Anisha has done MBA in Marketing from NMIMS And Executive Management(PMNO) from Harvard Business School. She has been instrumental in growing CATKing Digital with her experience with Marico and Henkel in the past.
States of India: GK about the States of India
In any competitive exam, you may find simple questions related to the States of India, their capital, ministers, monuments etc. It would be a good idea to go through some of these important facts so that you don’t miss out on the opportunity of scoring these easy few marks.
Also, in general, these are some simple and interesting facts that everyone should know. So read our article for a concise overview of the important facts about the States in India.
The First Ranked States of India:
Let's first have a look at the States of India that rank in important parameters that could be useful from an exam point of view:
| # | Statement | State |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Largest State (area-wise) | Rajasthan |
| 2 | Smallest state (area-wise) | Goa |
| 3 | State with the highest population | Uttar Pradesh |
| 4 | State with the least population | Sikkim |
| 5 | Most literate state | Kerala |
| 6 | Least Literate state | Bihar |
| 7 | The state has its boundaries with seven states and two countries | Assam |
| 8 | The state surrounded on three sides by Bangladesh | Tripura |
| 9 | State surrounded by one state and three countries | Sikkim |
| 10 | State with the longest coastline | Gujarat |
Details about the States of India and Union Territories of India:
There have been a few changes in the number of states and union territories from what we had before. India now has a total of 28 States and 8 Union Territories (ever since Jammu and Kashmir and Ladak have been named ad Union territories). Now, let's look at each of these States in detail with respect to what is their capital, the language spoken, the current Chief Minister, and what is the state known for.
1) Andhra Pradesh:
- Capital: Amaravati (proposed), Hyderabad (temporary)
- Language: Telugu, Urdu
- Chief Minister: Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy
Known for:
- Tirupathi: The Spiritual capital of Andhra Pradesh
- Art form: Kuchipudi
- Massive rivers: Godavari, Krishna, etc.
- Rice production
- A huge population of Indian snakes
Kuchipudi is a classical dance and drama art form of Andhra Pradesh
2) Arunachal Pradesh:
- Capital: Itanagar
- Language: English
- Chief Minister: Pema Khandu
Known for:
- Tibetan culture
- The world's second-largest Buddhist monastery: Tawang Gompa
The 18th-century Buddhist Monastery, Tawang Gompa
3) Assam:
- Capital: Dispur
- Language: Assamese
- Chief Minister: Himanta Biswa Sarma
Known for:
- Tea
- India’s first Oil fields and Asia’s first Oil refinery: Digboi
- One-horned Rhinos: Kaziranga National Park
- Kamakhya Temple
- Highest tiger density
- Majuli: The world’s largest river island
- Umananda: The world’s smallest river island
- The Oldest amphitheater in Asia: Rang Ghar
4) Bihar:
- Capital: Patna
- Language: Hindi, Urdu
- Chief Minister: Nitish Kumar
Known for:
- Bodhgaya: The place where Lord Buddha attained enlightenment
- The inception of the Maurya and Gupta dynasties
- Buddhist Pilgrimages
- Historic sites
5) Chhattisgarh
- Capital: Raipur
- Language: Hindi, Chhattisgarhi
- Chief Minister: Vishnu Deo Sai
Known for:
- Bhilai Steel Plant and other heavy-duty industries
- India’s Niagara falls: The Chitrakoot falls
One of the largest waterfalls in India, the Chitrakoot falls
6) Goa
- Capital: Panaji
- Language: Konkani, Marathi, English
- Chief Minister: Pramod Sawant
Known for:
- Beaches
- Forts
7) Gujarat
- Capital: Gandhinagar
- Language: Gujarati
- Chief Minister: Bhupendrabhai Patel
Known for:
- Birthplace of iconic leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Vallabhai Patel, and Jinnah
- World’s only reserve for Asiatic Lions in the Gir forest
- Business-friendly, industrial infrastructure
8) Haryana
- Capital: Chandigarh
- Language: Hindi, Punjabi
- Chief Minister: Nayab Singh Saini
Known for:
- The origin place of Mahabharata; Indraprastha and Kurukshetra are located here
- Automobile factories and refineries
- Dairy production
9) Himachal Pradesh
- Capital: Shimla
- Language: Hindi, English
- Chief Minister: Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu
Known for:
- Snow leopards: One of the dying breeds of Central Asian Leopard
The rare Snow leopards of Himachal Pradesh
10) Jharkhand
- Capital: Ranchi
- Language: Santali, Oriya, Bengali
- Chief Minister: Champai Soren
Known for:
- Steel state of India
- Cities like Bokaro, Jamshedpur, and Ranchi where the main steel factories are located
- Rich with National parks and Wildlife sanctuaries, especially Betla National Park and Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary
Also read: List of National parks in India
11) Karnataka
- Capital: Bengaluru
- Language: Kannada
- Chief Minister: Siddaramaiah
Known for:
- Beautiful architecture
- Nature safaris and forests
- Mysore culture
- Technology park in Bangalore (IT Hub)
12) Kerala
- Capital: Thiruvananthapuram
- Language: Malayalam
- Chief Minister: Pinarayi Vijayan
Known for:
- God’s own country
- Ayurveda
- Backwaters and boat races
- Rubber plantations and coconut cultivation
The beautiful backwaters of Kerala
13) Madhya Pradesh
- Capital: Bhopal
- Language: Hindi
- Chief Minister: Mohan Yadav
Known for:
- Khajuraho and ancient history (including Ujjain, Sanchi, and Mandu)
14) Maharashtra
- Capital: Mumbai
- Language: Marathi
- Chief Minister: Eknath Shinde
Known for:
- Financial center Mumbai
- Cotton and sugarcane cultivation
- Bollywood
- Ajanta and Ellora caves
- Konkan region and Western Ghats
The Ajanta and Ellora caves in Maharashtra
15) Manipur
- Capital: Imphal
- Language: Manipuri
- Chief Minister: N. Biren Singh
Known for:
- Home to Sangai deer
- Famous for the Manipuri dance form called Jagoi, and the culture
16) Meghalaya
- Capital: Shillong
- Language: English, Garo, Khasi
- Chief Minister: Conrad Sangma
Known for:
- Receiving the largest amounts of rainfall in the world in Cherrapunji and Mawsynram
- Endangered animal, Clouded Leopard
17) Mizoram
18) Nagaland
- Capital: Kohima
- Language: English
- Chief Minister: Neiphiu Rio
Known for:
- Naga tribals
- Hornbill festival
- Great tribal dance forms
Hornbill festival of Nagaland
19) Odisha
- Capital: Bhubaneswar
- Language: Odia
- Chief Minister: Naveen Patnaik
Known for:
- Dance forms like Odissi, Chhau, Danda, and Sambalpuri
- Temples like Jagannath temple, Konark Sun Temple, Maa Samaleswari Temple
- Mahanadi river
- The English word "Juggernaut" has been derived from the Jagannath chariot procession
20) Punjab
- Capital: Chandigarh
- Language: Punjabi
- Chief Minister: Bhagwant Mann
Known for:
- The largest producer of Wheat
- Gurudwaras, including the Golden Temple
- Culture, including the Bhangra dance
21) Rajasthan
- Capital: Jaipur
- Language: Rajasthani
- Chief Minister: Bhajan Lal Sharma
Known for:
- Palaces in Udaipur and Jaipur
- Tiger reserves like the Sariska Tiger Reserve (total of 28 reserves)
- World-famous red chilies also known as ‘Mathania Mirchi’
- Weaving and marble industry
- Camels and sand dunes
The world-famous Rajasthani Mathania Mirchi
22) Sikkim
- Capital: Gangtok
- Language: Nepali
- Chief Minister: Prem Singh Tamang
Known for:
- Red Pandas, which are also the state animal of Sikkim
- Kangchenjunga, India's tallest peak
- Nathu La Pass, one of the highest roads in the world, and the only open land border with China
- Rumtek Monastery, the second-largest seat of Tibetan Buddhism
23) Tamil Nadu
- Capital: Chennai
- Language: Tamil, English
- Chief Minister: M. K. Stalin
Known for:
- Four UNESCO World Heritage Sites:
- Great Living Chola Temples (group of three)
- Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram (remaining one)
- Carnatic music
- Art form Bharatanatyam
- Automobile factories
- Nilgiris tea
One of the UNESCO world heritage sites in Tamil Nadu, the Brihadeeswarar Temple at Thanjavur
24) Telangana
- Capital: Hyderabad
- Language: Telugu, Urdu
- Chief Minister: Revanth Reddy
Known for:
- India’s youngest state
- Charminar in Hyderabad
- A mix of ancient Islamic as well as ancient Indian heritage
25) Tripura
- Capital: Agartala
- Language: Bengali, Kokborok
- Chief Minister: Manik Saha
Known for:
- Ethnic mix of tribals and Bengalis
- Famous for Leaf monkeys
- Tripureshwari temple
26) Uttar Pradesh
- Capital: Lucknow
- Language: Hindi
- Chief Minister: Yogi Adityanath
Known for:
- Taj Mahal
- Kashi pilgrimage
- Heart of Indian politics
- Leather goods and refineries
27) Uttarakhand
- Capital: Dehradun
- Language: Hindi
- Chief Minister: Pushkar Singh Dhami
Known for:
- Jim Corbett National Park
- White water rapids, trekking & camping, and skiing in Auli
- Hindu religious pilgrimages like Badrinath, Kedarnath, etc.
28) West Bengal
- Capital: Kolkata
- Language: Bengali, English
- Chief Minister: Mamata Banerjee
Known for:
- Birthplace of literary legends like Vivekananda and Tagore
- Jute cloth
- Teas of Darjeeling
- The Royal Bengal tigers of the Sunderbans
The famous Royal Bengal tiger found in the Sunderban Forests
Details about the Union Territories:
1) Andaman and Nicobar Islands
- Capital: Port Blair
- Lt. Governor & Administrator: Admiral Devendra Kumar Joshi (Lieutenant Governor)
Known for:
- Known as India’s Hawaii
- Known for its history during the British Raj
- Extremely isolated tribals
2) Chandigarh
- Capital: Chandigarh
- Lt. Governor & Administrator: Shri Banwarilal Purohit (Administrator)
- one of the best experiments in urban planning and modern architecture in the twentieth century in India.
3) Dadar and Nagar Haveli & Daman and Diu
- Capital: Silvassa
- Lt. Governor & Administrator: Shri Praful Patel (Administrator)
4) Delhi
- Capital: Delhi
- Lt. Governor & Administrator: Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena (Lieutenant Governor)
- Chief Minister: Arvind Kejriwal
Known for:
- Capital of India: Delhi serves as the capital of India and is the center of political, economic, and cultural activities in the country.
- Historic architecture: The city is renowned for its rich history and architectural heritage, with landmarks such as the Red Fort, Qutub Minar, Humayun's Tomb, and Jama Masjid.
- Rashtrapati Bhavan: The Rashtrapati Bhavan, formerly known as the Viceroy's House, is the official residence of the President of India and is an iconic symbol of Delhi's political significance.
5) Lakshadweep
- Capital: Kavaratti
- Lt. Governor & Administrator: Shri. Praful Patel (Lt. Governors & Administrators)
6) Puducherry
- Capital: Pondicherry
- Lt. Governor & Administrator: C. P. Radhakrishnan (Lieutenant Governor)
7) Jammu and Kashmir
- Capital: Srinagar (Summer), Jammu (Winter)
- Lt. Governor & Administrator: Manoj Sinha (Lieutenant Governor)
Known for:
- Known as India's Switzerland
- Cashmere fine wool
- Valleys, rivers, and caves
- Bes is known for sapphire, saffron, apples, houseboats
- Pilgrimage sites namely Amarnath & Vaishnodevi
Houseboats of Dal Lake
8) Ladakh:
- Capital: Leh
- Lt. Governor & Administrator: B. D. Mishra (Lieutenant Governor)
Hope you found this article on the details of the State of India useful. Happy Preparation!
