Amaravati is the capital of Andhra Pradesh. Its status was put beyond doubt by the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation (Amendment) Act, 2026, which Parliament passed on 2 April 2026 (Lok Sabha on 1 April, Rajya Sabha on 2 April). The Act amends Section 5 of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014 to name Amaravati as the state’s sole and permanent capital, with effect from 2 June 2024, the day Hyderabad stopped being the common capital.
Quick Answer
Capital of Andhra Pradesh: Amaravati (Guntur district, on the south bank of the Krishna). Legal basis: Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation (Amendment) Act, 2026, amending Section 5 of the 2014 Act; effective from 2 June 2024. Area: the capital city area notified under the APCRDA Act, 2014. Before 2024: Hyderabad was the common capital of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana for 10 years (2014–2024). High Court: the High Court of Andhra Pradesh sits at Amaravati (since 1 January 2019). Ended: the 2020 "three capitals" plan (Visakhapatnam, Amaravati, Kurnool).
Timeline of the Capital Question
| Year | Development |
|---|---|
| 2014 | Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act creates Telangana (2 June 2014); Hyderabad to be the common capital for up to 10 years |
| 2014 | APCRDA Act passed to plan and develop the new capital region |
| 2015 | Amaravati chosen; foundation stone laid by the Prime Minister on 22 October 2015 at Uddandarayunipalem |
| 2016 | State government notifies Amaravati as the capital location (23 April 2016) |
| 2019 | High Court of Andhra Pradesh starts functioning at Amaravati (1 January) |
| 2020 | Three-capitals law: Visakhapatnam (executive), Amaravati (legislative), Kurnool (judicial) |
| 2021 | Three-capitals law repealed by the state (November) |
| 2022 | AP High Court directs the state to develop Amaravati as the capital (March) |
| 2024 | Hyderabad’s common-capital period ends (2 June); new state government revives Amaravati |
| 2026 | Assembly resolution (28 March); Parliament passes the Amendment Bill (1–2 April); President’s assent follows |
What the 2026 Amendment Does
- Inserts "at Amaravati" into Section 5 of the 2014 Act, so the capital is named in a central law, not just a state notification.
- Defines Amaravati to include the capital city area notified under the APCRDA Act, 2014.
- Applies retrospectively from 2 June 2024, closing the gap after the joint-capital period.
- Effectively rules out the earlier three-capital model, since any change would now need Parliament to amend a central law.
Why Parliament had to act
The capital of a new state formed under Article 3 was left open in the 2014 Act, which named only the common capital. Because the original arrangement sat in a central law, the state asked the Centre to amend that law. Commentators note this is the first time Parliament has named a city as a state’s capital in a statute.
About Amaravati
- Location: between Vijayawada and Guntur, on the Krishna river; planned as a greenfield capital with government complexes, a central business district and riverfront.
- Name: taken from the ancient Amaravati (Dharanikota), capital of the Satavahanas and a great Buddhist centre known for the Amaravati school of art and its stupa.
- Bodies: the Legislative Assembly, Secretariat and High Court function from the capital region.
For the art history, see our note on the Amaravati School of Art, and for all states and capitals see States and Union Territories of India.
UPSC Relevance
- Prelims: the 2026 Act, Section 5, the APCRDA Act, and the effective date.
- Mains GS-2: Parliament’s powers under Articles 3 and 4, Centre–state relations, and whether a state legislature or Parliament should decide a capital.
