India is one of the largest democratic countries in the world, consisting of 28 States and 8 Union Territories. Every state has its own capital city, official language(s), culture, administration, and historical significance. Questions related to Indian States and Capitals are frequently asked in SSC, Banking, Railway, UPSC, JKSSB, Police, Teaching, and other competitive examinations.
What are States and Union Territories?
India is divided into two administrative units:
States
States have their own elected governments headed by a Chief Minister. They enjoy greater constitutional powers for governance.
Union Territories
Union Territories are administered directly by the Central Government. Some Union Territories have elected legislatures while others are administered through a Lieutenant Governor or Administrator.
Complete List of Indian States, Capitals & Official Languages
| State | Capital | Official Language(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Andhra Pradesh | Amaravati | Telugu |
| Arunachal Pradesh | Itanagar | English |
| Assam | Dispur | Assamese |
| Bihar | Patna | Hindi, Urdu |
| Chhattisgarh | Raipur | Hindi |
| Goa | Panaji | Konkani, English |
| Gujarat | Gandhinagar | Gujarati |
| Haryana | Chandigarh | Hindi, English, Punjabi |
| Himachal Pradesh | Shimla | Hindi |
| Jharkhand | Ranchi | Hindi |
| Karnataka | Bengaluru | Kannada |
| Kerala | Thiruvananthapuram | Malayalam |
| Madhya Pradesh | Bhopal | Hindi |
| Maharashtra | Mumbai | Marathi |
| Manipur | Imphal | Meitei (Manipuri), English |
| Meghalaya | Shillong | English, Khasi, Garo |
| Mizoram | Aizawl | Mizo, English |
| Nagaland | Kohima | English |
| Odisha | Bhubaneswar | Odia |
| Punjab | Chandigarh | Punjabi |
| Rajasthan | Jaipur | Hindi |
| Sikkim | Gangtok | English, Nepali, Sikkimese, Lepcha |
| Tamil Nadu | Chennai | Tamil |
| Telangana | Hyderabad | Telugu, Urdu |
| Tripura | Agartala | Bengali, Kokborok |
| Uttar Pradesh | Lucknow | Hindi |
| Uttarakhand | Dehradun (Winter), Gairsain (Summer) | Hindi |
| West Bengal | Kolkata | Bengali |
Union Territories, Capitals & Official Languages
| Union Territory | Capital | Official Language(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Andaman & Nicobar Islands | Port Blair | Hindi, English |
| Chandigarh | Chandigarh | English, Hindi, Punjabi |
| Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu | Daman | Gujarati, Hindi, English |
| Delhi (NCT) | New Delhi | Hindi, English, Urdu, Punjabi |
| Jammu & Kashmir | Srinagar (Summer), Jammu (Winter) | Kashmiri, Dogri, Hindi, Urdu, English |
| Ladakh | Leh | Bhoti, Purgi, Urdu, Hindi, English |
| Lakshadweep | Kavaratti | Malayalam, English |
| Puducherry | Puducherry | Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, English |
States Having More Than One Official Language
| State | Official Languages |
|---|---|
| Assam | Assamese, Bengali, Bodo |
| Meghalaya | English, Khasi, Garo |
| Telangana | Telugu, Urdu |
| Tripura | Bengali, Kokborok |
| Goa | Konkani, English |
| Bihar | Hindi, Urdu |
| Haryana | Hindi, English, Punjabi |
States Whose Capital is Also a Union Territory
Two Indian states share Chandigarh as their capital.
| State | Capital |
|---|---|
| Punjab | Chandigarh |
| Haryana | Chandigarh |
States/UTs Having More Than One Capital
| State / UT | Capitals | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Himachal Pradesh | Shimla (Summer), Dharamshala (Winter) | Dharamshala declared Winter Capital in 2017 |
| Uttarakhand | Dehradun (Winter), Gairsain (Summer) | Gairsain declared Summer Capital in 2020 |
| Maharashtra | Mumbai (Capital), Nagpur (Second Capital) | Nagpur hosts the Winter Session of the State Legislature |
| Jammu & Kashmir (UT) | Srinagar (Summer), Jammu (Winter) | Darbar Move system |
Important Facts for Competitive Exams
- India has 28 States.
- India has 8 Union Territories.
- Chandigarh serves as the capital of Punjab and Haryana.
- Uttarakhand has Dehradun as its winter capital and Gairsain as its summer capital.
- Himachal Pradesh has Shimla as its summer capital and Dharamshala as its winter capital.
- Maharashtra’s second capital is Nagpur.
- Jammu & Kashmir has Srinagar (Summer) and Jammu (Winter).
Conclusion
Knowledge of Indian States, Capitals, and Official Languages forms the foundation of Static General Knowledge and is one of the most frequently tested topics in competitive examinations.
Indian States and Capitals – 50 High-Level MCQs
Q1.
Consider the following statements:
- Chandigarh is a Union Territory.
- Chandigarh serves as the capital of Punjab.
- Chandigarh serves as the capital of Haryana.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
A) 1 only
B) 1 and 2 only
C) 2 and 3 only
D) 1, 2 and 3
✅ Answer: D
Q2.
Consider the following pairs:
| State | Capital |
|---|---|
| 1. Gujarat | Gandhinagar |
| 2. Assam | Guwahati |
| 3. Odisha | Bhubaneswar |
How many pairs are correctly matched?
A) One
B) Two
C) Three
D) None
✅ Answer: B
Q3.
Which one of the following States has Hindi, English and Punjabi as official languages?
A) Punjab
B) Haryana
C) Delhi
D) Himachal Pradesh
✅ Answer: B
Q4.
Arrange the following capitals from North to South.
- Shimla
- Jaipur
- Hyderabad
- Chennai
A) 1-2-3-4
B) 2-1-3-4
C) 1-3-2-4
D) 2-3-1-4
✅ Answer: A
Q5.
Which one of the following is NOT correctly matched?
A) Bihar – Patna
B) Jharkhand – Ranchi
C) Chhattisgarh – Bilaspur
D) Rajasthan – Jaipur
✅ Answer: C
Q6.
Which State has Telugu and Urdu as official languages?
A) Andhra Pradesh
B) Telangana
C) Karnataka
D) Tamil Nadu
✅ Answer: B
Q7.
Consider the following States:
- Assam
- Meghalaya
- Goa
- Tripura
How many of the above have more than one official language?
A) One
B) Two
C) Three
D) Four
✅ Answer: D
Q8.
Which of the following statements is correct?
A) Nagpur is the Capital of Maharashtra.
B) Nagpur is the Second Capital of Maharashtra.
C) Pune is the Second Capital.
D) Nashik hosts the Winter Session.
✅ Answer: B
Q9.
Which one of the following States has Gairsain as its Summer Capital?
A) Himachal Pradesh
B) Uttarakhand
C) Jammu & Kashmir
D) Sikkim
✅ Answer: B
Q10.
Which one of the following pairs is incorrectly matched?
A) Kerala – Thiruvananthapuram
B) Karnataka – Bengaluru
C) Tamil Nadu – Coimbatore
D) Maharashtra – Mumbai
✅ Answer: C
Q11.
Consider the following statements.
- Jammu is the Winter Capital of Jammu & Kashmir.
- Srinagar is the Summer Capital.
- Jammu & Kashmir is listed with two capitals.
Choose the correct answer.
A) 1 only
B) 2 only
C) 1 and 2 only
D) 1,2 and 3
✅ Answer: D
Q12.
Which of the following States share the same capital?
A) Punjab and Haryana
B) Punjab and Himachal Pradesh
C) Haryana and Rajasthan
D) Punjab and Delhi
✅ Answer: A
Q13.
Match List-I with List-II.
| List-I | List-II |
|---|---|
| A. Assam | 1. Dispur |
| B. Gujarat | 2. Gandhinagar |
| C. Bihar | 3. Patna |
Codes:
A)
A-1 B-2 C-3
B)
A-2 B-3 C-1
C)
A-3 B-2 C-1
D)
A-1 B-3 C-2
✅ Answer: A
Q14.
Which one of the following Union Territories has five official languages?
A) Chandigarh
B) Delhi
C) Ladakh
D) Jammu & Kashmir
✅ Answer: D
Q15.
Which one of the following States has English, Khasi and Garo as official languages?
A) Nagaland
B) Meghalaya
C) Mizoram
D) Sikkim
✅ Answer: B
Q16.
Arrange the following capitals from East to West.
- Kolkata
- Patna
- Jaipur
- Gandhinagar
A) 1-2-3-4
B) 2-1-3-4
C) 1-3-2-4
D) 4-3-2-1
✅ Answer: A
Q17.
Which State has Konkani and English as official languages?
A) Maharashtra
B) Goa
C) Karnataka
D) Kerala
✅ Answer: B
Q18.
Which of the following States has Meitei (Manipuri) as an official language?
A) Mizoram
B) Manipur
C) Tripura
D) Nagaland
✅ Answer: B
Q19.
Which one of the following is correctly matched?
A) Mizoram – Shillong
B) Sikkim – Gangtok
C) Nagaland – Imphal
D) Meghalaya – Aizawl
✅ Answer: B
Q20.
Consider the following.
- Port Blair
- Leh
- Kavaratti
These are capitals of:
A) States
B) Union Territories
C) Autonomous Councils
D) Districts
✅ Answer: B
Q21.
How many States in your book are shown with more than one capital?
A) One
B) Two
C) Three
D) Four
✅ Answer: C
Q22.
Which State has Bengali and Kokborok as official languages?
A) Assam
B) Meghalaya
C) Tripura
D) Mizoram
✅ Answer: C
Q23.
Which one of the following is NOT a Union Territory?
A) Chandigarh
B) Puducherry
C) Ladakh
D) Sikkim
✅ Answer: D
Q24.
Which one of the following States has Urdu as one of its official languages?
- Bihar
- Telangana
- Haryana
Choose the correct answer.
A) 1 only
B) 1 and 2 only
C) 2 and 3 only
D) 1,2 and 3
✅ Answer: D
Q25.
Consider the following statements.
- Punjab and Haryana have a common capital.
- Maharashtra has Nagpur as its Second Capital.
- Uttarakhand has Gairsain as its Summer Capital.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
A) 1 only
B) 1 and 2 only
C) 2 and 3 only
D) 1, 2 and 3
✅ Answer: D
Q26.
Consider the following statements:
- Chandigarh is the capital of Punjab.
- Chandigarh is the capital of Haryana.
- Chandigarh is a State.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
A) 1 only
B) 1 and 2 only
C) 2 and 3 only
D) 1, 2 and 3
✅ Answer: B
Q27.
Which one of the following pairs is incorrectly matched?
A) Andhra Pradesh — Amaravati
B) Telangana — Hyderabad
C) Kerala — Kochi
D) Odisha — Bhubaneswar
✅ Answer: C
Q28.
Arrange the following capitals from West to East.
- Gandhinagar
- Jaipur
- Lucknow
- Patna
A) 1-2-3-4
B) 2-1-3-4
C) 1-3-2-4
D) 4-3-2-1
✅ Answer: A
Q29.
Which of the following States have Hindi as one of their official languages?
- Bihar
- Haryana
- Uttarakhand
Choose the correct answer.
A) 1 only
B) 2 only
C) 1 and 2 only
D) 1, 2 and 3
✅ Answer: D
Q30.
Which State has English as its only official language according to your book?
A) Meghalaya
B) Nagaland
C) Arunachal Pradesh
D) Both B and C
✅ Answer: D
Q31.
Consider the following pairs.
| State | Official Language |
|---|---|
| 1. Karnataka | Kannada |
| 2. Kerala | Malayalam |
| 3. Tamil Nadu | Tamil |
How many pairs are correctly matched?
A) One
B) Two
C) Three
D) None
✅ Answer: C
Q32.
Which one of the following States has Shillong as its capital?
A) Nagaland
B) Meghalaya
C) Mizoram
D) Tripura
✅ Answer: B
Q33.
Which of the following statements regarding Sikkim is correct?
A) Its capital is Shillong.
B) Its official language is only Nepali.
C) Gangtok is its capital.
D) It shares Chandigarh as its capital.
✅ Answer: C
Q34.
Which one of the following combinations is correctly matched?
A) Goa – Panaji – Konkani
B) Gujarat – Ahmedabad – Gujarati
C) Punjab – Amritsar – Punjabi
D) Bihar – Gaya – Hindi
✅ Answer: A
Q35.
Consider the following States.
- Goa
- Meghalaya
- Haryana
Which of the above include English among their official languages?
A) 1 only
B) 2 only
C) 1 and 2 only
D) 1, 2 and 3
✅ Answer: D
Q36.
Which one of the following is NOT correctly matched?
A) Mizoram – Aizawl
B) Tripura – Agartala
C) Nagaland – Shillong
D) Assam – Dispur
✅ Answer: C
Q37.
Which one of the following Union Territories has Leh as its capital?
A) Chandigarh
B) Ladakh
C) Lakshadweep
D) Delhi
✅ Answer: B
Q38.
Consider the following.
- Puducherry
- Delhi
- Chandigarh
How many of the above Union Territories have more than two official languages?
A) One
B) Two
C) Three
D) None
✅ Answer: C
Q39.
Which one of the following States has Bengali as one of its official languages?
A) Assam
B) Tripura
C) Both A and B
D) Mizoram
✅ Answer: C
Q40.
Which State has Dispur as its capital?
A) Arunachal Pradesh
B) Assam
C) Meghalaya
D) Nagaland
✅ Answer: B
Q41.
Which one of the following statements is correct?
A) Shimla is the Winter Capital of Himachal Pradesh.
B) Dharamshala is the Summer Capital.
C) Shimla is the Summer Capital.
D) Himachal Pradesh has only one capital.
✅ Answer: C
Q42.
Match List-I with List-II.
| List-I | List-II |
|---|---|
| A. Kerala | 1. Thiruvananthapuram |
| B. Karnataka | 2. Bengaluru |
| C. Tamil Nadu | 3. Chennai |
Codes:
A)
A-1 B-2 C-3
B)
A-2 B-3 C-1
C)
A-3 B-1 C-2
D)
A-1 B-3 C-2
✅ Answer: A
Q43.
Which State has Urdu as one of its official languages?
- Bihar
- Telangana
- Jammu & Kashmir (UT)
Choose the correct answer.
A) 1 only
B) 1 and 2 only
C) 2 and 3 only
D) 1, 2 and 3
✅ Answer: D
Q44.
Which one of the following pairs is correctly matched?
A) Lakshadweep – Port Blair
B) Andaman & Nicobar Islands – Port Blair
C) Chandigarh – Leh
D) Ladakh – Srinagar
✅ Answer: B
Q45.
Arrange the following capitals from North to South.
- Chandigarh
- Jaipur
- Hyderabad
- Thiruvananthapuram
A) 1-2-3-4
B) 2-1-3-4
C) 1-3-2-4
D) 2-3-1-4
✅ Answer: A
Q46.
Which one of the following States has Imphal as its capital?
A) Mizoram
B) Meghalaya
C) Manipur
D) Nagaland
✅ Answer: C
Q47.
Which State has Kohima as its capital?
A) Mizoram
B) Nagaland
C) Sikkim
D) Tripura
✅ Answer: B
Q48.
Consider the following statements.
- Maharashtra has Mumbai as its Capital.
- Nagpur hosts the Winter Session of the State Legislature.
- Nagpur is referred to as the Second Capital.
Which statements are correct?
A) 1 only
B) 1 and 2 only
C) 2 and 3 only
D) 1, 2 and 3
✅ Answer: D
Q49.
Which one of the following is NOT a State capital?
A) Amaravati
B) Panaji
C) Leh
D) Bhubaneswar
✅ Answer: C
Q50.
Consider the following statements.
- Uttarakhand has Gairsain as its Summer Capital.
- Himachal Pradesh has Dharamshala as its Winter Capital.
- Punjab and Haryana share Chandigarh as their capital.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
A) 1 and 2 only
B) 2 and 3 only
C) 1 and 3 only
D) 1, 2 and 3
✅ Answer: D
