This article possibly contains original research. (August 2019) |
The administrative divisions of India are subnational administrative units of India; they are composed of a nested hierarchy of administrative divisions. India consists of 28 States and 8 Union Territories. These are divided into districts (some states group a set of districts as a division), followed by subdistricts (known in different local names like tehsils and talukas), which are divided into blocks, which consist of villages.
Indian states and territories frequently use different local titles for the same level of subdivision (e.g., the mandals of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana correspond to tehsils of Uttar Pradesh and other Hindi-speaking states but to talukas or taluks of Gujarat, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu).
The smaller subdivisions (villages and blocks) exist only in rural areas. In urban areas, urban local bodies exist instead of these rural subdivisions.
Tiers of India
The diagram below outlines the six tiers of administrative divisions:
| Country (India) | |||||||||||||||||
| State (e.g. West Bengal State) | |||||||||||||||||
| Division (e.g. Medinipur Division) | |||||||||||||||||
| District (e.g. Bankura District) | |||||||||||||||||
| Sub-division (Revenue Subdivision) (e.g. Bankura Sadar subdivision) | |||||||||||||||||
| Sub-district (Tehsil/Taluka, Circle, Sub-division) (e.g. Bavla (Tehsil)) | |||||||||||||||||
| Block (e.g. Bankura II Block) | |||||||||||||||||
| Village (e.g. Bikna village) | |||||||||||||||||
Notes:
- Divisions under State: In some states, divisions do not exist, and the administrative units are split directly into districts. In these states, the division concept is either absent or only for administrative purposes.
- Within a district, there are multiple subdivisions such as Subdivisions, Tehsils/Taluks, and Villages, primarily concerned with land revenue administration.
- Separately, the Block, also known as the Community Development Block, is a subdivision of the district used exclusively for rural development purposes. It falls under the Rural Development Department and is not related to revenue administration.
- Nomenclature Differences:
- The term "Division" is often used as "Revenue Division" or "Region" in some states.
- In many states, Districts are officially known as Revenue Districts.
- In some states, a division under a district may be referred to as a Revenue Division, which is equivalent to a sub-division in other states.
- The terminology for administrative units like Taluk or Tehsil or Sub-district varies widely; for example, Tehsil in Uttar Pradesh is referred to as Taluk in Tamil Nadu, and Circle in some northeastern states and mandal in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
Tiers of Government
The diagram below outlines the three tiers of government : union, state and local government.
| Union Government (Government of India) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| State Government (e.g. Government of Kerala) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Urban (Urban Local Bodies) | Rural (Panchayati Raj Institutions) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| District Panchayat Zilla Parishad (e.g. Raigad District Council) | Block Panchayat (Panchayat Samiti) | Village Panchayat Gram Panchayat (e.g. Binodpur Gram Panchayat) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Urban (Urban Local Bodies) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Municipal Corporation (e.g. Municipal Corporation of Delhi) | Municipality (e.g. Darjeeling Municipality) | Town Panchayat (e.g Bhatgaon) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Sub-national zones
Administrative zones
The states of India have been grouped into six zones having an Advisory Council "to develop the habit of cooperative working" among these States. Zonal Councils were set up vide Part-III of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956. The North Eastern States' special problems are addressed by another statutory body - The North Eastern Council, created by the North Eastern Council Act, 1971. The present composition of each of these Zonal Councils is as under:
- Northern Zonal Council, comprising Chandigarh, Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Punjab, and Rajasthan;
- North Eastern Council, comprising Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura; The State of Sikkim has also been included in the North Eastern Council vide North Eastern Council (Amendment) Act, 2002 notified on 23 December 2002.
- Central Zonal Council, comprising the States of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh;
- Eastern Zonal Council, comprising Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, and West Bengal;
- Western Zonal Council, comprising Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Goa, Gujarat, and Maharashtra;
- Southern Zonal Council, comprising Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana.
- Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep are not members of any of the Zonal Councils. However, they are presently special invitees to the Southern Zonal Council
Cultural zones
Each zone has a zonal headquarters where a zonal cultural center has been established. Several states have membership in multiple zones, but no state subdivisions are utilised in the zonal divisions. In addition to promoting the culture of the zones they are responsible for, each zonal center also works to cross-promote and create exposure to other cultural zones of India by organising functions and inviting artistes from other zones.
| Zone | Zonal Centre | Extent |
|---|---|---|
| South Culture Zone | South Zone Cultural Centre, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu | Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, Telangana |
| South Central Culture Zone | South-Central Zone Cultural Centre, Nagpur, Maharashtra | Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana |
| North Culture Zone | North Zone Cultural Centre, Patiala, Punjab | Chandigarh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand |
| North Central Culture Zone | North Central Zone Cultural Centre, Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh | Bihar, Delhi, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand |
| East Culture Zone | East Zone Cultural Centre, Kolkata, West Bengal | Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Manipur, Odisha, Sikkim, Tripura, West Bengal |
| North East Culture Zone | North East Zone Cultural Centre, Dimapur, Nagaland | Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura |
| West Culture Zone | West Zone Cultural Centre, Udaipur, Rajasthan | Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Goa, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan |
States and union territories within zones
India is composed of 28 states and eight union territories (including a national capital territory).
States
| State | ISO | Vehicle code | Zone | Capital | Largest city | Statehood | Population (2011) | Area (km2) | Official languages | Additional official languages |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andhra Pradesh | IN-AP | AP | Southern | Amaravati | Visakhapatnam | 1 November 1956 | 49,506,799 | 162,975 | Telugu | Urdu |
| Arunachal Pradesh | IN-AR | AR | North-Eastern | Itanagar | 20 February 1987 | 1,383,727 | 83,743 | English | — | |
| Assam | IN-AS | AS | North-Eastern | Dispur | Guwahati | 26 January 1950 | 31,205,576 | 78,438 | Assamese, Boro | Bengali, Meitei |
| Bihar | IN-BR | BR | Eastern | Patna | 26 January 1950 | 104,099,452 | 94,163 | Hindi | Urdu | |
| Chhattisgarh | IN-CG | CG | Central | Raipur | 1 November 2000 | 25,545,198 | 135,194 | Hindi | Chhattisgarhi | |
| Goa | IN-GA | GA | Western | Panaji | Vasco da Gama | 30 May 1987 | 1,458,545 | 3,702 | Konkani | Marathi |
| Gujarat | IN-GJ | GJ | Western | Gandhinagar | Ahmedabad | 1 May 1960 | 60,439,692 | 196,024 | Gujarati, Hindi | — |
| Haryana | IN-HR | HR | Northern | Chandigarh | Faridabad | 1 November 1966 | 25,351,462 | 44,212 | Hindi | Punjabi |
| Himachal Pradesh | IN-HP | HP | Northern | Shimla (Summer) Dharamshala (Winter) | Shimla | 25 January 1971 | 6,864,602 | 55,673 | Hindi | Sanskrit |
| Jharkhand | IN-JH | JH | Eastern | Ranchi | Jamshedpur | 15 November 2000 | 32,988,134 | 79,714 | Hindi | Angika, Bengali, Bhojpuri, Bhumij, Ho, Kharia, Khortha, Kurmali, Kurukh, Magahi, Maithili, Mundari, Nagpuri, Odia, Santali, Urdu |
| Karnataka | IN-KA | KA | Southern | Bengaluru | 1 November 1956 | 61,095,297 | 191,791 | Kannada | — | |
| Kerala | IN-KL | KL | Southern | Thiruvananthapuram | 1 November 1956 | 33,406,061 | 38,863 | Malayalam | English | |
| Madhya Pradesh | IN-MP | MP | Central | Bhopal | Indore | 1 November 1956 | 72,626,809 | 308,252 | Hindi | — |
| Maharashtra | IN-MH | MH | Western | Mumbai (Summer) Nagpur (Winter) | Mumbai | 1 May 1960 | 112,374,333 | 307,713 | Marathi | — |
| Manipur | IN-MN | MN | North-Eastern | Imphal | 21 January 1972 | 2,855,794 | 22,327 | Meitei | English | |
| Meghalaya | IN-ML | ML | North-Eastern | Shillong | 21 January 1972 | 2,966,889 | 22,429 | English | — | |
| Mizoram | IN-MZ | MZ | North-Eastern | Aizawl | 20 February 1987 | 1,097,206 | 21,081 | Mizo, English | — | |
| Nagaland | IN-NL | NL | North-Eastern | Kohima | Dimapur | 1 December 1963 | 1,978,502 | 16,579 | English | — |
| Odisha | IN-OD | OD | Eastern | Bhubaneswar | 26 January 1950 | 41,974,218 | 155,707 | Odia | — | |
| Punjab | IN-PB | PB | Northern | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | 1 November 1966 | 27,743,338 | 50,362 | Punjabi | — |
| Rajasthan | IN-RJ | RJ | Northern | Jaipur | 26 January 1950 | 68,548,437 | 342,239 | Hindi | English | |
| Sikkim | IN-SK | SK | North-Eastern | Gangtok | 16 May 1975 | 610,577 | 7,096 | Nepali, Sikkimese, Lepcha, English | Gurung, Limbu, Magar, Mukhia, Newari, Rai, Sherpa, Tamang | |
| Tamil Nadu | IN-TN | TN | Southern | Chennai | 1 November 1956 | 72,147,030 | 130,058 | Tamil | English | |
| Telangana | IN-TS | TG | Southern | Hyderabad | 2 June 2014 | 35,193,978 | 112,077 | Telugu | Urdu | |
| Tripura | IN-TR | TR | North-Eastern | Agartala | 21 January 1972 | 3,673,917 | 10,491 | Bengali, English, Kokborok | — | |
| Uttar Pradesh | IN-UP | UP | Central | Lucknow | 26 January 1950 | 199,812,341 | 240,928 | Hindi | Urdu | |
| Uttarakhand | IN-UK | UK | Central | Bhararisain (Summer) Dehradun (Winter) | Dehradun | 9 November 2000 | 10,086,292 | 53,483 | Hindi | Sanskrit |
| West Bengal | IN-WB | WB | Eastern | Kolkata | 26 January 1950 | 91,276,115 | 88,752 | Bengali, English | Nepali, Hindi, Odia, Punjabi, Santali, Telugu, Urdu, Kamatapuri, Rajbanshi, Kurmali, Kurukh | |
| Total | 1,178,310,321 | 3,054,066 | ||||||||
- Nava Raipur is planned to replace Raipur as the capital city of Chhattisgarh.
- Andhra Pradesh was divided into two states, Telangana and a residual Andhra Pradesh on 2 June 2014. Hyderabad, located entirely within the borders of Telangana, is to serve as the capital for both states for a period of time not exceeding ten years. The Government of Andhra Pradesh and the Andhra Pradesh Legislature completed the process of relocating to temporary facilities in the envisaged new capital city Amaravati in early 2017.
- Bengali and Nepali are the official languages in the Darjeeling and Kurseong sub-divisions of the Darjeeling district.
- Hindi, Odia, Punjabi, Santali, Urdu, Kamatapuri, Rajbanshi, Kurmali and Kurukh are treated as additional official languages in blocks, divisions or districts where the speakers exceed 10% of the population.
Union territories
| State | ISO | Vehicle code | Zone | Capital | Largest city | Established | Population (2011) | Area (km2) | Official languages | Additional official languages |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andaman and Nicobar Islands | IN-AN | AN | Southern | Port Blair | 1 November 1956 | 380,581 | 8,249 | Hindi, English | — | |
| Chandigarh | IN-CH | CH | Northern | Chandigarh | 1 November 1966 | 1,055,450 | 114 | English | — | |
| Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu | IN-DH | DD | Western | Daman | Silvassa | 26 January 2020 | 587,106 | 603 | Hindi, English | Gujarati |
| Delhi | IN-DL | DL | Northern | New Delhi | Delhi | 1 November 1956 | 16,787,941 | 1,484 | Hindi, English | Urdu, Punjabi |
| Jammu and Kashmir | IN-JK | JK | Northern | Srinagar (Summer) Jammu (Winter) | Srinagar | 31 October 2019 | 12,258,433 | 42,241 | Dogri, English, Hindi, Kashmiri, Urdu | — |
| Ladakh | IN-LA | LA | Northern | Leh (Summer) Kargil (Winter) | Leh | 31 October 2019 | 290,492 | 59,146 | Hindi, English | — |
| Lakshadweep | IN-LD | LD | Southern | Kavaratti | 1 November 1956 | 64,473 | 32 | English | Malayalam | |
| Puducherry | IN-PY | PY | Southern | Pondicherry | 16 August 1962 | 1,247,953 | 479 | Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam | English, French | |
| Total | 32,672,429 | 112,348 | ||||||||
Divisions within states and UT
Divisions exist within the respective states and union territories, and are of two types, namely the "Administrative Divisions" (directly under the control of the state government) and the "Autonomous Administrative Divisions" (relatively with the higher degree of autonomy governed by the directly elected council).
Autonomous administrative divisions
The Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India allows for the formation of autonomous administrative divisions which have been given autonomy within their respective states and union territories.
Presently, 10 Autonomous Councils in Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura are formed by virtue of the Sixth Schedule with the rest being formed as a result of other legislation.
There are 10 Autonomous District Councils created by the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India:
| State | Autonomous District Council | Headquarters | Formation | Last Election | Ruling Party |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assam | Bodoland Territorial Council | Kokrajhar | 2003 | 2025 | BPF |
| Dima Hasao Autonomous Council | Haflong | 1952 | 2024 | BJP | |
| Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council | Diphu | 1952 | 2022 | BJP | |
| Meghalaya | Garo Hills Autonomous District Council | Tura | 1973 | 2021 | NPP |
| Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council | Jowai | 1973 | 2025 | NPP | |
| Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council | Shillong | 1973 | 2025 | VPP | |
| Mizoram | Chakma Autonomous District Council | Kamalanagar | 1972 | 2023 | Governor's rule |
| Lai Autonomous District Council | Lawngtlai | 1972 | 2020 | BJP | |
| Mara Autonomous District Council | Siaha | 1972 | 2022 | BJP | |
| Tripura | Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council | Khumulwng | 1982 | 2021 | TMP |
Some states have created autonomous councils by an Act of their state legislatures. The two autonomous councils in the union territory of Ladakh was created by the state of Jammu and Kashmir (1952 – 2019).
| State/UT | Autonomous Council | Headquarters | Formation | Last Election | Last Ruling Party |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assam | Tiwa Autonomous Council | Morigaon | 1995 | 2020 | BJP |
| Mising Autonomous Council | Dhemaji | 1995 | 2019 | SGS | |
| Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council | Dudhnoi | 1995 | 2025 | RHJM | |
| Sonowal Kachari Autonomous Council | Dibrugarh | 2005 | 2019 | BJP | |
| Thengal Kachari Autonomous Council | Titabar | 2005 | 2022 | BJP | |
| Deori Autonomous Council | Narayanpur | 2005 | 2022 | BJP | |
| Moran Autonomous Council | Tinsukia | 2020 | |||
| Matak Autonomous Council | Chring Gaon | 2020 | |||
| Bodo Kachari Welfare Autonomous Council | Simen Chapori | 2020 | |||
| Kamtapur Autonomous Council | Abhayapuri | 2020 | |||
| Manipur | Chandel Autonomous District Council | Chandel | 1971 | 2015 | NPF |
| Churachandpur Autonomous District Council | Churachandpur | 1971 | 2015 | Ind | |
| Sadar Hills Autonomous District Council | Kangpokpi | 1971 | 2015 | INC | |
| Manipur North Autonomous District Council | Senapati | 1971 | 2015 | NPF | |
| Tamenglong Autonomous District Council | Tamenglong | 1971 | 2015 | NPF | |
| Ukhrul Autonomous District Council | Ukhrul | 1971 | 2015 | NPF | |
| Ladakh | Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Kargil | Kargil | 2003 | 2023 | JKNC |
| Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Leh | Leh | 1995 | 2020 | BJP | |
| West Bengal | Gorkhaland Territorial Administration | Darjeeling | 2012 | 2022 | BGPM |
Administrative divisions
Many of the Indian states are subdivided into divisions, which have official administrative governmental status, and each division is headed by a senior IAS officer called Divisional Commissioner.
States like Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Goa, etc. don't have separate divisions or regions. Instead, they're directly split into districts for administrative purposes.
As of September 2022, divisions exist in 18 of the 28 states and 3 of the 8 union territories. As of September 2022, there are a total of 102 divisions in India.
| State/union territory | No. of divisions | Population 2011 Census | Average Pop'n per division |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andhra Pradesh | - | 49,386,799 | - |
| Arunachal Pradesh | 3 | 1,383,727 | 461,242 |
| Assam | 5 | 31,169,272 | 6,233,854 |
| Bihar | 9 | 104,099,452 | 11,566,606 |
| Chhattisgarh | 5 | 25,545,198 | 5,109,040 |
| Goa | - | 1,458,545 | - |
| Gujarat | 4 | 60,439,692 | - |
| Haryana | 6 | 25,351,462 | 4,225,244 |
| Himachal Pradesh | 3 | 6,864,602 | 2,288,201 |
| Telangana | - | 35,193,978 | - |
| Jharkhand | 5 | 32,988,134 | 6,597,627 |
| Karnataka | 4 | 61,095,297 | 15,273,824 |
| Kerala | 3 | 33,406,061 | - |
| Madhya Pradesh | 10 | 72,626,809 | 7,262,681 |
| Maharashtra | 6 | 112,374,333 | 18,729,056 |
| Manipur | - | 2,721,756 | - |
| Meghalaya | 3 | 2,966,889 | 1,483,445 |
| Mizoram | - | 1,097,206 | - |
| Nagaland | 1 | 1,978,502 | 1,978,502 |
| Odisha | 3 | 41,974,218 | 13,991,406 |
| Punjab | 5 | 27,743,338 | 5,548,668 |
| Rajasthan | 10 | 68,548,437 | 6,854,844 |
| Sikkim | - | 610,577 | - |
| Tamil Nadu | - | 72,147,030 | - |
| Tripura | - | 3,673,917 | - |
| Uttar Pradesh | 18 | 199,812,341 | 11,100,686 |
| Uttarakhand | 2 | 10,086,292 | 5,043,146 |
| West Bengal | 5 | 91,276,115 | 18,255,223 |
| Andaman and Nicobar Islands | - | 380,581 | - |
| Chandigarh | - | 1,055,450 | - |
| Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu | - | 586,956 | - |
| Jammu and Kashmir | 2 | 12,258,433 | 6,129,217 |
| Ladakh | 1 | 290,492 | 290,492 |
| Lakshadweep | - | 64,473 | - |
| Delhi | 1 | 16,787,941 | 16,787,941 |
| Puducherry | - | 1,247,953 | - |
| Total | 111 | 1,210,854,977 | 11,755,874 |
Regions within states
Some states consist of regions, which have no official administrative governmental status. They are purely geographic regions; some correspond to historic countries, states or provinces. A region may comprise one or more divisions, averaging about three divisions per region. However, the boundaries of the regions and the boundaries of the divisions do not always coincide exactly. So far there has been no movement to give the regions official administrative status. If this was to be done, it would presumably require that the boundaries of the regions be slightly modified so that they correspond exactly with their constituent districts.
- Regions of Assam
- Regions of Gujarat
- Regions of Maharashtra
Districts within divisions
States and union territories of India are subdivided into districts (zilla), numbering 797 as of November 2023. A district, formally designated a revenue district, serves as the primary administrative unit of a state or union territory.
Each district is headed by a civil servant, usually from the Indian Administrative Service, known variously as the District Collector, District Magistrate, or Deputy Commissioner, depending on the state. The office combines land revenue administration with magisterial and general executive responsibilities. Although created as a revenue unit, district boundaries are widely adopted by other departments—such as police, education, health, and rural development—for administrative efficiency, making the district a multipurpose jurisdiction.
Police administration within a district is under the Superintendent of Police (SP), typically an officer of the Indian Police Service. Police districts are generally coterminous with revenue districts, though in some states a single revenue district may contain more than one police district, or a police district may cover only a subdivision of a revenue district. A forest division is different from a revenue district. Its boundaries vary from state to state and may encompass multiple revenue districts or only a portion of one. Management of forests and wildlife resources within the forest division rests with the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), an officer of the Indian Forest Service.
Sectoral development functions are carried out by district-level officers of various line departments of the state government, including Public Works, Health, Education, Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Social Justice, Urban Development, Panchayati Raj, and Rural Development. These officials usually belong to the respective state civil services.
| Administrative divisions | No. of districts | Total population | Population per district | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| States | ||||||||
| Andhra Pradesh | 26 | 49,577,103 | 1,906,812 | |||||
| Arunachal Pradesh | 27 | 1,383,727 | 51,249 | |||||
| Assam | 35 | 31,205,576 | 891,588 | |||||
| Bihar | 38 | 104,099,452 | 2,739,459 | |||||
| Chhattisgarh | 33 | 25,545,198 | 774,097 | |||||
| Goa | 2 | 1,458,545 | 729,273 | |||||
| Gujarat | 34 | 60,439,692 | 1,777,638 | |||||
| Haryana | 22 | 25,351,462 | 1,152,339 | |||||
| Himachal Pradesh | 12 | 6,864,602 | 572,050 | |||||
| Jharkhand | 24 | 32,988,134 | 1,374,506 | |||||
| Karnataka | 31 | 61,095,297 | 1,970,816 | |||||
| Kerala | 14 | 33,406,061 | 2,386,147 | |||||
| Madhya Pradesh | 55 | 72,626,809 | 1,320,487 | |||||
| Maharashtra | 36 | 112,374,333 | 3,121,509 | |||||
| Manipur | 16 | 2,570,390 | 160,649 | |||||
| Meghalaya | 12 | 2,966,889 | 247,241 | |||||
| Mizoram | 11 | 1,097,206 | 99,746 | |||||
| Nagaland | 17 | 1,978,502 | 116,382 | |||||
| Odisha | 30 | 41,974,218 | 1,399,141 | |||||
| Punjab | 23 | 27,743,338 | 1,206,232 | |||||
| Rajasthan | 41 | 68,548,437 | 1,671,913 | |||||
| Sikkim | 6 | 610,577 | 101,763 | |||||
| Tamil Nadu | 38 | 72,147,030 | 1,898,606 | |||||
| Telangana | 33 | 35,003,674 | 1,060,717 | |||||
| Tripura | 8 | 3,673,917 | 459,240 | |||||
| Uttar Pradesh | 75 | 199,812,341 | 2,664,165 | |||||
| Uttarakhand | 13 | 10,086,292 | 775,869 | |||||
| West Bengal | 23 | 91,276,115 | 3,968,527 | |||||
| Union Territory | ||||||||
| Andaman and Nicobar Islands | 3 | 380,581 | 126,860 | |||||
| Chandigarh | 1 | 1,055,450 | 1,055,450 | |||||
| Dadra Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu | 3 | 586,956 | 195,652 | |||||
| Jammu and Kashmir | 20 | 12,258,093 | 612,905 | |||||
| Ladakh | 2 | 290,492 | 145,246 | |||||
| Lakshadweep | 1 | 64,473 | 64,473 | |||||
| Delhi | 11 | 16,787,941 | 1,526,176 | |||||
| Puducherry | 4 | 1,247,953 | 311,988 | |||||
| Total | 780 | 1,210,576,856 | 1,552,022 | |||||
| Largest District | Smallest District | |
|---|---|---|
| By Land Area | Kutch district | Mahe district |
| By Population | North 24 Parganas district | Dibang Valley district |
Subdivisions
A sub-division is an administrative division of a district in India. In some states (Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala) they are called Revenue Divisions. It is headed by a sub-divisional magistrate (also known as assistant collector or assistant commissioner). In some states, the post is designated as Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) or Sub-Divisional Officer (Civil).
Subdivisions, also known as revenue divisions in some states, are designed primarily for land revenue administration and related purposes. These subdivisions serve as an intermediate tier between the district and the tehsil/taluk/subdistrict levels, encompassing multiple of these smaller administrative units. Their core functions revolve around the management of land records, the collection of land taxes, and the implementation of land-related policies, facilitating efficient governance and resource management at the local level.
A district may have multiple sub-divisions, and each of those sub-divisions may contain multiple sub-districts (tehsils/C.D. Blocks) and municipalities. For example, in West Bengal, the Murshidabad district contains five sub-divisions (mahakumas)
Subdistricts
A tehsil (also known as taluk, taluka, or mandal) is a sub-district unit in India, functioning mainly for land and revenue administration. It is headed by a tehsildar, who oversees land records, revenue collection, and related functions.
In some cases, tehsils overlap with community development blocks. Tehsils fall under the revenue department, while blocks come under the rural development department and are headed by a Block Development Officer (BDO), serving different administrative purposes over similar areas.
States use varying names for their sub-districts. Detailed information is as follows (as of 2018):
| State/ Union territory | Subdistrict title | No. of subdistricts |
|---|---|---|
| Andhra Pradesh | Mandal | 679 |
| Arunachal Pradesh | Circle | 149 |
| Assam | Subdivision | 155 |
| Bihar | Subdivision | 101 |
| Chhattisgarh | Tehsil | 228 |
| Goa | Taluka | 12 |
| Gujarat | Taluka | 248 |
| Haryana | Tehsil | 67 |
| Himachal Pradesh | Tehsil | 109 |
| Jharkhand | Subdivision | 210 |
| Karnataka | Taluk | 240 |
| Kerala | Taluk | 78 |
| Madhya Pradesh | Tehsil | 412 |
| Maharashtra | Taluka | 353 |
| Manipur | Subdivision | 38 |
| Meghalaya | Subdivision | 39 |
| Mizoram | Subdivision | 22 |
| Nagaland | Circle | 93 |
| Odisha | Tehsil | 485 |
| Punjab | Tehsil | 172 |
| Rajasthan | Tehsil | 268 |
| Sikkim | Subdivision | 9 |
| Tamil Nadu | Taluk | 316 |
| Telangana | Mandal | 612 |
| Tripura | Subdivision | 38 |
| Uttar Pradesh | Tehsil | 350 |
| Uttarakhand | Tehsil | 113 |
| West Bengal | Subdivision | 69 |
| Andaman and Nicobar Islands | Tehsil | 7 |
| Chandigarh | Tehsil | 1 |
| Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu | Tehsil | 3 |
| Delhi | Tehsil | 33 |
| Jammu and Kashmir | Tehsil | 55 |
| Ladakh | Tehsil | 4 |
| Lakshadweep | Subdivision | 4 |
| Puducherry | Tehsil | 8 |
| Total | 6158 | |
Each tehsil is divided into revenue circles or directly into revenue villages. A revenue circle, headed by a circle officer or revenue inspector, oversees revenue collection and land records, and consists of multiple revenue villages, the lowest unit in the land revenue system.
Development Blocks
Each district is divided into Blocks, also known as Community Development Blocks (CD Block), purely for the purpose of rural development administration. Each Block comprises several rural subdivisions (Panchayats) and is headed by a Block Development Officer (BDO), who is an officer of the state civil service.
Local government
Urban level
Census of India (2011) states the following criteria in defining towns. They are:
- Statutory Town (ST): All places with a municipality, corporation, cantonment board, or notified town area committee, etc.
- Census Town (CT): Those which have a population greater than 5000. Other definitions include percentage of non-agriculture working population and population density.
Urban agglomerations
Urban agglomerations are two or more separate administrative cities contiguous to each other, some of which may or may not have the formal recognition in the form of a legal body to manage the agglomerations, the examples of such legal bodies are Delhi NCR.
Metropolitan area
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) classifies the cities in India from Tier-I (largest) to Tier-IV (smallest) for the administrative efficiency, economic assessment, urban planning and infrastructure, investment considerations, business environment, and purchasing power of cities based on the criteria entailing the population, economic Development (GDP, etc), infrastructure, educational Institutions and healthcare Facilities, and administrative Importance. Tier-I and tier-II also called the metropolitan cities. The examples of Tier-I metropolitan cities of are: Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Pune. Example of Tier-II city are Faridabad and Gurugram in Delhi NCR, Chandigarh, Jaipur, Surat, Raipur, etc; Tier-III cities are Hisar, Bhiwani, and Tier-IV is Hansi.
Statutory towns
All areas under statutory urban administrative units like Municipal Corporation, #India, Cantonment Board, Notified Town Area Committee, Town Panchayat, etc., are known as Statutory Towns.
Census towns
Census towns are areas in India that have urban characteristics but are not defined as towns by state governments. They are governed by rural local bodies like gram panchayats, unlike statutory towns.
Rural level
Blocks
The Community Development Block also known as CD Block or just block, is often the next level of administrative division (for development purposes, whereas tehsil is next to the district for revenue purposes).
Blocks are district sub-divisions primarily for the purpose of Rural Development departments and Panchayati Raj institutions. Cities have similar arrangements under the Urban Development department. Tehsils (also called Taluks) are common across urban and rural areas for the administration of land and revenue departments, primarily to track land ownership and levy land tax.
| State | CD Block | Number of CD Blocks |
|---|---|---|
| Andaman and Nicobar Islands | CD Block | 9 |
| Andhra Pradesh | Mandal | 668 |
| Arunachal Pradesh | Block | 129 |
| Assam | Block | 239 |
| Bihar | Block | 534 |
| Chandigarh | Block | 3 |
| Chhattisgarh | CD Block | 146 |
| Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu | CD Block | 3 |
| Delhi | CD Block | 342 |
| Goa | CD Block | 12 |
| Gujarat | CD Block | 250 |
| Haryana | Block | 143 |
| Himachal Pradesh | CD Block | 88 |
| Jammu and Kashmir | CD Block | 287 |
| Jharkhand | Block | 264 |
| Karnataka | CD Block | 235 |
| Kerala | Block | 152 |
| Ladakh | CD Block | 31 |
| Lakshadweep | CD Block | 10 |
| Madhya Pradesh | CD Block | 313 |
| Maharashtra | CD Block | 352 |
| Manipur | CD Block | 70 |
| Meghalaya | CD Block | 54 |
| Mizoram | CD Block | 28 |
| Nagaland | CD Block | 74 |
| Odisha | CD Block | 314 |
| Puducherry | CD Block | 6 |
| Punjab | CD Block | 153 |
| Rajasthan | CD Block | 353 |
| Sikkim | CD Block | 33 |
| Tamil Nadu | Taluk | 388 |
| Telangana | Mandal | 594 |
| Tripura | CD Block | 58 |
| Uttar Pradesh | CD Block | 826 |
| Uttarakhand | CD Block | 95 |
| West Bengal | CD Block | 345 |
Villages
Villages are often the lowest level of subdivisions in India. The governmental bodies at the village level are called Gram Panchayat, of which there were an estimated 256,000 in 2002. Each Gram Panchayat covers a large village or a cluster of smaller villages with a combined population exceeding 500 Gram Sabha. Clusters of villages are also sometimes called Hobli or Patti.
Habitations
Certain governmental functions and activities - including clean water availability, rural development, and education - are tracked at a sub-village level. These hamlets are termed "habitations". India is composed of 1,714,556 habitations In some states, most villages have a single habitation; in others (notably Kerala and Tripura) there is a high ratio of habitations to villages.
Others
India
- Akhand Bharat
- Greater India
- Indosphere
- Mandala (political model)
- Names of India
India outside India
- Indian Antarctica
- Overseas military bases of India
- Little India (disambiguation)
Historical administrative divisions
Listed from higher to lower:
- Historic India
- Meluhha
- Province or state level
- Subah,
- Division level
- Chakla, a large division, often comprising several Parganas, and sometimes serving as a replacement or intermediate unit between a Sarkar and Pargana, particularly in regions like Bengal and Awadh.
- District level
- Sarkar or Taraf
- Sub-district
- Pargana or Mahal
- Village level
- Mauza or Gram
Present day habitation terms
- Chak, village in Punjab Canal Colonies
- Dhani, hamlet
Land forms
Sometimes unofficial and sometimes official classification by the land form:
- Bagar tract
- Barani, Nehri and Nalli
- Doab
- Khadir and Bangar
See also
- Regions of Asia
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