States, Union Territories and Capitals
राज्य, केंद्र शासित प्रदेश और राजधानियाँ
title
States, Union Territories and Capitals
- Indian Geography
- States, Union Territories and Capitals
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Learning Objective
Know the count of states and UTs, the tricky capitals and the newest changes.
🎯 Learning Objective
Know the count of states and UTs, the tricky capitals and the newest changes.
💡 Concept
- India has 28 states and 8 Union Territories.
- Telangana is the newest state, formed on 2 June 2014 out of Andhra Pradesh, with Hyderabad as its capital.
- In 2019, Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh became Union Territories; in 2020, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu were merged into a single UT.
- Some tricky northeastern capitals: Arunachal Pradesh–Itanagar, Nagaland–Kohima, Mizoram–Aizawl, Meghalaya–Shillong, Tripura–Agartala, Manipur–Imphal.
- Assam's capital is Dispur and Sikkim's is Gangtok.
- Chandigarh is a Union Territory that serves as the shared capital of both Punjab and Haryana.
- By area, Rajasthan is the largest state and Goa is the smallest.
- By population, Uttar Pradesh is the largest state; Gujarat has the longest coastline of any state.
✏️ Easy Example
Q. How many states and Union Territories does India currently have?
- After the 2019-2020 reorganisation, the count settled
- There are 28 states and 8 Union Territories
Answer: 28 states and 8 UTs
🇮🇳 Real-Life Example
State-capital matching is one of the most common GK questions, and knowing the newest changes (Telangana, J&K, Ladakh) keeps you sharp for both exams and daily news.
📝 Exam-Level Example
Q. Which is the newest state of India, formed in 2014?
- It was carved out of Andhra Pradesh
- It is Telangana, with capital Hyderabad
Answer: Telangana
📝 Exam-Level Example
Q. Chandigarh is the shared capital of which two states?
- It is a Union Territory as well as a state capital
- It serves both Punjab and Haryana
Answer: Punjab and Haryana
🪄 Memory Trick
Northeast capital pairs to memorise: Nagaland–Kohima, Mizoram–Aizawl, Manipur–Imphal, Tripura–Agartala.
⚠️ Common Mistakes
- ❌ Saying India has 29 states — after J&K became a UT in 2019, the count is 28.
- ❌ Mixing up Dispur (capital of Assam) with Guwahati (the largest city, not the capital).
🏆 Exam Tips
- ✅ Anchor the extremes: Rajasthan (largest by area), Goa (smallest), UP (largest by population).
- ✅ Chandigarh doing 'double duty' for Punjab and Haryana is a favourite one-liner.
📌 Summary
- 28 states and 8 Union Territories
- Telangana (2014) = newest state, capital Hyderabad
- Chandigarh = shared capital of Punjab and Haryana
- Rajasthan largest (area), Goa smallest, UP largest (population)