Government Officially Designates Amaravati as Capital of Andhra Pradesh via Gazette Notification

NEW DELHI, April 6, 2026 — In a landmark legislative move, the Government of India has officially designated Amaravati as the capital of Andhra Pradesh. The Ministry of Law and Justice issued a formal Gazette notification today, publishing The Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation (Amendment) Act, 2026 (No. 7 of 2026), following the assent of the President of India.

This amendment specifically targets Section 5 of the original 2014 Reorganisation Act, replacing the ambiguous phrase “and there shall be a new capital” with the definitive mandate: “and Amaravati shall be the new capital.”

The notification, signed by Dr. Rajiv Mani, Secretary to the Government of India, further clarifies the geographical scope of the capital. Under the new “Explanation 2” added to the Act, the expression “Amaravati” is defined to include all capital city areas notified under the Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority Act, 2014.

Notably, the Act includes a retrospective clause, stating that these changes shall be deemed to have come into force as of June 2, 2024 .

This legal formalization ends years of administrative uncertainty regarding the state’s seat of power, providing a solid statutory foundation for the development and governance of the Amaravati capital region.