Uttarakhand is a Himalayan state in northern India, officially established as the 27th state of the Indian Union on November 9, 2000. The name, which means 'Northern Land' in Sanskrit, is derived from uttara ('north') and khaṇḍa ('section' or 'part').
The state was carved out of the northern, hilly districts of Uttar Pradesh. The creation of the state, initially named Uttaranchal, was the culmination of a long-standing statehood movement that gained significant momentum in the 1980s and 1990s. The movement sought to address the problem of underdevelopment and neglect of the mountainous region, which was administratively difficult to govern from the plains-based capital of Uttar Pradesh. The name was officially changed from Uttaranchal to Uttarakhand in January 2007.
The state is divided into two administrative divisions: Garhwal and Kumaon, comprising a total of 13 districts. Its provisional capital is Dehradun, and it shares international borders with China (Tibet) to the north and Nepal to the east. Uttarakhand is often called "Devbhumi" (Land of the Gods) due to its numerous Hindu pilgrimage sites, including the sources of the major rivers Ganga (at Gangotri) and Yamuna (at Yamunotri). It connects to the concept of the Char Dham pilgrimage, which includes the sacred shrines of Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri.
Recently, the state government has focused on administrative and policy reforms; for instance, the Cabinet approved the Uttarakhand Motor Vehicle (Amendment) Rules, 2026, to implement parking charges and sanctioned infrastructure development for the Kumbh Mela-2027 in Haridwar. The state also approved the Uttarakhand School Education Campaign 2025 to strengthen government schools.