In 1947, at the time of India’s independence, there were 12 states in the newly formed Indian Union. These were Assam, Bengal, Bihar, Bombay, Central India, Central Provinces, Madras, Mysore, Orissa, Punjab, Rajputana, and United Provinces. 

Punjab is the state with no National Parks

Madras Presidency was renamed as Tamil Nadu in 1969

In 1973, the Mysore state was renamed Karnataka

Arunachal Pradesh became a Union Territory in 1972 and then an independent state of India in 1987, with Itanagar as its capital. It was earlier known as North East Frontier Agency

Nyishi is the most major tribe of Arunachal Pradesh. The vast majority of Arunachal Pradesh speaks Tani languages of the Tibeto-Burman language family.

The first state in India to be formed on a linguistic basis was Andhra Pradesh, officially created on October 1, 1953.

The Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, resulted in the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh into two states: Telangana and residuary Andhra Pradesh. 

Following the ‘Swachh Survekshan 2020,’ Chhattisgarh once again gained the title of the cleanest state

Goa has the greatest GDP per capita of any Indian state, more than two and a half times that of the country as a whole.

Haryana is home to the legendary Bharata dynasty, after which the country was named Bharat. First state in India to achieve 100% electrification back in 1970.  Haryana was carved out of Punjab in 1966. Haryana has produced the highest number of Olympic medalists. Specifically, Haryana has produced 8 individual Olympic medalists, more than any other Indian state,

The Neelakurinji (Strobilanthes kunthiana) is a flower that blooms once every 12 years. It is known for its mass blooming, which transforms hillsides into a sea of blue. This phenomenon typically occurs in the Western Ghats of India, particularly in the Nilgiri Hills.

The world’s only floating post office is also on Srinagar’s Dal Lake. The post office is inside a houseboat and it has a philately museum too.

Gahirmatha is a beach and marine sanctuary in Odisha, India, renowned as the world’s largest nesting ground for Olive Ridley Sea turtles. It’s located in the Kendrapara district, separating the Bhitarkanika Mangroves from the Bay of Bengal

Indian Giant Squirrel is the state animal of Maharashtra.

Uttar Pradesh currently holds the highest number of GI (Geographical Indication) tags in India. As of recent reports, Uttar Pradesh has 75 GI-tagged products, surpassing Tamil Nadu which previously held the top position.

Madhya Pradesh has the highest number of national parks in India, with a total of 11. The state also boasts 7 tiger reserves and 25 wildlife sanctuaries.

Manipur is the state with highest number of President Rules in India.

Uttar Pradesh (UP) has consistently reported the highest number of dowry deaths in India.

Mr Ziona Chana of Mizoram is the head of the biggest family in the world, consisting of 181 members. Chana has 39 wives, 94 children, 14 daughters-in-law and 33 grandchildren. He lives in a 100-room house in the Baktawng village.

According to the 2011 Census, Tamil Nadu is the most urbanized major state in India, with 48.4% of its population residing in urban areas. While Goa has a higher overall urbanization rate (62.17%), it’s a smaller state, and Tamil Nadu has a significantly larger urban population due to its larger size and population.

The state of Uttar Pradesh has given India the maximum number (8) of Prime Ministers.

The state of Tamil Nadu has given the maximum number of Presidents. It has given four Presidents of India

Nagaland has consistently reported the lowest crime rate in India. The state has seen the lowest incidence of crime based on percentage of share of the nation and the lowest registered crime rate per lakh population

According to recent reports, Uttar Pradesh (UP) has the highest crime rate in India.

Barsana in Uttar Pradesh celebrates Holi in a one-of-its-kind way. In this festival, women beat up men in playfulness with long sticks. According to the folklore, Lord Krishna had visited the village and had teased Radha and her friends. The women got offended and chased him away. During Lath Mar Holi, men from the Nandgaon village, where Krishna was brought up, go to Barsana, the village of Radha to celebrate the festival of colours.

According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), Assam has consistently reported the highest rate of crimes against women for the last five consecutive years.

Madhya Pradesh has the largest forest cover area in India. However, when considering forest cover as a percentage of the total geographical area, Mizoram holds the highest percentage. Haryana has the lowest percentage of forest cover among all Indian states. Specifically, it covers only 3.59% of its area in forest.

Bihar has the lowest literacy rate among all Indian states. Bihar is also considered the Indian state with the lowest per capita income. For the financial year 2024-25, Karnataka has the highest per capita income in India, surpassing the ₹2 lakh mark.

UP is the state with highest incidents of honour killings in India.

In the 2025 Happiness Index of India, Himachal Pradesh is ranked as the happiest state overall. Conversely, Uttar Pradesh is identified as the least happy state in India.

The state with the lowest population in India is Sikkim. The Indian state with the lowest population density is Arunachal Pradesh, with a density of 17 people per square KM.

Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Rajasthan have the highest numbers of child laborers in India.

The Indian state with the highest maternal mortality rate is Assam. Kerala has the lowest maternal mortality rate (MMR) in India Kerala also has the lowest IMR whereas In India, Madhya Pradesh generally has the highest infant mortality rate.

Chhattisgarh is reported to have the lowest unemployment rate among Indian states, according to the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE)

The world’s highest golf course, The Yak Golf Course, is also in our nation. It entered the Guinness Book of World Records in the year 2006. Himalayas, gurgling streams and sweeping lush greenery surround the hilly golf course. The Yak Golf Course in Kupup, East Sikkim is at an altitude of about 13,025 feet.