Punjab

Capital

Chandigarh

Official Language

Punjabi

Area

50,362 km²

Districts

23

Largest City

Ludhiana

Geography & Nature

The Sutlej, Beas and Ravi river plains and Shivalik foothills support irrigated agricultural landscapes.

• Reported area: 50,362 km². India State of Forest Report 2023.
• Forest and tree cover: 3,321.24 km²; India State of Forest Report 2023.

Districts & Cities

23 districts listed by the NIC directory on 2026-10-14.

• Major urban centres: Ludhiana, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Patiala, Bathinda.
• Largest city/town: Ludhiana. Largest city/town using Census 2011 municipal or town boundaries; urban-agglomeration rankings can differ. Current city names are used.

State Administration

Punjab has a Governor and an elected government led by a Chief Minister. Its legislature has a Legislative Assembly. The capital is Chandigarh.

• Chandigarh is the shared capital of Punjab and Haryana and a separate union territory.
• Principal official language(s): Punjabi. The government language reference provides the administrative language context.

Government Institutions

Government institutions in Punjab include executive departments, district administration, public agencies and local bodies. The official directory provides routes to their published websites.

• The Legislative Assembly provides the elected legislative institution.
• District administrations and municipal or village institutions provide local public services.

People & Demographics

The official MoEFCC profile reports approximately 2.77 crore people on a Census 2011 basis. This is a historical, rounded population figure rather than a current population estimate.

• Principal official language(s): Punjabi.
• The Punjab profile includes both urban communities and rural or island settlements; language and social patterns vary locally.
• Census tables provide the detailed rural/urban, literacy, age and mother-tongue breakdowns.

Economy & Industries

Agriculture, food processing, textiles, bicycles, engineering goods and services are significant economic activities.

• Economic centres include Ludhiana, Amritsar, Jalandhar.
• Use the government's economic surveys and departmental publications for dated output, employment and investment figures.

Infrastructure

Canals, national highways, railways and airports connect farming areas, industrial cities and trading centres.

• Transport, electricity, water and digital networks support public services and economic activity.
• Project status and operational details are published by the responsible government departments and operators.

Education & Healthcare

Guru Nanak Dev University, Punjabi University and Punjab Agricultural University are major institutions; AIIMS Bathinda and state medical colleges support care.

• Schools, universities, government hospitals and primary care facilities serve different parts of the region.
• Check the relevant institution or department for current programmes, admissions and services.

Culture & History

Sri Harmandir Sahib, Sikh heritage, Bhangra, Giddha and regional crafts are central cultural themes.

• Heritage sites, languages, crafts and community traditions vary across districts.
• The official tourism and culture portal provides place-specific information.

Schemes & Public Services

The Punjab government and citizen-service portal provide access to applications, certificates, departmental services and scheme information.

• Common service areas include revenue certificates, welfare applications, education, transport and local-government services; availability varies by portal.
• Open the official service listing for the current application process and requirements.