1. Introduction
- India is administratively divided into 28 states and 8 Union Territories (UTs) for effective governance.
- Each state has its own government, whereas UTs are either directly governed by the Central Government or have limited self-governance.
- Some UTs, like Delhi, Puducherry, and Jammu & Kashmir, have their own legislatures.
📌 Fact: Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh became Union Territories in 2019 after the revocation of Article 370.
2. States and Their Capitals 🏛️
| State | Capital |
|---|---|
| Andhra Pradesh | Amaravati |
| Arunachal Pradesh | Itanagar |
| Assam | Dispur |
| Bihar | Patna |
| Chhattisgarh | Raipur |
| Goa | Panaji |
| Gujarat | Gandhinagar |
| Haryana | Chandigarh |
| Himachal Pradesh | Shimla |
| Jharkhand | Ranchi |
| Karnataka | Bengaluru |
| Kerala | Thiruvananthapuram |
| Madhya Pradesh | Bhopal |
| Maharashtra | Mumbai |
| Manipur | Imphal |
| Meghalaya | Shillong |
| Mizoram | Aizawl |
| Nagaland | Kohima |
| Odisha | Bhubaneswar |
| Punjab | Chandigarh |
| Rajasthan | Jaipur |
| Sikkim | Gangtok |
| Tamil Nadu | Chennai |
| Telangana | Hyderabad |
| Tripura | Agartala |
| Uttar Pradesh | Lucknow |
| Uttarakhand | Dehradun |
| West Bengal | Kolkata |
📌 Fact:
- Largest State by Area – Rajasthan
- Smallest State by Area – Goa
- Most Populous State – Uttar Pradesh
3. Union Territories and Their Capitals
| Union Territory | Capital | Legislature? (Yes/No) |
|---|---|---|
| Andaman & Nicobar Islands | Port Blair | No |
| Chandigarh | Chandigarh | No |
| Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu | Daman | No |
| Lakshadweep | Kavaratti | No |
| Delhi (NCT) | New Delhi | Yes |
| Puducherry | Puducherry | Yes |
| Jammu & Kashmir | Srinagar (Summer), Jammu (Winter) | Yes |
| Ladakh | Leh | No |
📌 Fact:
- Largest UT by Area – Ladakh
- Smallest UT by Area – Lakshadweep
- Delhi, Puducherry, and Jammu & Kashmir are the only UTs with their own legislature and Chief Minister.
4. Differences Between States & Union Territories
| Feature | States | Union Territories |
|---|---|---|
| Government | Have their own elected governments | Directly governed by the Central Government (except Delhi, Puducherry, J&K) |
| Legislature | Have their own Legislative Assemblies | Only Delhi, Puducherry, and J&K have Legislative Assemblies |
| Governor vs. Administrator | Governed by a Governor | Administered by Lieutenant Governor (LG) or Administrator |
| Autonomy | administrative and legislative autonomy | Limited autonomy |
📌 Fact: Ladakh is among the UTs that do not have a legislature.
5. Major Administrative Changes in Recent Years
| Change | Year |
|---|---|
| Formation of Telangana (separated from Andhra Pradesh) | 2014 |
| Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh became Union Territories | 2019 |
| Merger of Daman & Diu with Dadra & Nagar Haveli | 2020 |
📌 Fact: Before 2014, India had 29 states. After the bifurcation of J&K in 2019, the count changed to 28 states and 8 UTs.
6. Constitutional Provisions Related to States & UTs
| Article | Provision |
|---|---|
| Article 1 | Declares India as a “Union of States” |
| Article 3 | Allows Parliament to create or alter states & UTs |
| Article 239 | Provides for UT administration |
| Article 243 | Establishes Panchayati Raj system |
| Article 280 | Finance Commission – revenue sharing between states & center |
📌 Fact: Indian states were reorganized in 1956 based on linguistic lines.
7. MCQs on States and Union Territories
1. How many states and UTs does India have as of 2024?
a) 28 States, 8 UTs
b) 29 States, 7 UTs
c) 25 States, 9 UTs
d) 27 States, 6 UTs
Answer: a) 28 States, 8 UTs
2. Which is the largest state in India by area?
a) Madhya Pradesh
b) Uttar Pradesh
c) Rajasthan
d) Maharashtra
Answer: c) Rajasthan
3. What is the capital of Ladakh?
a) Kargil
b) Srinagar
c) Leh
d) Jammu
Answer: c) Leh
4. Which Union Territory was merged in 2020?
a) Puducherry and Lakshadweep
b) Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli
c) Chandigarh and Ladakh
d) Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep
Answer: b) Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli
5. How many UTs have a legislature?
a) 1
b) 2
c) 3
d) 5
Answer: c) 3 (Delhi, Puducherry, Jammu & Kashmir)
8. Short Answer Questions
1. Name two Union Territories with their own legislature.
✔ Delhi & Puducherry.
2. Which is the smallest UT of India by area?
✔ Lakshadweep.
3. Name the southernmost state of India.
✔ Tamil Nadu.
4. Which is the most populous state in India?
✔ Uttar Pradesh.
9. Conclusion
India’s division into states and UTs ensures efficient governance and administrative control.
Would you like a map, diagram, or quick revision PDF for this topic? 😊