India is a vast and beautiful country that is always evolving. For students and those preparing for exams like UPSC or SSC, keeping track of India’s political map is very important. You might be wondering: How many states in India are there in 2026? Has anything changed recently?
As of 2026, the structure of India remains the same as it was after the major changes in 2019 and 2020. In this guide, we will give you the latest list of states, Union Territories (UTs), their capitals, and some interesting facts to help you stay ahead in your GK.
The Current Count: States and Union Territories
India is a federal union. To understand how it is governed, you must know the difference between a State and a Union Territory:
- States: These have their own elected governments and a Chief Minister. They have the power to make their own laws on local issues like police and health.
- Union Territories: These are governed directly by the Central Government. However, some UTs like Delhi and Puducherry also have their own legislatures.
The Final Tally in 2026:
- Number of States: 28
- Number of Union Territories: 8
Why the confusion? Many people still think there are 29 states. This is because Telangana was the 29th state in 2014. But in 2019, Jammu & Kashmir was changed from a state to two Union Territories (J&K and Ladakh), which brought the count back to 28.
Complete List of 28 States and Capitals
Here is the updated alphabetical list of all 28 states in India and their capital cities:
| S.No | State Name | Capital |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andhra Pradesh | Amaravati |
| 2 | Arunachal Pradesh | Itanagar |
| 3 | Assam | Dispur |
| 4 | Bihar | Patna |
| 5 | Chhattisgarh | Raipur |
| 6 | Goa | Panaji |
| 7 | Gujarat | Gandhinagar |
| 8 | Haryana | Chandigarh |
| 9 | Himachal Pradesh | Shimla |
| 10 | Jharkhand | Ranchi |
| 11 | Karnataka | Bengaluru |
| 12 | Kerala | Thiruvananthapuram |
| 13 | Madhya Pradesh | Bhopal |
| 14 | Maharashtra | Mumbai |
| 15 | Manipur | Imphal |
| 16 | Meghalaya | Shillong |
| 17 | Mizoram | Aizawl |
| 18 | Nagaland | Kohima |
| 19 | Odisha | Bhubaneswar |
| 20 | Punjab | Chandigarh |
| 21 | Rajasthan | Jaipur |
| 22 | Sikkim | Gangtok |
| 23 | Tamil Nadu | Chennai |
| 24 | Telangana | Hyderabad |
| 25 | Tripura | Agartala |
| 26 | Uttar Pradesh | Lucknow |
| 27 | Uttarakhand | Dehradun (Winter), Gairsain (Summer) |
| 28 | West Bengal | Kolkata |
The 8 Union Territories of India
Union Territories are unique parts of India. In 2020, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu were merged into one UT to make administration easier. Here is the current list:
| S.No | Union Territory | Capital |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andaman and Nicobar Islands | Port Blair |
| 2 | Chandigarh | Chandigarh |
| 3 | Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu | Daman |
| 4 | Delhi (NCT) | New Delhi |
| 5 | Jammu and Kashmir | Srinagar (Summer), Jammu (Winter) |
| 6 | Ladakh | Leh |
| 7 | Lakshadweep | Kavaratti |
| 8 | Puducherry | Puducherry |
Quick Facts for Competitive Exams
- Largest State by Area: Rajasthan
- Smallest State by Area: Goa
- Most Populated State: Uttar Pradesh
- Newest State: Telangana (formed in 2014)
- Shared Capital: Chandigarh is the capital for both Punjab and Haryana.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- How many states in India are there currently in 2026? There are exactly 28 states in India.
- Is Jammu & Kashmir still a state? No, since October 2019, Jammu & Kashmir has been a Union Territory.
- Why are there only 8 Union Territories now? In January 2020, the government merged Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu into a single Union Territory to improve efficiency.
Conclusion
Knowing the political map of your country is the first step toward being an informed citizen. As of 2026, the answer to “how many states in India” remains 28. Keep this guide bookmarked for your studies and stay updated with PrimeScroll!
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