States and union territories of India

India is a federal union comprising 28 states and 8 union territories, for a total of 36 entities. The states and union territories are further subdivided into 785 districts and smaller administrative divisions.

The states of India are self-governing administrative divisions, each having a state government. The governing powers of the states are shared between the state government and the union government. On the other hand, the union territories are directly governed by the union government.

1876–1919
The Indian Empire was a very complex political entity consisting of various imperial divisions and states and territories of varying autonomy. At the time of its establishment in 1876, it was made up of 584 constituent states and the directly ruled territories of the Crown. The entire empire was divided into provinces and agencies.

A province consisted of territory under the direct rule of the Emperor of India (who was also the King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions) and a few minor states, ruled by Indian princes under the suzerainty of the Emperor. A Governor or Lieutenant-Governor acted as the representative of the Emperor to that province and head of government of the directly ruled territories in the province. The governor or lieutenant-governor also served as the Emperor's representative to the constituent states of the province. The first three of the lieutenant-governorships were territories annexed to India from other powers and temporarily governed by the erstwhile Bengal Presidency before being made into their own separate provinces. Agra and Bengal were still considered de jure parts of the defunct Bengal Presidency for judicial and legal purposes. Agra was finally separated in 1878 and merged with Oudh. The Bengal Presidency was re-established in 1912 as a governorship. All these provinces had their own legislatures established by the Indian Councils Acts and high courts established by Indian High Courts Acts. Laws passed by these legislatures needed the dual ascent of the governor or lieutenant-governor of the province and the governor-general of India who functioned as the representative of the Emperor.
 * There were three governor's provinces in 1912, styled "Presidencies" as a historical memento that they had been once governed by presidents. These were:
 * Bombay
 * Madras (officially Presidency of Fort St. George)
 * Bengal (from 1912)
 * There were six lieutenant-governor's provinces in 1905. These were:
 * Burma
 * Punjab
 * Central Provinces
 * Bengal (till 1912)
 * Eastern Bengal and Assam (1905–1912)
 * Agra and Oudh
 * North-Western Provinces and Oudh (1878–1902)
 * United Provinces of Agra and Oudh (1902–1935)

In addition to these, there were certain territories ruled directly by the Government of India through nominated chief commissioners. These were former independent states annexed to India and since ruled directly by the Supreme Government.
 * There were the three chief commissioner's provinces. These did not have a legislature or a high court. These were:
 * Ajmer-Merwara
 * Coorg
 * Oudh (till 1878)
 * Delhi (from 1911, capital of India)

A vast majority of the Indian states in the late nineteenth century were, in terms of imperial divisions, organised within the provinces. However a good number of states were organised into imperial structures called agencies (or residencies). An Agent to the Governor-General (AGG) functioned as the Emperor's representative to all the states in the agency.
 * At the time of establishment of the empire, there were only two agencies:
 * Rajputana
 * Central India
 * In addition, these kingdoms were neither part of a province or an agency and had direct relations with the Emperor:
 * Kashmir and Jammu
 * Nizamate of Hyderabad
 * Kingdom of Mysore

1919–1935
In 1919, the fourth Government of India was enacted by the Crown. This saw many major changes. The legislatures of the provinces were made elected ones rather than nominated ones. Some provinces were given bicameral legislatures. All provinces were elevated to governorships and all lieutenant governors were made governors. Burma was given a special status and made an autonomous province. The Chamber of Princes was established by Emperor George V in 1920. One the major consequences of this was the creation of many more agencies from the states of the provinces, thus granting them direct relations with the Emperor instead of with the Governors. This saw the separation of all the states from the provinces and addition to before-mentioned agencies. This left all the provinces with only territories under direct Crown rule.
 * There were ten governor's provinces now. These were:
 * Bombay
 * Madras
 * Bengal
 * Burma
 * Punjab
 * Central Provinces and Berar
 * United Provinces
 * North-West Frontier Province
 * Assam
 * Bihar and Orissa
 * There were four chief commissioner's provinces. There status mostly remained unchanged. These were:
 * Ajmer-Merwara
 * Coorg
 * Balochistan
 * Delhi
 * There were now 8 imperial agencies and residencies. These were:
 * Punjab States (formerly part of Punjab Province)
 * Madras States (formerly part of Madras Presidency)
 * Deccan States Agency and Kolhapur Residency (formerly part of Bombay Presidency)
 * Western India and Gujarat States Agency and Baroda Residency (formerly part of Bombay Presidency)
 * Eastern States (formerly part of Bengal Presidency, Bihar and Orissa Province and Central Provinces)
 * Gwalior Residency (formerly part of Central India Agency)
 * Rajputana
 * Central India
 * Some states were with direct relations with the Emperor. These were:
 * Kashmir and Jammu
 * Nizamate of Hyderabad
 * Kingdom of Mysore

1935–1947
The latter years of the Indian Empire saw the enactment of the last Government of India Act by the Crown. This act granted full autonomy to Indian provinces. Provincial laws no longer needed the ascent of the governor-general. This act also created the office of a Premier in each province who functioned as the new head of government and was responsible to the provincial legislature. Bengal, Madras and Bombay which had been till now styled Presidencies, were now officially styled as provinces. The provinces of Orissa and Sind were created from Bihar and Bombay respectively. The Province of Burma which had previously functioned as an autonomous province of India was now separated from the Indian Empire and established as the Crown Colony of Burma. In 1947, the last Act of the Crown was passed. The act dissolved the Indian Empire, the Imperial Legislative Council and the Chamber of Princes and the Union of India was consequently established from 9 former Indian provinces (East Punjab, United Provinces, Central Provinces, Madras, Bombay, Bihar, Orissa, West Bengal and Assam) and 562 former Indian states.
 * The new set of 12 governor's provinces were:
 * Bombay
 * Sind
 * Madras
 * Bengal
 * Burma
 * Punjab
 * Central Provinces and Berar
 * United Provinces
 * North-West Frontier Province
 * Assam
 * Bihar
 * Orissa
 * There were 3 chief commissioner's provinces:
 * Ajmer-Merwara
 * Coorg
 * Balochistan
 * Delhi
 * There were 8 imperial agencies and residencies:
 * Punjab States
 * Madras States
 * Deccan States Agency and Kolhapur Residency
 * Western India and Gujarat States Agency and Baroda Residency
 * Eastern States
 * Gwalior Residency
 * Rajputana
 * Central India
 * Three kingdoms were in direct relations with the Emperor.

1947–1950


Between 1947 and 1950 the territories of the princely states were politically integrated into the new Indian Union. Most were merged into existing provinces; others were organised into new provinces and states, such as Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Malwa Union, Baghelkhand and Bundelkhand States Union, and Patiala and East Punjab States Union, made up of multiple princely states; a few, including Mysore, Hyderabad, Bhopal, and Bilaspur, became separate states. The new Constitution of India, which came into force on 26 January 1950, made India a sovereign democratic republic. The new republic was also declared to be a "Union of States". The constitution of 1950 distinguished between three main types of states:
 * Part A states, which were the former governors' provinces of India, were ruled by an elected governor and state legislature. The nine Part A states were:
 * Assam (formerly Assam Province),
 * Bihar (formerly Bihar Province),
 * Bombay (formerly Bombay Province),
 * East Punjab (formerly Punjab Province),
 * Madhya Pradesh (formerly the Central Provinces and Berar),
 * Madras (formerly Madras Province),
 * Orissa (formerly Orissa Province),
 * Uttar Pradesh (formerly the United Provinces), and
 * West Bengal (formerly Bengal Province).
 * The eight Part B states were former princely states or groups of princely states, governed by a rajpramukh, who was usually the ruler of a constituent state, and an elected legislature. The rajpramukh was appointed by the President of India. The Part B states were:
 * Hyderabad (formerly Hyderabad Princely State),
 * Jammu and Kashmir (formerly Jammu and Kashmir Princely State),
 * Madhya Bharat (formerly Central India Agency),
 * Mysore (formerly Mysore Princely State),
 * Patiala and East Punjab States Union (PEPSU),
 * Rajasthan (formerly Rajputana Agency),
 * Saurashtra (formerly Baroda, Western India and Gujarat States Agency), and
 * Travancore–Cochin (formerly Travancore Princely State and Cochin Princely State).
 * The ten Part C states included both the former chief commissioners' provinces and some princely states, and each was governed by a chief commissioner appointed by the President of India. The Part C states were:
 * Ajmer (formerly Ajmer-Merwara Province),
 * Bhopal (formerly Bhopal Princely State),
 * Bilaspur (formerly Bilaspur Princely State),
 * Coorg State (formerly Coorg Province),
 * Delhi,
 * Himachal Pradesh,
 * Kutch (formerly Cutch Princely State),
 * Manipur (formerly Manipur Princely State),
 * Tripura (formerly Tripura Princely State), and
 * Vindhya Pradesh (formerly Central India Agency).
 * The only Part D state was the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, which were administered by a lieutenant governor appointed by the union government.

States reorganisation (1951–1956)
Andhra State was created on 1 October 1953 from the Telugu-speaking northern districts of Madras State.

The French enclave of Chandernagore was transferred to West Bengal in 1954. In the same year Pondicherry, comprising the former French enclaves of Pondichéry, Karikal, Yanaon and Mahé, was transferred to India; this became a union territory in 1962.

Also in 1954, pro-India forces liberated the Portuguese-held enclaves of Dadrá and Nagar Aveli, declaring the short-lived de facto state of Free Dadra and Nagar Haveli. In 1961, India annexed it as the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli.

The States Reorganisation Act, 1956 reorganised the states based on linguistic lines resulting in the creation of the new states.

As a result of this act:
 * Madras State retained its name, with Kanyakumari district added to form Travancore–Cochin.
 * Andhra Pradesh was created with the merger of Andhra State with the Telugu-speaking districts of Hyderabad State in 1956.
 * Kerala was created by merging Malabar district and the Kasaragod taluk of South Canara districts of Madras State with Travancore–Cochin.
 * Mysore State was re-organised with the addition of the districts of Bellary and South Canara (excluding Kasaragod taluk) and the Kollegal taluk of Coimbatore district from the Madras State, the districts of Belgaum, Bijapur, North Canara and Dharwad from Bombay State, the Kannada-majority districts of Bidar, Raichur and Kalaburagi from Hyderabad State and the Coorg State.
 * The Laccadive Islands, Aminidivi Islands and Minicoy Island, which had been divided between the South Canara and Malabar districts of Madras State, were united and organised into the union territory of Lakshadweep.
 * Bombay State was enlarged by the addition of Saurashtra State and Kutch State, the Marathi-speaking districts of Nagpur division of Madhya Pradesh and the Marathwada region of Hyderabad State.
 * Rajasthan and Punjab gained territories from Ajmer State and Patiala and East Punjab States Union respectively and certain territories of Bihar were transferred to West Bengal.

Post-1956
Bombay State was split into the linguistic states of Gujarat and Maharashtra on 1 May 1960 by the Bombay Reorganisation Act. The former Union Territory of Nagaland achieved statehood on 1 December 1963. The Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966 resulted in the creation of Haryana on 1 November and the transfer of the northern districts of Punjab to Himachal Pradesh. The act also designated Chandigarh as a union territory and the shared capital of Punjab and Haryana.

Madras State was renamed Tamil Nadu in 1969. The north-eastern states of Manipur, Meghalaya and Tripura were formed on 21 January 1972. Mysore State was renamed Karnataka in 1973. On 16 May 1975, Sikkim became the 22nd state of the Indian Union and the state's monarchy was abolished. In 1987, Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram became states on 20 February, followed by Goa on 30 May, while erstwhile union territory of Goa, Daman and Diu's northern exclaves Damão and Diu became a separate union territory as Daman and Diu.

In November 2000, three new states were created, namely:
 * Chhattisgarh, from eastern Madhya Pradesh,
 * Uttaranchal, from northwest Uttar Pradesh (renamed Uttarakhand in 2007), and
 * Jharkhand, from southern districts of Bihar with the enforcement of Madhya Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2000, Uttar Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2000 and Bihar Reorganisation Act, 2000 respectively.

Pondicherry was renamed Puducherry in 2007 and Orissa was renamed Odisha in 2011. Telangana was created on 2 June 2014 from ten former districts of north-western Andhra Pradesh.

In August 2019, the Parliament of India passed the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, which contains provisions to reorganise the state of Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories; Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, effective from 31 October 2019. Later that year in November, the Government of India introduced legislation to merge the union territories of Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli into a single union territory to be known as Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, effective from 26 January 2020.

Responsibilities and authorities
The Constitution of India distributes the sovereign executive and legislative powers exercisable with respect to the territory of any state between the Union and that state.