1. QUICK‑LOOK OVERVIEW

Revision Notes – Capitals of Indian States & Union Territories

(Tailored for the Social Forestry Worker – General Awareness & Science paper)

1. QUICK‑LOOK OVERVIEW

• Total States: 28
• Total Union Territories (UTs): 8 (as of 2024) – National Capital: New Delhi (also a UT)

Why it matters for a Social Forestry Worker:

• Knowing state/UT capitals helps locate forest divisions, wildlife sanctuaries, and social‑forestry projects quickly.
• Many exam questions link a state’s capital to its major forest types, timber production, or afforestation schemes.

2. STATES – CAPITALS (ALPHABETICAL ORDER)

\*Year indicates when the state attained its present form (including bifurcation or creation).

3. UNION TERRITORIES – CAPITALS

4. MEMORY‑AIDS (MNEMONICS)

4.1 Regional Grouping – “North‑South‑East‑West”

Tip: Say the sentence aloud a few times; the first letters of each word trigger the state/UT name, and you already know the capital from the table.

4.2 Capitals Sharing a City

• Chandigarh serves as capital for Punjab and Haryana (and also a UT).
• New Delhi is the capital of India and also the NCT of Delhi.

Remember: “CHandygarh – Punjab & Haryana”.

4.3 “Summer/Winter” Capitals (for hill states) – Himachal Pradesh: Shimla (summer) – Dharamshala (winter)

• Uttarakhand: Dehradun (winter) – Gairsain (summer)
• Jammu & Kashmir: Srinagar (summer) – Jammu (winter)

Mnemonic: “SHUJ” – Shimla (H)imachal, Uttarakhand (Dehra‑Dun/Gairsain), Jammu & Kashmir (Srinagar/Jammu).

5. KEY HIGHLIGHTS – SUPER‑FACTS FOR QUICK RECALL

6. QUICK‑REFERENCE TABLE – STATE‑CAPITAL PAIRS (FOR FLASH‑CARDS) > How to use: Cover the capital column, try to recall; then flip. Repeat until 100% accuracy.

7. EXAM‑ORIENTED TIPS 1. Map‑Based Questions – Often a map shows a dot; you must name the state/UT and its capital. Practice locating each capital on a blank India map (use online quizzes).

1. Assertion‑Reason (A/R) – Example: “Assertion: Chandigarh is the capital of both Punjab and Haryana. Reason: It was designed as a planned city after Partition.” Both true; reason explains assertion.
2. Match‑the‑Following – Pair states with their capitals, forest types, or major rivers. Use the tables above for quick matching. 4. Fill‑in‑the‑Blanks – Frequently ask for “The capital of ______ is ______.” Memorize the alphabetical list or use the mnemonics.
3. True/False – Statements like “The capital of Arunachal Pradesh is Itanagar.” (True) or “The capital of Goa is Mumbai.” (False).
4. Numerical Fact‑Based – Questions may ask: “Which state has the largest forest cover?” (Answer: Mizoram). Keep the “Key Highlights” table handy.
5. Current Affairs Link – Occasionally a recent change (e.g., creation of new UT, renaming of a city) appears. As of 2024, the latest change is the merger of Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu into a single UT (capital Silvassa). Keep this in mind.

8. REVISION CHECKLIST (5‑MINUTE RECAP)

• [ ] Recall the total numbers: 28 States, 8 UTs.
• [ ] Chant the North‑South‑East‑West mnemonics and verify each capital.
• [ ] Remember the dual‑capital states (HP, UK, JK) and their summer/winter seats.
• [ ] Note the shared capital – Chandigarh (Punjab, Haryana, UT).
• [ ] Identify the largest/smallest state by area and population.
• [ ] Keep the forest‑cover champions (Mizoram, A&N Islands) in mind.
• [ ] Recall the most recent state (Telangana, 2014) and UT (J&K & Ladakh, 2019).
• [ ] Verify any recent name changes (e.g., “Hyderabad” remains judicial capital of AP).
• [ ] Visualise each capital on a mental map – especially the North‑East cluster and Island UTs.

9. FINAL QUICK‑LIST (ONE‑LINE PER STATE/UT)

• Andhra Pradesh – Amaravati (judicial capital Hyderabad)
• Arunachal Pradesh – Itanagar
• Assam – Dispur
• Bihar – Patna
• Chhattisgarh – Raipur
• Goa – Panaji
• Gujarat – Gandhinagar
• Haryana – Chandigarh (shared)
• Himachal Pradesh – Shimla (summer) / Dharamshala (winter)
• Jharkhand – Ranchi
• Karnataka – Bengaluru
• Kerala – Thiruvananthapuram
• Madhya Pradesh – Bhopal
• Maharashtra – Mumbai
• Manipur – Imphal
• Meghalaya – Shillong
• Mizoram – Aizawl
• Nagaland – Kohima
• Odisha – Bhubaneswar
• Punjab – Chandigarh (shared) – Rajasthan – Jaipur
• Sikkim – Gangtok
• Tamil Nadu – Chennai
• Telangana – Hyderabad
• Tripura – Agartala
• Uttar Pradesh – Lucknow
• Uttarakhand – Dehradun (winter) / Gairsain (summer)
• West Bengal – Kolkata
• Andaman & Nicobar Islands – Port Blair
• Chandigarh – Chandigarh (also capital of Punjab & Haryana)
• Dadra & Nagar Haveli & Daman & Diu – Silvassa
• Delhi – New Delhi
• Jammu & Kashmir – Srinagar (summer) / Jammu (winter)
• Ladakh – Leh
• Lakshadweep – Kavaratti
• Puducherry – Puducherry

End of Notes – Review these points, run through the mnemonics, and you’ll be ready for any capital‑state question that appears in the Social Forestry Worker General Awareness paper. Good luck!

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