Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh

Map showing the location of Uttar Pradesh
Capital	Lucknow
Largest city	Kanpur
Official languages	Hindi (Additional: Urdu)
Area	240,928 km²
Population	199,812,341 (2011 Census)
Established	24 January 1950
Time zone	IST (UTC+05:30)
Vehicle code	UP
Website	Official site

Uttar Pradesh (UP) is a state in northern India. With over 241 million people, it is the most populated state in India and also the most populated region in the world. Its population is larger than all countries except China, United States, Indonesia, and Pakistan. Uttar Pradesh has 16.5% of India’s population and about 3% of the world’s population.

The state is bordered by Rajasthan in the west, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Delhi in the northwest, Uttarakhand and Nepal in the north, Bihar in the east, and Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Jharkhand in the south. It is the fourth-largest state in India with an area of 243,286 km² (93,933 sq mi), which is 7.3% of India’s total area. Lucknow is the capital, and Prayagraj is the judicial capital. The state has 18 divisions and 75 districts.

Uttar Pradesh was formed in 1950 after India became a republic. Earlier it was called the United Provinces (1935), which came from the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh (1902), created from the North-Western Provinces and Oudh Province.

The state was once known for sugar production, but now the economy is led by the service industry, which includes tourism, hotels, real estate, insurance, and finance. Uttar Pradesh has the third-largest economy in India, with a GDP of ₹18.63 lakh crore (US$220 billion) and a per capita income of ₹68,810 (US$810). The High Court is in Prayagraj. Politically, UP sends 80 members to the Lok Sabha and 31 members to the Rajya Sabha.

On 9 November 2000, a new state Uttarakhand (earlier called Uttaranchal) was carved out of UP’s Himalayan hill region. The two main rivers, the Ganga and Yamuna, meet at the Triveni Sangam in Prayagraj, an important Hindu pilgrimage place. Other rivers include the Gomti and Sarayu. The state has 6.1% forest cover, 82% cultivable land, and 68.5% net sown area.

People of the state are called Awadhi, Bagheli, Bhojpuri, Brajwasi, Bundeli, or Kannauji, depending on their region. Most people follow Hinduism, followed by Islam. Hindi is the main language and official language, along with Urdu.

Uttar Pradesh has a long history and was home to great empires like the Maurya, Harsha, Gupta, Pala, Delhi Sultanate, and Mughal Empires. In the early 20th century, during the Indian independence movement, the princely states of Ramgadi, Rampur, and Benares were in UP. The state was also a key place in the 1857 revolt against British rule.

Uttar Pradesh has many Hindu temples and pilgrimage sites, as well as historical, natural, and religious tourist places such as Agra, Aligarh, Ayodhya, Bareilly, Gorakhpur, Kanpur, Kushinagar, Lucknow, Mathura, Meerut, Prayagraj, Varanasi, and Vrindavan. The state also has three UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

History

Prehistory

Modern human hunter-gatherers lived in Uttar Pradesh between 85,000 and 72,000 years ago. Prehistoric tools and remains from the Middle and Upper Paleolithic period (21,000–31,000 years ago) have been found in the state. Evidence of Mesolithic/Microlithic hunter-gatherer settlements was also discovered near Pratapgarh, dating to around 10,550–9,550 BCE.

By 6000 BCE, people started living in villages with domesticated cattle, sheep, and goats, and also began practicing agriculture. From about 4000 to 1500 BCE, these settlements developed further, starting with the Indus Valley and Harappan culture, then moving into the Vedic period and later the Iron Age.

Geography

Uttar Pradesh, covering 240,928 square kilometres (93,023 sq mi), is the fourth-largest state in India and is roughly the size of the United Kingdom. It is located in northern India and shares a border with Nepal. The Himalayas are to the north, but most of the state is flat plains. The northern part has the Gangetic Plain, which includes the Ganges-Yamuna Doab, Ghaghra plains, Ganges plains, and the Terai region. The southern part has the smaller Vindhya Range and plateau. The state has hills, valleys, plateaus, and hard rock areas.

The Bhabhar area gradually changes into the Terai, which has tall grass, forests, marshes, and swamps. Rivers in the Bhabhar flow slowly through dense vegetation, and the Terai runs parallel to it in a narrow strip. The alluvial plains are divided into three regions: the eastern region has 14 districts prone to floods and droughts and has high population density, leading to less land per person. The central and western regions are better with more irrigation but sometimes face waterlogging.

Uttar Pradesh has over 32 rivers, with the Ganga, Yamuna, Saraswati, Sarayu, Betwa, and Ghaghara being the largest and important in Hinduism. Farming is widely practiced. The state has three main agricultural zones: Middle Gangetic Plains (Zone IV), Upper Gangetic Plains (Zone V), and Central Plateau and Hills (Zone VIII). The valley areas have rich soil, while some hill slopes are farmed with limited irrigation. The Siwalik Range forms the southern Himalayan foothills, sloping into the Bhabhar. The Terai-Bhabhar belt runs along the state, with dense forests and many streams that swell during the monsoon.

Culture

Uttar Pradesh is often referred to as the "Hindi heartland":

Language and literature

Many texts and hymns of the Vedic literature were written in Uttar Pradesh. Famous Indian writers from the state include Kabir, Ravidas, and Tulsidas, who wrote much of his Ram Charit Manas in Varanasi. The festival of Guru Purnima, also called Vyasa Purnima, celebrates Sage Vyasa’s birthday and the day he is believed to have divided the Vedas.

Hindi became the official language of the state with the Uttar Pradesh Official Language Act of 1951. In 1989, Urdu was added as an additional official language. The state’s languages belong to the Central, East-Central, and Eastern zones of Indo-Aryan languages. Major Hindi dialects in the state include Awadhi, Bagheli, Bundeli, Braj Bhasha, Kannauji, and Hindustani. Bhojpuri, an Eastern Indo-Aryan language, is also spoken in the state.

Music and Dance

Each district of Uttar Pradesh has its own unique music and traditions. Traditional folk music in the state is classified into three types: music passed down orally, music with unknown composers, and music performed according to custom. During the medieval period, two main types of music developed: courtly music, supported in cities like Agra, Fatehpur Sikri, Lucknow, Jaunpur, Varanasi, and Banda, and religious music from the Bhakti movement, which grew in Mathura, Vrindavan, and Ayodhya.

Popular folk music includes Sohar, sung to celebrate a child’s birth; Kajari, a semi-classical song sung in the rainy season and linked to the Benares gharana; Ghazal, Thumri, and Qawwali, which are popular in Awadh; Rasiya, especially in Braj, celebrating Radha and Krishna’s divine love; and Khayal, a semi-classical form from the Awadh courts. Other forms include Biraha, Chaiti, Chowtal, Alha, and Sawani.

Kathak, a classical dance form, originated in Uttar Pradesh. Ramlila, a traditional folk dance depicting Lord Rama’s life, is performed during festivals like Vijayadashami. Nautanki is a folk theatre from the state that shows historical, mythological, social, and political stories. The Lucknow and Benares gharanas are famous for Kathak dance. Charkula is a popular dance in the Braj region.

Fairs and Festivals

Chhath Puja is the biggest festival in eastern Uttar Pradesh. The Kumbh Mela, held every twelve years in Prayagraj on the Ganges during the month of Maagha (February–March), is another major festival. Lathmar Holi is a local Holi celebration in Barsana near Mathura, taking place before the main Holi festival. Taj Mahotsav, held every year in Agra, showcases the vibrant culture of the Braj region. Ganga Mahotsav is celebrated on Kartik Purnima, fifteen days after Diwali.

Economy

Uttar Pradesh is the fourth-largest economy in India based on net state domestic product (NSDP), with an estimated GDP of ₹14.89 lakh crore (US$180 billion), contributing 8.4% of India’s total GDP. In 2014–15, the state produced 19% of India’s total food grains, and about 70% of the country’s sugar comes from here, making sugarcane the most important cash crop. Uttar Pradesh is the largest sugar-producing state in India.

The state has 359 manufacturing clusters, with cement being the top small and medium enterprise (SME) sector. The Uttar Pradesh Financial Corporation (UPFC), set up in 1954, helps develop small- and medium-scale industries and provides working capital. Private investment in the state between 2012 and 2016 was over ₹25,081 crores. In 2015, the World Bank ranked Uttar Pradesh among the top 10 states in India for ease of doing business, and first among northern states.

Uttar Pradesh’s debt in 2019–20 was 29.8% of its GDP, totaling ₹2.09 lakh crore (US$25 billion) in 2011. The state has not seen double-digit economic growth despite repeated efforts. GDP growth was 7% in 2017–18 and 6.5% in 2018–19. Unemployment rose to 21.5% in April 2020. The state also has the largest number of people migrating out, with nearly 14.4 million (14.7%) leaving according to the 2011 census. Most women migrate due to marriage, while men move for work.

Regional differences are significant. Western Uttar Pradesh is more developed, with higher per capita district income, while eastern districts (Purvanchal) lag due to poor infrastructure and dense population. In 2021–22, the GDDP of Purvanchal was ₹5.37 lakh crore, Western Uttar Pradesh ₹9.44 lakh crore, Bundelkhand ₹99,029.34 crore, and Central Uttar Pradesh ₹3.36 lakh crore. The per capita annual income in eastern districts was ₹12,741, much lower than the state average of ₹17,349.

In 2009–10, the service sector was the largest part of Uttar Pradesh's economy, contributing 44.8% of the state’s GDP. Agriculture, forestry, and tourism contributed 44%, while industry and manufacturing contributed 11.2%. Noida, Meerut, and Agra had the highest per capita incomes, while Lucknow and Kanpur were 7th and 9th, respectively.

During the 11th five-year plan (2007–2012), the state’s GDP grew at an average rate of 7.3%, which was lower than the national average of 15.5%. The per capita GSDP of the state was ₹29,417 (US$350), lower than the national average of ₹60,972 (US$720). Labor efficiency in the state was slightly above the national average. Textiles and sugar refining are major industries employing many workers, and tourism also contributes significantly to the economy.

Transportation

Uttar Pradesh has the largest railway network in India, but in terms of density, it ranks sixth, even though most of the state is flat and has the highest population. In 2015, the state had 9,077 km (5,640 mi) of railway lines. The network is managed mainly by two divisions of Indian Railways – North Central Railway (headquarters in Prayagraj) and North Eastern Railway (headquarters in Gorakhpur). Lucknow and Moradabad are divisional headquarters of Northern Railway. Fast trains like Lucknow Swarna Shatabdi Express and Kanpur Shatabdi Express connect Delhi with Lucknow and Kanpur. The Kanpur Shatabdi was also the first train in India to get German LHB coaches. Important railway stations like Prayagraj Junction, Agra Cantonment, Lucknow Charbagh, Gorakhpur Junction, Kanpur Central, Mathura Junction, and Varanasi Junction are listed among 50 world-class stations in India. Lucknow Metro and Kanpur Metro provide rapid transit service in those cities.

The state also has the largest road network in India. It has 42 national highways with a total length of 4,942 km, which is about 8.9% of all highways in the country. The Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC), set up in 1972, operates 11,238 buses on 2,762 routes, covering 768,065 km daily and earning about ₹16 crore (US$1.9 million) per day. However, many buses are old and unsafe. All cities are linked by state highways, and district headquarters are being connected by four-lane roads. The Agra–Lucknow Expressway, a 302 km long controlled-access highway, is one such project. Uttar Pradesh also has the highest road density in India – 1,027 km per 1,000 km² – and the largest surfaced urban-road network (50,721 km).

In air travel, Lucknow’s Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport and Varanasi’s Lal Bahadur Shastri Airport are the main international airports. A new international airport was opened in Kushinagar, but it has not yet started international flights. The state also has six domestic airports in Agra, Prayagraj, Bareilly, Ghaziabad, Gorakhpur, and Kanpur, most of which are shared with the Indian Air Force. Another international airport is under construction at Jewar in Gautam Buddha Nagar, called Noida International Airport.

Sports

In the past, traditional sports like wrestling, swimming, kabaddi, and different local water or track sports were popular in Uttar Pradesh. Some games were made to show martial skills, like using swords or sticks (pata). But today, these sports are mostly played as hobbies or in small local competitions because there is no proper support or modern facilities.

Among modern sports, field hockey is popular, and Uttar Pradesh has produced famous players like Nitin Kumar and Lalit Kumar Upadhyay. But in recent years, cricket has become more popular than hockey. Uttar Pradesh won its first Ranji Trophy in 2006 by beating Bengal. The state also has the Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Sports Complex, an international cricket stadium with a seating capacity of about 20,000 people. Wrestling also remains important, with many traditional training schools (akharas) across the state.

The Uttar Pradesh Football Sangh (UPFS) is the main football body of the state. It is connected with the All India Football Federation and manages the state football team. UPFS also sends teams to national-level competitions and controls two district football associations – Aligarh and Kanpur. Similarly, the Uttar Pradesh Badminton Association manages badminton in the state and is linked with the Badminton Association of India.

The Buddh International Circuit, located in Greater Noida, hosted India’s first Formula One Grand Prix on 30 October 2011. However, races were held only three times before being stopped due to low attendance and lack of government support. The Uttar Pradesh government treated Formula One as entertainment, not a sport, and imposed heavy taxes, which led to its cancellation.

Transportation

Uttar Pradesh has the largest railway network in India, but in terms of density, it ranks sixth, even though most of the state is flat and has the highest population. In 2015, the state had 9,077 km (5,640 mi) of railway lines. The network is managed mainly by two divisions of Indian Railways – North Central Railway (headquarters in Prayagraj) and North Eastern Railway (headquarters in Gorakhpur). Lucknow and Moradabad are divisional headquarters of Northern Railway. Fast trains like Lucknow Swarna Shatabdi Express and Kanpur Shatabdi Express connect Delhi with Lucknow and Kanpur. The Kanpur Shatabdi was also the first train in India to get German LHB coaches. Important railway stations like Prayagraj Junction, Agra Cantonment, Lucknow Charbagh, Gorakhpur Junction, Kanpur Central, Mathura Junction, and Varanasi Junction are listed among 50 world-class stations in India. Lucknow Metro and Kanpur Metro provide rapid transit service in those cities.

The state also has the largest road network in India. It has 42 national highways with a total length of 4,942 km, which is about 8.9% of all highways in the country. The Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC), set up in 1972, operates 11,238 buses on 2,762 routes, covering 768,065 km daily and earning about ₹16 crore (US$1.9 million) per day. However, many buses are old and unsafe. All cities are linked by state highways, and district headquarters are being connected by four-lane roads. The Agra–Lucknow Expressway, a 302 km long controlled-access highway, is one such project. Uttar Pradesh also has the highest road density in India – 1,027 km per 1,000 km² – and the largest surfaced urban-road network (50,721 km).

In air travel, Lucknow’s Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport and Varanasi’s Lal Bahadur Shastri Airport are the main international airports. A new international airport was opened in Kushinagar, but it has not yet started international flights. The state also has six domestic airports in Agra, Prayagraj, Bareilly, Ghaziabad, Gorakhpur, and Kanpur, most of which are shared with the Indian Air Force. Another international airport is under construction at Jewar in Gautam Buddha Nagar, called Noida International Airport.

Education

Uttar Pradesh has a long tradition of education, but in earlier times it was mainly limited to the elite and to religious schools. In ancient periods, education was mostly based on Sanskrit. Later, as different cultures came to the region, knowledge in Pali, Persian, and Arabic was also added. This mix of learning continued through Hindu, Buddhist, and Muslim traditions until British colonial rule.

The modern school-to-university system of education in Uttar Pradesh, like in the rest of India, was introduced by Christian missionaries and the British administration. Today, schools in the state are either run by the government or by private trusts. Most schools use Hindi as the medium of teaching, except those affiliated with central boards like CBSE and ICSE, where English is used.

The state follows the 10+2+3 system. After completing secondary school, students usually study two more years in junior college or higher secondary schools, and then they can choose to go for general or professional degree programs. Students generally pick one of three streams – arts, commerce, or science – at this stage.

Despite its long educational tradition, Uttar Pradesh faces several challenges. The spending per student is lower than the national average. The student–teacher ratio is also higher than the national average, which means fewer teachers are available for each class. Teacher absenteeism is a major problem in rural areas, and many teaching positions in government schools remain vacant, including a large number of headmaster and assistant teacher posts.

Healthcare

Uttar Pradesh has both public and private healthcare services. Public healthcare is provided through primary health centres, community health centres, district hospitals, and medical colleges. Even though the state has built a large network of hospitals and clinics, the facilities are still not enough to meet the needs of its huge population.

In recent years, the population has grown much faster than the number of health centres. The smaller sub-centres, which are the first contact points for people, have increased only slightly, while the demand for healthcare has gone up a lot. The state also faces problems such as a shortage of doctors and nurses, high cost of treatment, lack of medicines and equipment, and poor planning. Because of this, many private hospitals have come up, but they are often expensive.

There are thousands of government hospitals in rural and urban areas, but they serve a very large number of people. On average, one hospital serves nearly fifty thousand people. Out-of-pocket medical expenses in the state are the highest in the country, meaning people have to spend a lot from their own pockets for treatment.

The health situation in Uttar Pradesh is very serious. A baby born in the state is expected to live fewer years than in most neighbouring states. The state reports the highest share of deaths from diseases like typhoid, tuberculosis, and even cancer. Maternal health is also poor, with many women unable to get proper care during pregnancy. A large number of women still give birth at home, and most of these home deliveries are unsafe.

Child health indicators are among the worst in India. Many children die before the age of five, with a high number dying within the first month or the first year of life.

Government and Politics

• Current Chief Minister: Yogi Adityanath
• Governing party: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
• Bicameral legislature: Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council
• Sends the highest number of MPs to the Lok Sabha

Tourism

Uttar Pradesh is home to world-famous landmarks:

• Taj Mahal, Agra Fort (UNESCO World Heritage Sites)
• Fatehpur Sikri
• Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Buddhist Circuit (Sarnath, Kushinagar)

Notable Personalities

• Jawaharlal Nehru – First Prime Minister of India
• Indira Gandhi, Atal Bihari Vajpayee – Former Prime Ministers
• Amitabh Bachchan – Actor
• Ram Manohar Lohia, Mayawati, Mulayam Singh Yadav – Political leaders

See Also

• States and Union Territories of India
• Hindi Belt
• Ganga River
• Indian Politics
• Ayodhya Ram Mandir
• Kumbh Mela