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Theadministrative divisions of India are subnational administrative units ofIndia; they are composed of a nested hierarchy ofadministrative divisions.
Indian states and territories frequently use different local titles for the same level of subdivision (e.g., themandals ofAndhra Pradesh andTelangana correspond totehsils ofUttar Pradesh and otherHindi-speaking states but totalukas ortaluks ofGujarat,Goa,Karnataka,Kerala,Maharashtra, andTamil Nadu).[1]
The smaller subdivisions (villages andblocks) exist only in rural areas. In urban areas,urban local bodies exist instead of these rural subdivisions.
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:
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.gBhatgaon) | |||||||||||||||||||||
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 theStates 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.[2] The present composition of each of these Zonal Councils is as under:[3]
Each zone has a zonal headquarters where a zonal cultural center has been established.[7] Severalstates 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.
India is composed of 28 states and eight union territories (including a national capital territory).[15]
| State[40] | ISO[41] | Vehicle code[42] | Zone[43] | Capital[40] | Largest city[44] | Established[45] | Population (2011)[46] | Area (km2)[47] | Official languages[48] | Additional official languages[48] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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[49] |
| Jammu and Kashmir | IN-JK | JK | Northern | Srinagar(Summer) Jammu(Winter)[50] | Srinagar | 31 October 2019 | 12,258,433 | 42,241 | Dogri, English, Hindi,Kashmiri,Urdu | — |
| Ladakh | IN-LA | LA | Northern | Leh(Summer) Kargil(Winter)[51] | 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 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).
The Sixth Schedule of theConstitution of India allows for the formation of autonomous administrative divisions which have been given autonomy within their respectivestates and union territories.[52]
Presently, 10 Autonomous Councils in Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura are formed by virtue of the Sixth Schedule[53] with the rest being formed as a result of other legislation.
There are 10 Autonomous District Councils created by theSixth Schedule of the Constitution of India:
| State | Autonomous District Council | Headquarters | Formation | Chief Executive Member |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assam | Bodoland Territorial Council | Kokrajhar | 2003 | Pramod Boro |
| North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council | Haflong | 1952 | Debolal Gorlosa | |
| Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council | Diphu | 1952 | Tuliram Ronghang | |
| Meghalaya | Garo Hills Autonomous District Council | Tura | 1973 | Benedick R Marak |
| Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council | Jowai | 1973 | T Shiwat | |
| Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council | Shillong | 1973 | Titosstarwell Chyne | |
| Mizoram | Chakma Autonomous District Council | Kamalanagar | 1972 | Molin Kumar Chakma |
| Lai Autonomous District Council | Lawngtlai | 1972 | V. Zirsanga | |
| Mara Autonomous District Council | Siaha | 1972 | M Laikaw | |
| Tripura | Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council | Khumulwng | 1982 | Purna Chandra Jamatia |
Some states have created autonomous councils by an Act of their state legislatures. The two autonomous councils in theunion territory ofLadakh was created by thestate of Jammu and Kashmir (1952 – 2019).
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 calledDivisional Commissioner.
States likeKerala,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[56] | Population 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 |
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.
States and union territories of India are subdivided intodistricts (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 senior civil servant, usually from theIndian Administrative Service, known variously as theDistrict Collector,District Magistrate, orDeputy Commissioner, depending on the state. The office combines 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.
Law enforcement within a district is under theSuperintendent of Police (SP), typically an officer of theIndian 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. Management of forests and wildlife resources is the responsibility of the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), an officer of theIndian Forest Service.
Sectoral development functions are carried out by district-level officers of various line departments, including Public Works, Health, Education, Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, 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 | 7 | 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 | 792 | 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 |
Asub-division is anadministrative division of adistrict in India. In some states (Andhra Pradesh,Telangana,Tamil Nadu,Kerala) they are calledRevenue Divisions.[57] It is headed by asub-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).[58][59]
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 thetehsil/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.[60] For example, inWest Bengal, theMurshidabad district contains five sub-divisions (mahakumas)
Atehsil (also known astaluk,taluka, ormandal) is a sub-district unit in India, functioning mainly for land and revenue administration. It is headed by atehsildar, who oversees land records, revenue collection, and related functions.
In some cases, tehsils overlap withcommunity 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):[61]
| 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[62] |
| 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[63] |
| 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 intorevenue villages. Arevenue circle, headed by a circle officer or revenue inspector, oversees revenue collection and land records, and consists of multiplerevenue villages, the lowest unit in the land revenue system.
Each district is divided intoBlocks, also known asCommunity Development Blocks (CD Block), purely for the purpose of rural development administration. Each Block comprises several rural subdivisions (Panchayats) and is headed by aBlock Development Officer (BDO), who is an officer of the state civil service.[64]
Census of India (2011) states the following criteria in defining towns. They are:
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 areDelhi NCR.
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 andPune. Example of Tier-II city areFaridabad andGurugram in Delhi NCR,Chandigarh,Jaipur,Surat,Raipur, etc; Tier-III cities areHisar,Bhiwani, and Tier-IV isHansi.[66]
All areas under statutory urban administrative units likeMunicipal Corporation,#India,Cantonment Board, Notified Town Area Committee,Town Panchayat, etc., are known as Statutory 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.
TheCommunity 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 andPanchayati 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 are often the lowest level of subdivisions in India. The governmental bodies at the village level are calledGram 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 500Gram Sabha. Clusters of villages are also sometimes calledHobli or Patti.
Certain governmental functions and activities - including clean water availability, rural development, and education - are tracked at a sub-village level.[68] Thesehamlets are termed "habitations". India is composed of 1,714,556 habitations[69] In some states, most villages have a single habitation; in others (notablyKerala andTripura) there is a high ratio of habitations to villages.[70]
Listed from higher to lower:
Sometimes unofficial and sometimes official classification by the land form:
... North East Zone Cultural Centre – Nagaland – Assam, Tripura, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland & Meghalaya ...
