The formation dates of states in India is a high-frequency topic in Indian Polity and Geography sections of UPSC Prelims, SSC CGL, Railways, State PSC, and Banking Awareness exams.
India currently has 28 states and 8 Union Territories, shaped through decades of linguistic, administrative, and political reorganisation beginning with the States Reorganisation Act of 1956. This page covers the formation year of every state and Union Territory, the basis of their creation, notable reorganisation acts, and exam-focused MCQs, flashcards, and memory tips for complete revision.
⚡ Quick Facts
- India had 14 states and 6 UTs when the States Reorganisation Act came into effect on November 1, 1956 — now celebrated as Rajyotsava Day in Karnataka.
- Telangana, carved out of Andhra Pradesh on June 2, 2014, is India’s youngest state as of 2026.
- Sikkim is unique — it was an independent kingdom that became India’s 22nd state on April 26, 1975 through a referendum and the 35th Constitutional Amendment.
- November 1 is a significant date for multiple states: Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu (all 1956) and Chhattisgarh (2000).
- Jammu & Kashmir lost its statehood on October 31, 2019 and was bifurcated into two UTs — J&K (with legislature) and Ladakh (without legislature).
India has 28 states — NOT 29. Many older textbooks still cite 29 states because Jammu & Kashmir had full statehood until October 31, 2019. The correct answer as of 2026 is 28 states and 8 Union Territories. Also, the 2020 merger of Dadra & Nagar Haveli with Daman & Diu reduced the UT count from 9 back to 8.
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🗺️ Formation Dates — All 28 States of India
| # ↕ | State ↕ | Year ↕ | Date of Formation | Formed From / Basis | Key Fact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andhra Pradesh | 1956 | November 1, 1956 | States Reorganisation Act; Telugu-speaking areas | First state formed on linguistic basis First |
| 2 | Arunachal Pradesh | 1987 | February 20, 1987 | Upgraded from UT (NEFA) | Formerly North-East Frontier Agency |
| 3 | Assam | 1950 | January 26, 1950 | Existing province at Independence | One of the original states of India |
| 4 | Bihar | 1912 | March 22, 1912 | Separated from Bengal Presidency (British era) | March 22 = Bihar Diwas British Era |
| 5 | Chhattisgarh | 2000 | November 1, 2000 | Carved out of Madhya Pradesh | 26th state; Raipur is capital CUJ 2000 |
| 6 | Goa | 1987 | May 30, 1987 | Upgraded from UT; liberated from Portugal in 1961 | India’s smallest state by area; 25th state Portuguese Colony |
| 7 | Gujarat | 1960 | May 1, 1960 | Bifurcation of Bombay State (Gujarati-speaking areas) | May 1 = Gujarat Sthapna Diwas |
| 8 | Haryana | 1966 | November 1, 1966 | Carved out of Punjab (Hindi-speaking areas) | Chandigarh is shared capital with Punjab |
| 9 | Himachal Pradesh | 1971 | January 25, 1971 | Upgraded from UT status (created 1948) | 18th state; full statehood 1971 |
| 10 | Jharkhand | 2000 | November 15, 2000 | Carved out of Bihar | 28th state; Ranchi; Birsa Munda’s birth anniversary CUJ 2000 |
| 11 | Karnataka | 1956 | November 1, 1956 | States Reorganisation Act; Kannada-speaking areas | Originally Mysore State; renamed Karnataka 1973 |
| 12 | Kerala | 1956 | November 1, 1956 | States Reorganisation Act; Malayalam-speaking areas | November 1 = Kerala Piravi (Kerala Day) |
| 13 | Madhya Pradesh | 1956 | November 1, 1956 | States Reorganisation Act; central India states merged | Largest state by area until 2000 (before Chhattisgarh split) |
| 14 | Maharashtra | 1960 | May 1, 1960 | Bifurcation of Bombay State (Marathi-speaking areas) | May 1 = Maharashtra Diwas; same day as Gujarat |
| 15 | Manipur | 1972 | January 21, 1972 | Upgraded from UT | 19th state; North-East India |
| 16 | Meghalaya | 1972 | January 21, 1972 | Carved out of Assam | 20th state; Shillong; “Scotland of the East” |
| 17 | Mizoram | 1987 | February 20, 1987 | Upgraded from UT | 23rd state; same date as Arunachal Pradesh |
| 18 | Nagaland | 1963 | December 1, 1963 | Carved out of Assam | 16th state; first state carved out of Assam |
| 19 | Odisha | 1936 | April 1, 1936 | Separated from Bihar & Orissa Province (British era) | Previously called Orissa; renamed Odisha in 2011 British Era |
| 20 | Punjab | 1966 | November 1, 1966 | Reorganised; Haryana and Himachal Pradesh carved out | Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966 |
| 21 | Rajasthan | 1949 | March 30, 1949 | Integration of Rajputana princely states | Rajasthan Diwas on March 30 |
| 22 | Sikkim | 1975 | April 26, 1975 | Merged with India after referendum; 35th Constitutional Amendment | 22nd state; only state formed by referendum Unique! |
| 23 | Tamil Nadu | 1956 | November 1, 1956 | States Reorganisation Act; Tamil-speaking Madras State | Originally Madras State; renamed Tamil Nadu in 1969 |
| 24 | Telangana | 2014 | June 2, 2014 | AP Reorganisation Act, 2014; carved from Andhra Pradesh | India’s youngest state Youngest! |
| 25 | Tripura | 1972 | January 21, 1972 | Upgraded from UT | 21st state; North-East India |
| 26 | Uttar Pradesh | 1950 | January 26, 1950 | Renamed from United Provinces at Independence | Most populous state; UP Day on January 24 |
| 27 | Uttarakhand | 2000 | November 9, 2000 | Carved out of Uttar Pradesh | 27th state; originally Uttaranchal; renamed 2007 CUJ 2000 |
| 28 | West Bengal | 1950 | January 26, 1950 | Partition and reorganisation of Bengal | Capital Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) |
🏛️ All 8 Union Territories of India
| # | Union Territory | Date of Formation | Formed From / Basis | Key Fact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andaman & Nicobar Islands | November 1, 1956 | Existing territory at Independence | UT without legislature; Port Blair is capital |
| 2 | Chandigarh | November 1, 1966 | Carved out as shared capital for Punjab and Haryana | UT; serves as capital of Punjab and Haryana |
| 3 | Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu | January 26, 2020 | Merger of two UTs (Dadra & NH + Daman & Diu) | Formed by merger; formerly Portuguese territories 2020 Merger |
| 4 | Delhi (NCT) | February 1, 1992 | UT with legislature (NCT Act 1991) | National Capital Territory; not a full state |
| 5 | Jammu & Kashmir | October 31, 2019 | Bifurcation of J&K state; J&K Reorganisation Act, 2019 | UT with legislature; lost statehood Oct 31, 2019 Trap! |
| 6 | Ladakh | October 31, 2019 | Bifurcated from Jammu & Kashmir | UT without legislature; India’s largest UT by area Trap! |
| 7 | Lakshadweep | November 1, 1956 | Existing territory; Laccadive, Minicoy & Aminidivi Islands | Smallest UT by area; only Muslim-majority UT |
| 8 | Puducherry | November 1, 1954 | French territories transferred to India | UT with legislature; French enclave liberated 1954 |
📅 Major Reorganisation Events — Timeline
| Year | Event | States / UTs Created |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | Constitution of India in force | Original provinces become states |
| 1953 | First linguistic state formed | Andhra State (from Madras) — predecessor to AP First |
| 1956 | States Reorganisation Act | 14 states, 6 UTs; linguistic reorganisation Landmark |
| 1960 | Bombay State bifurcated | Gujarat and Maharashtra formed (May 1) |
| 1963 | Nagaland formed | First state carved out of Assam |
| 1966 | Punjab Reorganisation Act | Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh UT |
| 1971 | Himachal Pradesh statehood | 18th state of India |
| 1972 | North-East reorganisation | Manipur, Meghalaya, Tripura become states (Jan 21) |
| 1975 | Sikkim merger via referendum | 22nd state; 35th Constitutional Amendment Unique |
| 1987 | North-East UTs upgraded | Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram become states |
| 2000 | Three new states in November | Chhattisgarh (Nov 1), Uttarakhand (Nov 9), Jharkhand (Nov 15) CUJ |
| 2014 | Telangana formed | India’s 29th state (now counted as 28th) |
| 2019 | J&K bifurcated | J&K UT + Ladakh UT; state count reduced to 28 Trap! |
| 2020 | UT merger | Dadra & NH + Daman & Diu merged into one UT |
⚖️ Compare Two States
📝 Key Notes & Memory Tips
India currently has 28 states and 8 Union Territories (as of 2026). Many older books still cite 29 states because J&K had full statehood until October 31, 2019. The J&K Reorganisation Act, 2019 bifurcated it into two UTs — J&K (UT with legislature) and Ladakh (UT without legislature). The 2020 merger of Dadra & Nagar Haveli with Daman & Diu also reduced the UT count from 9 back to 8.
November 1, 1956 saw the formation/reorganisation of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu — all from the States Reorganisation Act. November 1, 1966 saw both Haryana and the new Punjab come into existence. November 1, 2000 saw Chhattisgarh formed. In November 2000 alone, three states were born — Chhattisgarh (Nov 1), Uttarakhand (Nov 9), Jharkhand (Nov 15).
Sikkim (April 26, 1975) = only state formed by referendum; formerly an independent kingdom; 22nd state via the 35th Constitutional Amendment. Goa (May 30, 1987) = only state formerly a Portuguese colony (liberated Dec 19, 1961; became full state 1987). Telangana (June 2, 2014) = India’s youngest state, carved from Andhra Pradesh.
The States Reorganisation Commission (1953–1955) was chaired by Fazal Ali and its recommendations led to the landmark States Reorganisation Act of 1956, reorganising states primarily on linguistic lines. The movement was triggered by Potti Sriramulu’s fast unto death in 1952, demanding a separate Telugu-speaking state, which led to Andhra State being formed in 1953 — making it the first linguistic state of India.
Three states formed in 2000 — “CUJ in 2000”:
Chhattisgarh (Nov 1) → Uttarakhand (Nov 9) → Jharkhand (Nov 15)
All three on ascending November dates: 1, 9, 15.
November 1, 1956 states — “KK-AMT”: Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu
Hook: “Kings Keep A Mighty Throne” → K-K-A-M-T
🃏 Flashcards
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🧩 Practice Quiz
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India has 28 states and 8 Union Territories as of 2026. J&K was bifurcated into two UTs on October 31, 2019, reducing the state count from 29 to 28. The 2020 merger of Dadra & Nagar Haveli with Daman & Diu brought the UT count to 8.
Telangana was formed on June 2, 2014, carved out of Andhra Pradesh under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014. It was the 29th state at the time of its formation and is India’s youngest state.
Sikkim became India’s 22nd state on April 26, 1975 following a referendum in which the people voted to merge with India. This was formalised through the 35th Constitutional Amendment Act — making Sikkim the only Indian state formed through a referendum.
The States Reorganisation Act of 1956, based on the Fazal Ali Commission recommendations, reorganised Indian states primarily along linguistic lines. This created separate states for speakers of major Indian languages like Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu.
Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh — along with Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu — were all formed or reorganised on November 1, 1956 as a result of the States Reorganisation Act. November 1 is celebrated as Rajyotsava Day (Karnataka), Kerala Piravi (Kerala), and MP Foundation Day.
✅ Key Takeaways
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
India has 28 states and 8 Union Territories as of 2026. The state count changed from 29 to 28 in October 2019 when Jammu & Kashmir was reorganised into two Union Territories under the J&K Reorganisation Act, 2019. Formation dates of states in India have evolved significantly since Independence through linguistic reorganisation (1956), northeastern state formations (1972–1987), three new states in 2000, and Telangana’s formation in 2014.
Telangana is India’s newest and youngest state, formed on June 2, 2014. It was carved out of the northwestern part of Andhra Pradesh following a long-standing demand for a separate state for the Telangana region. The Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014 provided the legal basis. Hyderabad serves as the joint capital of both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh for a transition period.
The States Reorganisation Act of 1956 was a landmark legislation that reorganised the boundaries of Indian states primarily along linguistic lines. State boundaries were largely inherited from colonial divisions that did not align with linguistic realities. The Fazal Ali Commission (1953–55) examined the issue and its recommendations led to the Act. The movement was partly triggered by Potti Sriramulu’s fast unto death in 1952, which led to Andhra State being formed in 1953.
Multiple Indian states share November 1 as their foundation date. In 1956, Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu were all reorganised on November 1 under the States Reorganisation Act. In 2000, Chhattisgarh was formed from Madhya Pradesh on November 1. In 1966, Haryana was carved out of Punjab on November 1 — making it the most significant single date in the statehood calendar, celebrated as Rajyotsava Day (Karnataka) and Kerala Piravi (Kerala).
