Administrative Divisions of India – The Complete Guide

India or the Republic of India is, geographically, the seventh largest nation in the world. It is also the second-most populated nation and the world’s most populous democracy.

India comprises of 28 states and 8 union territories. All states and the union territories of India having partial statehood namely the National Capital Region of Delhi, Puducherry, and Jammu & Kashmir have their executive councils of ministers, elected government, and legislature.

The central government directly governs the remaining five union territories through nominated administrators. The States Reorganisation Act of 1956 reorganized states on the basis of their primary languages. These governing bodies are further divided at the city, town, block, district, and village levels for administration and development convenience.

It is also home to multiple cultures with ethnic, religious, linguistic, and geographical diversities. The governance of a country so large and diverse is no child’s play! To assure the administration of India as a democratic country, it is pertinent that the area is divided up into sections of administrative convenience.

To discuss this is the main purpose of this article on Administrative Divisions of India.

Basic Tiers of Administrative Divisions in India

For a long time now, India has had the concept of administrative divisions. But how many of us know the names of the basic tiers of the administrative system in India? Before we examine these in more detail, let us quickly look at the divisions given below.

Country

Zones

State or Union Territory

Division

Region

District

Sub-District

Block/Tehsil

To have a more clear understanding of the States Reorganization Act, read our blog on All About 7th Amendment of Indian Constitution.

Zones

Indian states have been divided into 6 zones, each with its advisory council (or zonal council) and with the goal “to foster a culture of cooperative working” among them. These zonal councils were established under Part-III of the States Reorganisation Act of 1956. Each Zonal Council has a Branch Office for Administration and Councils. The Council’s chairman should be the Prime Minister.

The composition of Zonal Councils in India is largely determined by the state’s geographical location. These zonal councils handle matters affecting the state, including those involving minorities and inter-state transport. Zonal councils also address disputes arising as a consequence of state reorganization, infrastructure, and other issues.

The 6 zonal councils division is given below.

1. Northern Zonal Council – Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Chandigarh, Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh.
2. North Eastern Council – Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, Sikkim.
3. Central Zonal Council – Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh.
4. Eastern Zonal Council – West Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha, and Bihar.
5. Western Zonal Council – Maharashtra, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Goa, Gujarat.
6. Southern Zonal Council – Puducherry, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana.

Lakshadweep and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are not participants in any Zonal Councils. They do, however, now have a special invitation to the Southern Zonal Councils.

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States and Union Territories

State

India currently consists of 28 states. Each state has a capital. In certain states, all three governmental functions—administrative, legislative, and judicial—are housed in the same capital. There is a Chief Minister in charge of each state.

Given below are the names and capitals of these 28 states that make up India.

State	Capital
Andhra Pradesh	Amaravati
Arunachal Pradesh	Itanagar
Assam	Dispur
Bihar	Patna
Chattisgarh	Raipur
Goa	Panaji
Gujarat	Gandhinagar
Haryana	Chandigarh
Himachal Pradesh	Shimla(Summer Capital) and Dharamshala(Winter Capital)
Jharkhand	Ranchi
Karnataka	Bangalore
Kerala	Thiruvananthapuram
Madhya Pradesh	Bhopal
Maharashtra	Mumbai and Nagpur(Winter Capital)
Manipur	Imphal
Meghalaya	Shillong
Mizoram	Aizawl
Nagaland	Kohima
Odisha	Bhubaneshwar
Punjab	Chandigarh
Rajasthan	Jaipur
Sikkim	Gangtok
Tamil Nadu	Chennai
Telangana	Hyderabad
Tripura	Agartala
Uttar Pradesh	Lucknow
Uttarakhand	Bhararisain and Dehradun(Winter Capital)
West Bengal	Kolkata

If you want to read more about States & Capitals of India, our blog on the same topic will help you out.

Union Territory

India comprises of 8 Union Territories, of which Delhi is the NCT (National Capital Territory). Administrators picked by the Indian President are in charge of the union territories.

Jammu and Kashmir, Puducherry, and Delhi are three of these regions that have received partial statehood, including elected legislatures and executive councils of ministers with fewer powers. The names of these Union Territories with their capitals are given below.

Union Territories	Capital
Andaman and Nicobar Island	Port Blair
Chandigarh	Chandigarh
Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu	Daman
NCT of Delhi	Delhi
Ladakh	Leh
Lakshadweep	Kavaratti
Jammu and Kashmir	Jammu and Srinagar
Puducherry	Puducherry

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Division

A division is at a lower level than states in India. A senior IAS officer of India known as a Divisional Commissioner leads each division, which has formal administrative governmental standing.

Currently, there are 102 divisions in total belonging to 18 of the 28 states and 3 of the 8 union territories. Let us take a look at these divisions:

State or Union Territory	Division
Arunachal Pradesh	1. East 2. West
Assam	1. Upper Assam 2. Lower Assam 3. North Assam 4. Central Assam 5. Barak Valley
Bihar	1. Patna 2. Tirhut 3. Saran 4. Darbhanga 5. Kosi 6. Purnia 7. Bhagalpur 8. Munger 9. Magadh
Chhattisgarh	1. Surguja 2. Bilaspur 3. Durg 4. Raipur 5. Bastar
Haryana	1. Hilsar 2. Gurgaon 3. Ambala 4. Faridabad 5. Rohtak 6. Karnal
Himachal Pradesh	1. Kangra 2. Mandi 3. Shimla
Jharkhand	1. Palamu 2. North Chotanagpur 3. South Chotanagpur 4. Kolhan 5. Santhal Pargana
Karnataka	1. Bangalore 2. Mysore 3. Belgaum 4. Kalaburagi
Madhya Pradesh	1. Bhopal 2. Indore 3. Gwalior 4. Jabalpur 5. Rewa 6. Sagar 7. Shahdol 8. Ujjain 9. Chambal 10. Narmadapuram
Maharashtra	1. Amaravati 2. Aurangabad 3. Konkan 4. Nagpur 5. Nashik 6. Pune
Meghalaya	1. Tura 2. Shillong
Nagaland	1. Nagaland
Odisha	1. Central 2. Northern 3. Southern
Punjab	1. Patiala 2. Faridkot 3. Firozepur 4. Jalandhar 5. Rup Nagar
Rajasthan	1. Jaipur 2. Jodhpur 3. Ajmer 4. Udaipur 5. Bikaner 6. Kota 7. Bharatpur
Uttar Pradesh	1. Agra 2. Aligarh 3. Ayodhya 4. Azamgarh 5. Bareilly 6. Basti 7. Chitrakot 8. Devipatan 9. Gorakhpur 10. Jhansi 11. Kanpur 12. Lucknow 13. Meerut 14. Mirzapur 15. Moradabad 16. Allahabad 17. Saharanpur 18. Varanasi
Uttarakhand	1. Kumaon 2. Garhwal
West Bengal	1. Presidency 2. Medinipur 3. Malda 4. Burdwan 5. Jalpaiguri
Delhi	1. Delhi
Jammu and Kashmir	1. Jammu Kashmir
Ladakh	1. Ladakh

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Region

Regions are parts of a state in India that don’t have a formal administrative governmental standing. These are only geographical areas; some of them belong to former nations, states, or provinces.

They are usually comprised of three divisions, however, there may be one or more. The divisional borders and the regional boundaries, however, don’t always line up perfectly.

For example, Assam is divided into 4 regions based on their shared historic past. These are the Assam Proper region, Goalpara region, Kamrup region, and Barak Valley region.

Similarly, Gujarat is made up of 5 regions that are purely based on climatic and geographic factors. They are Central Gujarat, Kutch, Saurashtra, North Gujarat, and South Gujarat.

District

States and Union Territories are divided into further administrative divisions called districts. An IAS officer posted as the District Magistrate heads the District and its development activities. Currently, India has 775 districts. Given below are the names of states or union territories and the number of districts they have.

State or Union Territory	Number of Districts
Andhra Pradesh	26
Arunachal Pradesh	25
Assam	34
Bihar	38
Chhattisgarh	33
Goa	2
Gujarat	33
Haryana	22
Himachal Pradesh	12
Jharkhand	24
Karnataka	31
Kerala	14
Madhya Pradesh	55
Maharashtra	36
Manipur	16
Meghalaya	11
Mizoram	11
Nagaland	16
Odisha	30
Punjab	22
Rajasthan	33
Sikkim	4
Tamil Nadu	38
Telangana	33
Tripura	8
Uttar Pradesh	75
Uttarakhand	13
West Bengal	23
Andaman and Nicobar Islands	3
Chandigarh	1
Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu	3
Jammu and Kashmir	20
Ladakh	2
Lakshadweep	1
Delhi	11
Puducherry	4

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Subdistrict

As the name suggests, subdistricts are sub-sections of districts in India. In essence, they are made up of clusters of villages for development and administration convenience. The names assigned to denote sub-districts change according to the state. Let us just peek into these names used in each state and the number of subdistricts in totality.

State or Union Territory	Subdistrict Name	Number
Andhra Pradesh	Mandal	664
Arunachal Pradesh	Circle	149
Assam	Subdivision	155
Bihar	Subdivision	101
Chhattisgarh	Tehsil	149
Goa	Taluka	12
Gujarat	Taluka	248
Haryana	Tehsil	67
Himachal Pradesh	Tehsil	109
Jharkhand	Subdivision	210
Karnataka	Taluka	206
Kerala	Taluka	77
Madhya Pradesh	Tehsil	367
Maharashtra	Taluka	353
Manipur	Subdivision	38
Meghalaya	Subdivision	39
Mizoram	Subdivision	22
Nagaland	Circle	39
Odisha	Tehsil	485
Punjab	Tehsil	72
Rajasthan	Tehsil	268
Sikkim	Subdivision	9
Tamil Nadu	Taluka	201
Telangana	Mandal	452
Tripura	Subdivision	38
Uttar Pradesh	Tehsil	350
Uttarakhand	Tehsil	113
West Bengal	Subdivision	69
Andaman and Nicobar Islands	Tehsil	7
Chandigarh	Tehsil	1
Dadar & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu	Taluka	3
Delhi	Tehsil	33
Jammu and Kashmir	Tehsil	55
Ladakh	Tehsil	4
Lakshwadeep	Subdivision	4
Puducherry	Commune Panchayat	10

Also read:

1. Difference Between Village and City.
2. Difference Between Town and Village.
3. Difference Between City, Town and Village.

Rural Area

In rural areas, the sub-district or tehsil level is further divided into 3 tiers for better rural development programs – block, gram panchayat, and village.

Blocks are often a district’s planning and development units. A block is a small, condensed region for which Gram Panchayats create and carry out efficient plans for rural development. The further level of subdivision at the village and sub-village level helps in rural development purposes and administrative purposes.

Urban Area

Urban areas, like satellite cities and towns, are administered through Municipal Corporations and Municipalities, the former found in metropolitan cities like Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai city, etc.

This distinction is based mostly on the ratio of habitations and the subsequent administrative convenience. They take care of administrative matters of importance to the lowest level of administration – the city and its inhabitants. Clean water availability and access to education can be areas dealt with at this grassroots or lowest level of subdivision.

Read Also: Difference Between Village Life and City Life.

Block

In the administrative structure of India, a block is a sub-district level administrative unit that is used in some states, particularly in the eastern and southern parts of the country. A block is also known as a community development block or a panchayat block.

A block is responsible for the administration of a group of villages within a district, and is typically headed by a Block Development Officer (BDO). The BDO is responsible for implementing various government schemes and development programs in the area, such as rural electrification, water supply, health care, education, and agriculture.

The primary functions of a block in Indian administration include:

1. Implementation of government schemes and programs: Blocks are responsible for implementing various government schemes and development programs at the grassroots level, in order to improve the socio-economic conditions of the people living in the area.
2. Planning and coordination: Blocks are responsible for preparing plans and budgets for various development programs and schemes, and for coordinating with various departments and agencies to ensure their effective implementation.
3. Monitoring and evaluation: Blocks are responsible for monitoring and evaluating the progress and impact of various government schemes and development programs, and for providing feedback and suggestions to the government to improve their effectiveness.
4. Revenue collection and administration: Blocks are also responsible for revenue collection and administration, particularly in rural areas where land records and revenue collection are important functions.

In addition to the BDO, a block also has other administrative staff, such as junior engineers, accountants, and clerks, who assist in the implementation of various development programs and schemes.

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Tehsil

In the administrative structure of India, a tehsil is a sub-district level administrative unit that is used in some states, particularly in the northern and western parts of the country. Tehsils are also known as talukas or mandals in some states.

A tehsil is responsible for the administration of a group of villages or towns within a district, and is typically headed by a Tehsildar or a Talukdar. The Tehsildar is responsible for revenue collection, land record maintenance, and the implementation of various government schemes and programs at the grassroots level.

The primary functions of a tehsil in Indian administration include:

1. Revenue collection and administration: Tehsils are responsible for revenue collection and administration in their area of jurisdiction. This includes the collection of land revenue, property tax, and other taxes and fees, as well as the maintenance of land records and property ownership documents.
2. Implementation of government schemes and programs: Tehsils are responsible for the implementation of various government schemes and programs at the grassroots level, such as health care, education, and rural development.
3. Law and order: Tehsils also have a role in maintaining law and order in their area of jurisdiction. They work closely with the local police and other law enforcement agencies to ensure the safety and security of the people living in the area.
4. Disaster management: In the event of natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes, or cyclones, Tehsils are responsible for coordinating the relief and rehabilitation efforts in their area of jurisdiction.

In addition to the Tehsildar, a tehsil also has other administrative staff, such as junior engineers, accountants, and clerks, who assist in the implementation of various government schemes and programs.

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Interesting Facts to Keep in Mind

1. Bihar and Odisha were the first states to be created on 1 April 1936.
2. Odisha is the first state to be formed on a linguistic basis before Independence and Andhra Pradesh State is the first to be created on the same basis after Independence.
3. Shimla in Himachal Pradesh was the summer capital of British India.
4. The largest district in India in terms of area is Kachchh in Gujarat and the smallest district is Mahe in Puducherry.
5. Arunachal Pradesh is the largest state amongst the Seven Sisters.
6. In terms of population, the largest district is Thane in Maharashtra and the smallest is Dibang Valley in Arunachal Pradesh.
7. Mumbai city is one of the most populated cities in India.
8. Mumbai city is also an amalgamation of seven islands. Isle of Bombay, Old Woman’s Island, Worli, Mahim, Colaba, Mazagaon, and Parel makeup Mumbai city.
9. Indira Point is the Indian territories’ southernmost tip, located in the Andaman & Nicobar islands.
10. Dadra and Nagar Haveli are divided into two distinct geographic regions. Gujarat encircles Dadra, and Nagar Haveli is where Maharashtra and Gujarat meet.
11. Andhra Pradesh will most probably have three capitals:

• Amravati – The Legislative Capital.
• Visakhapatnam – The Executive Capital.
• Kurnool – The Judicial Capital.

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Summary

India’s administrative divisions are an integral part of its governance structure and governmental functions. Indian Constitution meets the diverse needs each state and province has, with administrative divisions running right down the last mile. From the highest to the lowest level, these divisions help in governmental functions and development purposes.

For UPSC aspirants who need the right guidance:

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FAQs about Administrative Divisions of India