarh - What is the capital of Meghalaya?
Answer: Shillong - Which is the newest state of India?
Answer: Telangana - What is the capital of Kerala?
Answer: Thiruvananthapuram - Which union territory has Srinagar and Jammu as its capitals?
Answer: Jammu and Kashmir - Which is the largest state of India by area?
Answer: Rajasthan - Which is the smallest state of India by area?
Answer: Goa
How to Practise This Chapter
Revise the tables every week and then test yourself with our practice papers and the previous year papers page. See all topics on the General Knowledge notes page, and also read the General Awareness notes and Current Affairs notes. Read the next topic, National Symbols of India, and the Indian Geography notes for the physical features of the states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many states are there in India?
India has 28 states.
How many union territories are there in India?
India has 8 union territories.
Which is the newest state of India?
Telangana, formed on 2 June 2014, is the newest state.
What is the capital of Andhra Pradesh?
Amaravati is the capital of Andhra Pradesh.
What is the capital of Telangana?
Hyderabad is the capital of Telangana.
Which city is the capital of two states?
Chandigarh is the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana, but it is a union territory.
Which is the largest state by area?
Rajasthan is the largest state by area.
Which is the smallest state by area?
Goa is the smallest state by area.
Which is the largest union territory by area?
Ladakh is the largest union territory by area.
Which two union territories were merged in 2020?
Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu were merged in 2020.
Is this topic asked in SSC exams?
Yes. Questions on states, capitals and union territories are asked in SSC General Awareness papers.
How many questions come from this topic in SSC exams?
Usually one question, but the number changes from year to year.
Rahul Kumar
SSC Exam Expert & Content Editor
Rahul is a senior SSC exam strategist with 8+ years of experience helping aspirants crack CGL, CHSL and MTS exams. He writes in-depth notification breakdowns, exam pattern guides and preparation strategies.