India has 28 states and 8 union territories, making 36 states and union territories combined. If a question asks only how many states are in India, the answer is 28. The eight union territories belong in a separate category, even though they are often included in the same government directory or address menu.
Checked on November 9, 2026: the Embassy of India’s political overview gives the 28-state and eight-union-territory totals. The Ministry of Home Affairs’ current Union Territories section also identifies eight UTs. Below are the names, the difference between the categories, and the changes that explain older answers.
What are the 28 states of India?
Here is the state list in alphabetical order. Numbering makes it easier to check the total without confusing similar names or accidentally adding a union territory. These are administrative names, not a ranking by size, population or importance.
- Andhra Pradesh
- Arunachal Pradesh
- Assam
- Bihar
- Chhattisgarh
- Goa
- Gujarat
- Haryana
- Himachal Pradesh
- Jharkhand
- Karnataka
- Kerala
- Madhya Pradesh
- Maharashtra
- Manipur
- Meghalaya
- Mizoram
- Nagaland
- Odisha
- Punjab
- Rajasthan
- Sikkim
- Tamil Nadu
- Telangana
- Tripura
- Uttar Pradesh
- Uttarakhand
- West Bengal
Andhra Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh are two different states. Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand are also separate entries. Telangana belongs on the state list, while Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh belong on the union-territory list below. These are useful distinctions to check when copying names into study notes.
What are the eight union territories?
The Ministry of Home Affairs lists these eight union territories. Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu is one combined entry, despite its long name. Delhi is formally the National Capital Territory of Delhi, often shortened to NCT of Delhi.
- Andaman and Nicobar Islands
- Chandigarh
- Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu
- Delhi (National Capital Territory of Delhi)
- Jammu and Kashmir
- Ladakh
- Lakshadweep
- Puducherry
How is a state different from a union territory?
A state has its own state government, with a chief minister and a cabinet responsible to an elected legislature. A union territory has a different constitutional arrangement involving administration by the President through an appointed administrator or lieutenant governor. The precise allocation of powers depends on the territory’s applicable constitutional and legal provisions.
It is too simplistic to say that every union territory has no elected government. The Home Affairs ministry identifies Delhi, Puducherry, and Jammu and Kashmir as the three UTs with legislative assemblies; the other five do not have legislatures. Having an assembly does not, by itself, turn a union territory into a state.
For a basic geography answer, you do not need to memorize every difference in governmental powers. Keep the categories separate and use the official classification for each place. The term “state” here describes a unit within India; it is not being used in the international sense of a sovereign country.
Why do older sources say 29 states or nine union territories?
Three changes explain many conflicting totals. The date of a list matters more than how confidently it presents its answer. A historical textbook can correctly describe an earlier arrangement while giving the wrong answer to a question about today.
June 2, 2014: Telangana was formed from Andhra Pradesh. The Telangana government’s state profile describes its formation as India’s 29th state. That historical description remains accurate, but “29th state” is not a statement of the current national total.
October 31, 2019: the former state of Jammu and Kashmir was reorganized into the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. The government’s account of the reorganization confirms the effective date. This changed the totals from 29 states and seven UTs to 28 states and nine UTs.
January 26, 2020: Dadra and Nagar Haveli merged with Daman and Diu to become one union territory. The territory’s administration records that merger. The number of union territories therefore fell from nine to eight, while the state count stayed at 28.
When an old list still separates those two merged UTs, do not simply count its bullet points and call the result current. Likewise, a recent-looking website footer does not establish that every paragraph or linked directory has been updated. Check the named entries against a current government list.
Does Delhi count as a state?
For this count, Delhi is a union territory, specifically the National Capital Territory of Delhi. Its elected assembly can cause confusion because readers associate assemblies with states. The legal category is what determines where it belongs in the count, so it is included among the eight UTs rather than the 28 states.
How can you learn the names without mixing the lists?
Start with two separate pages or two colors of index cards: one for states and one for union territories. Write each full name before adding abbreviations. Practice sorting the cards into their categories, then count each group. This checks understanding as well as memory.
For travel planning, keep the city or town in a separate field from its state or UT. A destination list is easier to use when those levels are not mixed. For schoolwork, check whether the question asks for states alone, union territories alone, or the combined total before writing your answer.
What should you check when a list includes capitals?
A capital list answers an additional question. Do not assume the largest or best-known city is automatically the capital, or that every entry can be summarized adequately by one city name. Check current state or UT government information, particularly where administrative arrangements or seasonal seats need explanation.
For the question in this article, the reliable short answer remains 28 states and 8 union territories. Keep the two labels attached to their numbers, and use a dated official reference whenever accuracy matters for an assignment, publication or dataset.
A practical way to keep studying
If you prefer paper study aids, browse blank colored index cards on Amazon for making separate state and UT sets. Write the checking date on your reference card and update it from government sources rather than relying on an undated preprinted total.
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