States and Capitals

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States and Capitals – How Many States in India?

India, a vast South Asian nation and the world’s seventh-largest by land area, is divided into 28 states and 8 union territories, each with its own capital. These states and territories are further segmented into districts. New Delhi, situated in the National Capital Territory of Delhi, serves as India’s administrative, political, and cultural hub.

The states and capitals of India weave a rich and diverse tapestry, reflecting the country’s deep cultural heritage, traditions, and innovations. Exploring these regions offers a fascinating journey through time, blending ancient legacies with modern advancements, tradition with contemporary influence, and showcasing India’s remarkable unity in diversity.

In 1956, India reorganized its states according to linguistic demographics. Today, the country consists of 28 states and 8 Union Territories, home to nearly 400 cities. Among these, eight major metropolitan cities—Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, and Pune—are prominent. The Prime Minister has introduced a plan to develop 100 smart cities across the nation, with Indore being recognized as the Smart City for four consecutive years. Discover India’s dynamic urban landscape and its focus on modernization.

How many states in India?

India is the 7th largest country in the world by land area and the 2nd most populated. The country is divided into states and union territories so that the government can function properly. Below is a list of all 28 states, their capitals and the year they were formed.

S.NO	State	Capital	CM	Governor
1	Andhra Pradesh	Amaravati	Sri Nara Chandrababu Naidu	S. Abdul Nazer
2	Arunachal Pradesh	Itanagar	Pema Khandu	Kaiwalya Trivikram Parnaik
3	Assam	Dispur	Himanta Biswa Sarma	Lakshman Prasad Acharya
4	Bihar	Patna	Nitish Kumar	Arif Mohammed Khan
5	Chhattisgarh	Raipur	Vishnu Deo Sai	Ramen Deka
6	Goa	Panaji	Pramod Sawant	P.S. Sreedharan Pillai
7	Gujarat	Gandhinagar	Bhupendra Patel	Acharya Dev Vrat
8	Haryana	Chandigarh	Nayab Singh Saini	Bandaru Dattatraya
9	Himachal Pradesh	Shimla	Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu	Shiv Pratap Shukla
10	Jharkhand	Ranchi	Hemant Soren	Santosh Kumar Gangwar
11	Karnataka	Bengaluru	Siddaramaiah	Thaawarchand Gehlot
12	Kerala	Thiruvananthapuram	Pinarayi Vijayan	Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar
13	Madhya Pradesh	Bhopal	Mohan Yadav	Mangubhai Chhaganbhai Patel
14	Maharashtra	Mumbai	Devendra Fadnavis	C.P. Radhakrishnan
15	Manipur	Imphal	N. Biren Singh	Ajay Kumar Bhalla
16	Meghalaya	Shillong	Conrad Kongkal Sangma	C H Vijayashankar
17	Mizoram	Aizawl	Lalduhoma	General (Dr.) Vijay Kumar Singh, PVSM, AVSM, YSM (Retd.)
18	Nagaland	Kohima	Neiphiu Rio	La. Ganesan
19	Odisha	Bhubaneswar	Mohan Charan Majhi	Dr. Hari Babu Kambhampati
20	Punjab	Chandigarh	Bhagwant Singh Mann	Gulab Chand Kataria
21	Rajasthan	Jaipur	Bhajan Lal Sharma	Haribhau Kisanrao Bagde
22	Sikkim	Gangtok	PS Golay	Om Prakash Mathur
23	Tamil Nadu	Chennai	M. K. Stalin	R. N. Ravi
24	Telangana	Hyderabad	Anumula Revanth Reddy	Jishnu Dev Varma
25	Tripura	Agartala	Dr. Manik Saha	Indra Sena Reddy Nallu
26	Uttar Pradesh	Lucknow	Yogi Aditya Nath	Anandiben Patel
27	Uttarakhand	Dehradun	Pushkar Singh Dhami	Lt. Gen. Gurmit Singh
28	West Bengal	Kolkata	Mamata Banerjee	Dr. C.V. Ananda Bose

Union Territories of India and Their Capitals

India has 8 union territories that are managed by the central government. Some of them have their own legislative assemblies. Below is the of these union territories and their capitals:

S.NO	Union Territories	Capital	CM	Lt. Governor
1	Andaman and Nicobar Island	Port Blair	NA	D K Joshi
2	Chandigarh	Chandigarh	NA	Banwarilal Purohit
3	Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu	Daman	NA	Praful Patel
4	Delhi	Delhi	Rekha Gupta	Vinai Kumar Saxena
5	Ladakh	NA	NA	B. D. Mishra
6	Lakshadweep	Kavaratti	NA	Praful Patel
7	Jammu and Kashmir	NA	Omar Abdullah	Manoj Sinha
8	Puducherry	Pondicherry	N. Rangaswamy	C. P. Radhakrishnan

Difference Between States and Union Territories

India is divided into states and Union Territories for administrative purposes. They are in different in how they are governed.

Basis of Difference	States	Union Territories
Head of Administration	Governor	Administrator or Lieutenant Governor
Government Type	Elected by the People	Managed by the central government
Powers	Shares power with the central government.	Controlled directly by the central government.

Indian States and their Languages

India is a country with a rich and diverse linguistic heritage. There are over 121 languages spoken in India, and each state has its unique linguistic landscape. The Indian Constitution recognizes 22 languages as “scheduled languages,” which are given special status in government and education.

S. No.	States	Language
1	Andhra Pradesh	Telugu and Urdu
2	Arunachal Pradesh	Miji, Apotanji, Merdukpen, Tagin, Adi, Honpa, Banging-Nishi
3	Assam	Assamese
4	Bihar	Hindi
5	Chhattisgarh	Hindi
6	Goa	Marathi Konkani
7	Gujarat	Gujarati
8	Haryana	Hindi
9	Himachal Pradesh	Hindi and Pahari
10	Jharkhand	Hindi
11	Karnataka	Kannada
12	Kerala	Malayalam
13	Madhya Pradesh	Hindi
14	Maharashtra	Marathi
15	Manipur	Manipuri
16	Meghalaya	Khashi, Jaintia, And Garo
17	Mizoram	Mizo and English
18	Nagaland	Ao, Konyak, Angami, Sema, and Lotha
19	Odisha	Oriya
20	Punjab	Punjabi
21	Rajasthan	Rajasthani and Hindi
22	Sikkim	Bhutia, Hindi, Nepali, Lepcha, Limbu
23	Tamil Nadu	Tamil
24	Telangana	Telugu
25	Tripura	Bengali, Tripuri, Manipuri, Kakborak
26	Uttar Pradesh	Hindi
27	Uttarakhand	Hindi
28	West Bengal	Bengali

Some Key Facts About Indian States

Each state in India is unique and has something special. Here are some interesting facts about a few states:

Andhra Pradesh: Famous for spicy food and historical sites like Charminar.
Assam: Know for tea gardens and Kaziranga National Park, home to the one-horned rhinoceros.
Bihar: A place with a rich history, home to Bodh Gaya and the ancient city of Pataliputra.
Goa: Popular for beautiful beaches and a lively nightlife.
Kerala: Famous for its backwaters, Ayurveda treatments and lush green nature.
Maharashtra: Mumbai, the financial capital, is also home to Bollywood.
Himachal Pradesh: Known for stunning hill stations and adventure sports.
Tamil Nadu: Famous for classical dance forms and grand temples.

PhonePe Tops UPI Chart with 46% Share in June 2025

PhonePe remained the top player in India’s digital payment system, Unified Payments Interface (UPI), for June 2025, handling over 8.54 billion transactions and capturing a 46.46% market share. The data was shared by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). This shows how PhonePe continues to lead in the fast-growing digital payment space.

PhonePe Leads UPI Race

PhonePe processed 8.54 billion UPI transactions in June 2025, keeping its lead with a 46.46% market share. Google Pay followed with 6.54 billion transactions and a 35.56% share, while Paytm stood third with 1.26 billion transactions and a 6.90% share.

Even though UPI usage slightly dropped in June (from 18.67 billion in May to 18.39 billion), the gap between the top apps remains clear, with PhonePe ahead by a significant margin.

New Players Making Progress

New UPI apps like Navi and Super.money are growing steadily. Navi, which got NPCI approval as a Third-Party App Provider (TPAP) in 2023, handled 406.01 million transactions, earning a 2.21% market share. Super.money, approved in 2024, processed 218.96 million transactions, securing a 1.19% share.

Their growth shows that newer players are slowly making a place in India’s digital payment system.

State-Wise UPI Use

Among Indian states, Maharashtra had the highest share of UPI usage at 8.8%. It was followed by Karnataka at 5.61% and Uttar Pradesh at 5.15%, as per NPCI’s data. These numbers reflect the growing popularity and trust in digital payments across different regions of the country.

Taiwan’s CTBC Bank to Open New Unit in GIFT City

CTBC Bank, the largest private bank in Taiwan, has applied to open an IFSC Banking Unit (IBU) in GIFT City, Gujarat. The bank recently filed an application with the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) and plans to set up the unit in Brigade Towers, a key area in GIFT SEZ. This move will help boost financial ties between India and Taiwan and offer more international banking services from GIFT City.

New Banking Unit in GIFT City

CTBC Bank will take up over 3,100 square feet of space in Brigade Towers at GIFT City SEZ. This banking unit will allow the bank to carry out various international financial services. GIFT City is India’s first International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) and is located in Gujarat. CTBC Bank already has a presence in India, with its first branch opened in New Delhi in 1996.

In January 2025, Taiwan’s Financial Supervisory Commission gave formal permission to CTBC Bank to apply for a branch in GIFT City. This shows Taiwan’s strong support for its financial firms to explore opportunities in India.

Growing Global Interest in GIFT City

CTBC Bank is not the only Taiwanese bank to look toward GIFT City. Taipei Fubon Bank also got approval to set up an IBU here. These new branches are expected to help Taiwanese businesses and serve local companies in South Asia. A senior IFSCA official said that the rise of industries like electronics and semiconductors could be a reason behind this growing interest.

Banks from other countries like the UAE and France have also applied. Mashreq Bank from the UAE was the first from the Middle East to get approval, followed by First Abu Dhabi Bank. French banks such as Natixis, Societe Generale, and Credit Agricole have also shown interest.

Rapid Growth of IBUs in GIFT City

Yes Bank was the first Indian bank to open an IBU in GIFT City in October 2015. By March 2025, the number of IBUs had grown to 31, with a combined asset size of $88,500 million. These units handle trade finance, foreign currency loans, investments, and other services.

Some banks like Standard Chartered and Axis Bank have even expanded their operations by moving to larger spaces. GIFT City is fast becoming a global banking hub, and more banks are expected to join soon.

Former Chief Justice Kalyan Shrestha Wins Hem Bahadur Malla Award

Former Chief Justice Kalyan Shrestha has been awarded the ‘Hem Bahadur Malla Award 2080’ in Kathmandu. The award honours his remarkable work in judicial leadership and efforts toward good governance and legal reform in Nepal.

Award Ceremony in Kathmandu

The award was presented at a special event held in Kathmandu, organised by the Nepal Public Administration Association and Salt Trading Corporation. The award is named after Hem Bahadur Malla, founder of Salt Trading Corporation. It is given to those who have made strong contributions in the public or legal field. This year, the award was handed over by Chief Justice Prakashman Singh Raut.

Honouring Kalyan Shrestha’s Work

Kalyan Shrestha, who served as Nepal’s 25th Chief Justice, has played an important role in supporting inclusive democracy, environmental justice, and transitional justice. The award includes a cash prize of Rs 200,000 and a certificate of honour. He was chosen for this award by a selection committee led by Umesh Mainali, former Chairman of the Public Service Commission.

Official Remarks and Concerns

At the event, Chief Justice Raut described Shrestha as a “towering figure” in Nepal’s judicial history. In his speech, Justice Shrestha expressed concern about the growing difficulties in achieving good governance due to the inefficiency of state institutions. He said reforms are still needed to make the justice system more effective.

GA Questions on India’s Latest UNESCO World Heritage Sites

India recently celebrated a proud moment as the Maratha Military Landscapes were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2025. This new entry includes 12 historic forts built by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, known for their smart design and strong defense. With this addition, India now has 44 World Heritage Sites, showing the country’s rich history and global recognition in culture and heritage.

India’s 44th World Heritage Site

In 2025, at the 47th World Heritage Committee (WHC) session, UNESCO added the Maratha Military Landscapes of India to its World Heritage List.

GA Questions on Latest World Heritage Sites in India

Here are some important General Awareness (GA) questions on the latest World Heritage Sites in India. These questions will help you learn about India’s newest UNESCO-recognized sites, like the Maratha Military Landscapes and prepare better for competitive exams and quizes.

Q1. Which World Heritage Committee (WHC) session recognized the Maratha Military Landscapes as a UNESCO World Heritage Site?

(a) 45th

(b) 46th

(d) 44th

S1. Ans. (c)

Q2. How many forts are included in the Maratha Military Landscapes?

(a) 10

(b) 12

(d) 16

S2. Ans. (b)

Q3. Which of the following forts is NOT a part of the Maratha Military Landscapes?

(a) Raigad

(b) Gwalior

(d) Gingee

S3. Ans. (b)

Q4. Which state has the majority of the forts included in this UNESCO recognition?

(a) Karnataka

(b) Tamil Nadu

(d) Andhra Pradesh

S4. Ans. (c)

Q5. Which fort from Tamil Nadu is included in the Maratha Military Landscapes?

(a) Vellore Fort

(b) Fort St. George

(d) Gingee Fort

S5. Ans. (d)

Q6. Which fort was the capital of the Maratha Empire under Shivaji Maharaj?

(a) Panhala

(b) Raigad

(d) Salher

S6. Ans. (b)

Q7. What was Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s vision called?

(a) Hindavi Swarajya

(b) Swarajya

(d) Rajya Sabha

S7. Ans. (a)

Q8. India now ranks ______ globally in the number of World Heritage Sites.

(a) 6th

(b) 7th

(d) 9th

S8. Ans. (a)

Q9. How many UNESCO World Heritage Sites are there in India after the inclusion of the Maratha Military Landscapes?

(a) 43

(b) 44

(d) 46

S9. Ans. (b)

Q10. The Maratha forts are recognized under which UNESCO criteria?

(a) (ii) and (iv)

(b) (i) and (v)

(d) (iii) and (v)

S10. Ans. (c)

India-Greece Conduct PASSEX to Boost Naval Cooperation

Indian Navy and the Greek Navy (Hellenic Navy) carried out a joint PASSEX (Passing Exercise) near Mumbai in the Arabian Sea. This exercise shows growing defence cooperation between the two countries and helps improve their naval coordination and teamwork.

Strengthening India-Greece Defence Ties

The PASSEX between India and Greece is part of a broader push to improve military relations. In 2023, India and Greece upgraded their relationship to a Strategic Partnership during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Greece. Since then, both countries have increased cooperation in defence, with their air forces also joining international air drills in 2024 and 2025.

INS Tarkash and HS Psara Lead the Exercise

The INS Tarkash, a stealth warship of the Indian Navy’s Western Command, led the Indian side of the drill. It was joined by the Greek warship HS Psara. Together, the two navies performed,

Tactical movements
Surface firing drills
Cross-deck helicopter landings
Replenishment at sea
Communication and firefighting training

These activities helped both navies share best practices and boost their teamwork at sea.

About INS Tarkash

INS Tarkash is a Talwar-class stealth frigate, built in Russia and added to the Indian Navy in November 2012. The ship is equipped with,

BrahMos supersonic missiles
Anti-submarine rockets
A multi-role helicopter

It is used for many types of operations—ranging from full-scale combat missions to low-intensity maritime patrols and disaster management.

E5 for Trials, E10 for Launch For India’s Bullet Train

India will become the first country outside Japan to run the new E10 Shinkansen bullet train, starting with the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) project in the early 2030s. Until then, older E5 trains will be used for trials, helping Japan collect important data under Indian conditions like dust and heat. This marks a big step in India’s journey to modern, high-speed transport.

E5 for Testing, E10 for Final Launch

To prepare for the launch, Japan will send two E5 train sets to India in early 2026. These trains, also known as Hayabusa, run at speeds up to 320 kmph and will be used for trial runs. They will come fitted with special inspection systems to test how bullet trains perform in India’s weather, including high temperatures and dust.

These tests will help engineers improve the new E10 Shinkansen—a train that can go up to 400 kmph and is built for better safety, energy savings, and comfort. The E10, also called Alfa-X, is being developed by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) and is expected to begin commercial service in Japan by 2030.

India First to Get the E10 Outside Japan

According to sources in the Ministry of Railways, India will be the first country outside of Japan to use the E10 series for commercial bullet train service. The Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor will be the launch route. Originally, India had planned to use the E5 trains for commercial runs, but the plan changed after discussions with Japan to bring in the latest model instead.

Japan’s move shows its strong commitment to helping India modernize its infrastructure using the best technology available.

Bullet Train Project Progress

The ₹1.1-lakh-crore Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail project is India’s first bullet train line. Civil work is progressing well,

A 21-km tunnel section between Ghansoli and Shilphata in Maharashtra is now complete.
310 km of viaduct has been built.
15 river bridges are ready.
5 out of 12 stations are finished.
Work on 4 more river bridges and 3 more stations is almost complete.

The full corridor is 508 km long, covering 352 km in Gujarat and 156 km in Maharashtra. Future bullet train routes are also being planned by the government.

Indian Army Showcases ‘Prachand Shakti’ in Meerut

Ram Division of the Indian Army held a powerful military demonstration called ‘Prachand Shakti’ at the Kharga Corps Field Training Area in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh. The event showcased how modern technology like drones, AI systems, and loitering weapons can improve the strength and speed of the Army’s frontline units.

Modern Warfare on Display

The ‘Prachand Shakti’ demonstration was part of the Army’s effort to adopt disruptive technologies for real battlefield use. It focused on how infantry troops in Strike Corps operations can benefit from tools like,

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)
AI-enabled combat systems
Autonomous platforms
Loitering munitions

These tools are designed to make soldiers more agile, accurate, and safer during deep attacks behind enemy lines.

A Step Towards Technological Self-Reliance

This event is a key part of the Army’s ongoing campaign called the ‘Year of Tech Absorption’. Under this plan, the Army is working to include home-grown and advanced technologies from Indian innovators and companies into its military operations.

An official from the Ministry of Defence said the aim is to reduce dependence on foreign equipment and improve the Army’s future readiness using Indian talent and innovation.

Strengthening Strike Corps Capabilities

The Ram Division, known for its elite role in Strike Corps operations, used this event to test how new technologies can change the way offensive missions are carried out. The idea is to make infantry formations stronger and faster, and able to survive better in high-risk environments.

The demonstration proved that the Indian Army is serious about becoming more tech-driven in the face of new global threats.

Markram, Matthews Named Best Players for June 2025 by ICC

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has named Aiden Markram from South Africa and Hayley Matthews from the West Indies as the Men’s and Women’s Players of the Month for June 2025. Their strong performances helped their teams win important matches, making a big impact in international cricket.

Markram’s Match-Winning Knock at Lord’s

Aiden Markram, aged 30, was awarded the ICC Men’s Player of the Month after his brilliant performance in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) Final against Australia at Lord’s, London. He scored 136 runs off 207 balls, sharing a 147-run partnership with captain Temba Bavuma, helping South Africa chase down 282 runs to win the match by five wickets.

This win marked South Africa’s first ICC title since 1998, when they won the Champions Trophy. Markram also took a wicket in each of Australia’s two innings. He beat teammate Kagiso Rabada and Sri Lanka’s Pathum Nissanka to win the award.

Matthews Makes History with Fourth Award

Hayley Matthews, captain of the West Indies women’s team, won the ICC Women’s Player of the Month award. She scored 104 runs and took 4 wickets in the three-match ODI series against South Africa, including a half-century in the third game.

Her great form continued in the T20I series, where she scored 147 runs, including two fifties, and took 2 wickets, helping the West Indies win the series 2–1. She was named Player of the Series.

This is the fourth time Matthews has won this monthly award, making her the second player in history to achieve this after Australia’s Ashleigh Gardner.

OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, xAI Get $200M Contracts from US Defense

United States Department of Defense (DoD) awarded $200 million contracts each to OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, and Elon Musk’s xAI. The goal is to use artificial intelligence (AI) to improve national defence and stay ahead in global security challenges. These partnerships aim to create advanced AI tools for military and strategic uses.

AI to Support US Military Goals

The new contracts are part of the DoD’s plan to use AI to make national defence systems smarter and faster. The focus is on building agentic AI systems, which are autonomous software agents that can carry out complex tasks on their own. These tools will help in both combat missions and daily operations within the defence sector.

The Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office (CDAO) confirmed that these projects will help the Pentagon access new AI technology and allow tech firms to understand the unique challenges of national security.

Big Names in AI Step In

OpenAI, known for ChatGPT, will build AI tools for mission-critical tasks.

Google, with its DeepMind division, brings expertise in reinforcement learning and language models.

Anthropic, a company that focuses on safe and reliable AI, joins with its own advanced models.

xAI, a growing AI firm led by Elon Musk, is also part of the team.

These companies were chosen because of their leadership in developing frontier AI technologies that can be trusted for serious government work.

US Government Push for Safe and Smart AI

The White House, through its Office of Management and Budget, has recently told all government departments to support a strong and competitive AI ecosystem in the US. In an April 2025 note, it said that the government should use AI for both public benefit and national security.

This new project reflects that direction by bringing together top private AI firms to work closely with the military, ensuring that AI tools are safe, useful, and ready for real-world defence needs.

NCDEX and IMD Join Hands for India’s First Weather Derivatives

National Commodity & Derivatives Exchange (NCDEX) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to launch India’s first weather derivatives. This new market tool aims to help farmers and related industries deal with the growing risks caused by unpredictable weather, such as rainfall shortage, heatwaves, and unseasonal storms.

What Are Weather Derivatives?

Weather derivatives are special financial tools that help protect farmers, transporters, and other weather-sensitive sectors from climate-related losses. Under this agreement, NCDEX will develop rainfall-based futures contracts using high-quality weather data from IMD. These contracts will be location-specific and season-based, matching real farming conditions.

This marks the first time such a product will be introduced in India, helping build climate resilience in rural areas.

Voices from the Leadership

Arun Raste, Managing Director & CEO of NCDEX, said this step opens a “new era in commodity markets.” He explained that with changing climate patterns hurting crops and incomes, market-based solutions like weather derivatives can help people prepare better. He added that this innovation could also benefit industries like tourism and transport.

Dr. M. Mohapatra, Director General of Meteorology, IMD, said the IMD has always supported agriculture and disaster warning systems. He added, “With this MoU, IMD’s data can now also support financial stability by helping farmers and other sectors deal with climate impacts.”

Training, Research, and Expansion Plans

The partnership will not only create new weather-indexed products, but also support,

Training and workshops for farmers, FPOs (Farmer Producer Organisations), and traders
Joint research to improve understanding of weather risks
Better market tools to help in price and risk management
The weather derivatives will be backed by both historical and real-time weather data, making them highly reliable.

About the Partners

NCDEX is India’s largest agricultural commodity exchange. It offers a platform for price discovery and risk management for farmers and traders. Since its launch in 2003, NCDEX has played a major role in building a modern, tech-based agri-market system.

IMD, founded in 1875, is the national weather agency. It provides forecasts and warnings related to weather and natural disasters. It supports key areas like agriculture, aviation, irrigation, and oil exploration, and helps protect life and property from extreme weather events.