States and Capitals of India 2026: Quick Answer
India has 28 states and 8 Union Territories (UTs) in 2026. Two recent changes matter for exams: Amaravati became the capital of Andhra Pradesh by law through the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation (Amendment) Act, 2026 (Presidential assent 6 April 2026, deemed effective from 2 June 2024), and Port Blair, the capital of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, was renamed Sri Vijaya Puram (announced on 13 September 2024).
Key takeaway: Chandigarh is the shared capital of Punjab and Haryana and is also a UT. States with two capitals (summer/winter) are Himachal Pradesh (Shimla/Dharamshala), Maharashtra (Mumbai/Nagpur winter session) and Uttarakhand (Bhararisain-Gairsain summer/Dehradun winter); the UT of Jammu and Kashmir has Srinagar (summer) and Jammu (winter).
28 States and Capitals of India List (2026)
| No. | State | Capital | Became a state (key date) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andhra Pradesh | Amaravati (statutory capital under the 2026 Act) | 1 November 1956 |
| 2 | Arunachal Pradesh | Itanagar | 20 February 1987 |
| 3 | Assam | Dispur | 26 January 1950 |
| 4 | Bihar | Patna | 26 January 1950 |
| 5 | Chhattisgarh | Raipur (Nava Raipur being developed as the new capital) | 1 November 2000 |
| 6 | Goa | Panaji | 30 May 1987 |
| 7 | Gujarat | Gandhinagar | 1 May 1960 |
| 8 | Haryana | Chandigarh | 1 November 1966 |
| 9 | Himachal Pradesh | Shimla (summer), Dharamshala (winter) | 25 January 1971 |
| 10 | Jharkhand | Ranchi | 15 November 2000 |
| 11 | Karnataka | Bengaluru | 1 November 1956 |
| 12 | Kerala | Thiruvananthapuram | 1 November 1956 |
| 13 | Madhya Pradesh | Bhopal | 1 November 1956 |
| 14 | Maharashtra | Mumbai (Nagpur is the winter/second capital) | 1 May 1960 |
| 15 | Manipur | Imphal | 21 January 1972 |
| 16 | Meghalaya | Shillong | 21 January 1972 |
| 17 | Mizoram | Aizawl | 20 February 1987 |
| 18 | Nagaland | Kohima | 1 December 1963 |
| 19 | Odisha | Bhubaneswar | 1 April 1936 (as a province) |
| 20 | Punjab | Chandigarh | 1 November 1966 (present boundaries) |
| 21 | Rajasthan | Jaipur | 1 November 1956 (present boundaries) |
| 22 | Sikkim | Gangtok | 16 May 1975 |
| 23 | Tamil Nadu | Chennai | 1 November 1956 (renamed Tamil Nadu in 1969) |
| 24 | Telangana | Hyderabad | 2 June 2014 (newest state) |
| 25 | Tripura | Agartala | 21 January 1972 |
| 26 | Uttar Pradesh | Lucknow | 26 January 1950 |
| 27 | Uttarakhand | Dehradun (winter), Bhararisain-Gairsain (summer) | 9 November 2000 |
| 28 | West Bengal | Kolkata | 26 January 1950 |
8 Union Territories and Capitals of India List (2026)
| No. | Union Territory | Capital | Legislature? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andaman and Nicobar Islands | Sri Vijaya Puram (formerly Port Blair) | No |
| 2 | Chandigarh | Chandigarh | No |
| 3 | Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu | Daman | No |
| 4 | Delhi (National Capital Territory) | New Delhi | Yes |
| 5 | Jammu and Kashmir | Srinagar (summer), Jammu (winter) | Yes |
| 6 | Ladakh | Leh | No |
| 7 | Lakshadweep | Kavaratti | No |
| 8 | Puducherry | Puducherry | Yes |
- Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh became UTs on 31 October 2019 after the J&K Reorganisation Act, 2019.
- Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu were merged into one UT on 26 January 2020.
- Three UTs have their own legislature: Delhi, Puducherry and Jammu and Kashmir.
Latest Changes in States and Capitals (2019-2026)
| Year | Change |
|---|---|
| 2019 | Jammu and Kashmir state reorganised into two UTs: J&K and Ladakh (31 October 2019) |
| 2020 | Dadra and Nagar Haveli merged with Daman and Diu (26 January 2020) |
| 2020 | Bhararisain (Gairsain) declared the summer capital of Uttarakhand |
| 2024 | Hyderabad's term as common capital of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana ended (2 June 2024) |
| 2024 | Port Blair renamed Sri Vijaya Puram (13 September 2024) |
| 2026 | Amaravati written into the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act as the capital of Andhra Pradesh (Act No. 7 of 2026, assent 6 April 2026) |
States and Capitals Trick (North-East "Seven Sisters" and More)
| North-East state | Capital |
|---|---|
| Arunachal Pradesh | Itanagar |
| Assam | Dispur |
| Manipur | Imphal |
| Meghalaya | Shillong |
| Mizoram | Aizawl |
| Nagaland | Kohima |
| Tripura | Agartala |
| Sikkim (the "brother", not one of the Seven Sisters) | Gangtok |
Line them up by initials to remember: A-I, A-D, M-I, M-S, M-A, N-K, T-A (state initial, capital initial).
- Same name as the state/UT: Chandigarh, Puducherry.
- Capitals ending in "-pur"/"-puram": Raipur, Jaipur, Dispur, Thiruvananthapuram, Sri Vijaya Puram.
- Shared capital: Chandigarh for Punjab and Haryana.
- Gandhinagar, not Ahmedabad: Gujarat's capital is a classic trap.
- Dispur, not Guwahati: Dispur is a locality within Guwahati, but the capital is named Dispur.
States and Capitals of India MCQs (with Answers)
Q1. What is the capital of Andhra Pradesh as per the 2026 amendment to the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act? (a) Visakhapatnam (b) Hyderabad (c) Amaravati (d) Kurnool Answer: (c).
Q2. Port Blair has been renamed as: (a) Swaraj Dweep (b) Sri Vijaya Puram (c) Shaheed Dweep (d) Netaji Nagar Answer: (b).
Q3. How many Union Territories does India have in 2026? (a) 7 (b) 8 (c) 9 (d) 6 Answer: (b).
Q4. Which city is the capital of two states? (a) Hyderabad (b) Chandigarh (c) Delhi (d) Shillong Answer: (b). Punjab and Haryana.
Q5. The winter capital of Himachal Pradesh is: (a) Kullu (b) Manali (c) Dharamshala (d) Mandi Answer: (c).
Q6. Which is the newest state of India? (a) Jharkhand (b) Uttarakhand (c) Telangana (d) Chhattisgarh Answer: (c). 2 June 2014.
Q7. The capital of the UT of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu is: (a) Silvassa (b) Daman (c) Diu (d) Vapi Answer: (b).
Q8. Which of these UTs has a legislative assembly? (a) Ladakh (b) Chandigarh (c) Puducherry (d) Lakshadweep Answer: (c).
Q9. Kavaratti is the capital of: (a) Lakshadweep (b) Andaman and Nicobar Islands (c) Puducherry (d) Goa Answer: (a).
Q10. Bhararisain (Gairsain) is the summer capital of: (a) Himachal Pradesh (b) Uttarakhand (c) Sikkim (d) Jammu and Kashmir Answer: (b).
States and Capitals of India FAQs
How many states and UTs are there in India in 2026?
28 states and 8 Union Territories.
What is the capital of Andhra Pradesh in 2026?
Amaravati. The Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation (Amendment) Act, 2026 replaced "there shall be a new capital" with "Amaravati shall be the new capital" in Section 5 of the 2014 Act; it received Presidential assent on 6 April 2026 and is deemed effective from 2 June 2024.
What is the new name of Port Blair?
Sri Vijaya Puram, announced by the Union Home Minister on 13 September 2024.
Which Indian states have two capitals?
Himachal Pradesh (Shimla and Dharamshala), Maharashtra (Mumbai and Nagpur) and Uttarakhand (Dehradun and Bhararisain-Gairsain). The UT of Jammu and Kashmir has Srinagar and Jammu.
Which is the largest state of India by area?
Rajasthan; by population, Uttar Pradesh (Census 2011).
What is the capital of Ladakh?
Leh.
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