India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is made up of 28 states and 8 union territories. All Indian states have their own government and union territories come under the jurisdiction of the central government. As with most of the other countries India, has a national emblem—the Lion Capital of Sarnath.
Apart from India's national emblem, each of its states and union territories have their own seals and symbols which include animals, birds, trees, flowers, etc. [1] A list of state birds of India is given below. See Symbols of Indian states and territories for a complete list of all state characters and seals.
| Union territory | Common name | Binomial name | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andaman and Nicobar Islands | Andaman wood pigeon [3] | Columba palumboides |  |
| Chandigarh | Indian grey hornbill [4] | Ocyceros birostris |  |
| Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu | Not yet designated | ||
| Delhi | House sparrow | Passer domesticus |  |
| Jammu and Kashmir | Kalij pheasant [5] | Lophura leucomelanos |  |
| Ladakh | Black-necked crane | Grus nigricollis |  |
| Lakshadweep | Sooty tern | Onychoprion fuscatus |  |
| Puducherry | Asian koel | Eudynamys scolopaceus |  |
The State Emblem of India is the national emblem of the Republic of India and is used by the union government, many state governments, and other government agencies. The emblem is an adaptation of the Lion Capital of Ashoka, an ancient sculpture dating back to 280 BCE during the Maurya Empire. The statue is a three dimensional emblem showing four lions. It became the emblem of the Dominion of India in December 1947, and later the emblem of the Republic of India.
In a number of countries, plants have been chosen as symbols to represent specific geographic areas. Some countries have a country-wide floral emblem; others in addition have symbols representing subdivisions. Different processes have been used to adopt these symbols – some are conferred by government bodies, whereas others are the result of informal public polls. The term floral emblem, which refers to flowers specifically, is primarily used in Australia and Canada. In the United States, the term state flower is more often used.
Government of Kerala is the executive authority of the Indian state of Kerala. The government is led by a chief minister, who selects all the other ministers. The chief minister and their most senior ministers belong to the supreme decision-making committee, known as the cabinet.
The Republic of India has several official national symbols including a historical document, a flag, an emblem, an anthem, a memorial tower as well as several national heroes. The design of the national flag was officially adopted by the Constituent Assembly just before independence, on July 22, 1947. Other symbols that were designated on various occasions include the national animal, bird, fruit and tree.
A union territory is a type of administrative division in the Republic of India. Unlike the states of India, which have their own governments, union territories are federal territories governed, in part or in whole, by the Union Government of India. There are currently eight union territories in India, namely Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Lakshadweep and Puducherry.
Since unification in 1910, South Africa has used a range of national symbols to identify the country: coats of arms, official seals, flags, national anthems, and floral, bird, animal, and other emblems.
A national emblem is an emblem or seal that is reserved for use by a nation state or multi-national state as a symbol of that nation. Many nations have a seal or emblem in addition to a national flag and a national coat of arms. Other national symbols, such as national birds, trees, flowers, etc., are listed at lists of national symbols.
The Emblem of Uttar Pradesh is the official seal of the government of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The emblem was originally designed in 1916 for the then United Provinces of Agra and Oudh and continued in use following Indian Independence in 1947.
The Emblem of Jammu and Kashmir is an official symbol used to represent the government of Jammu and Kashmir, a region administered by India as a union territory.
The Emblem of Ladakh is the symbol used to represent the government of Ladakh, a region in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent currently administered by India as a union territory. It was adopted following the creation of the union territory of Ladakh on 31 October 2019.
| By type |
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| By states | |||||
