Districts in India – The phrase “Districts of India” pertains to the administrative divisions within Indian states and union territories. These districts serve to break down larger states into more manageable units, facilitating efficient governance and development. This article provides comprehensive information on the number of districts in each Indian state.
Districts function as intermediaries between the state government and local communities. They are tasked with overseeing local administration and implementing state policies and programs within their respective jurisdictions. Each district is led by a District Collector, also known as the District Magistrate, who serves as the chief executive officer responsible for overall administration.
Districts in India 2024
Main Contents
- Districts in India 2024
- How Many District in India?
- Administration of Districts in India
- How Many District in India (Total States and Union Territories Wise)?
- Most Populated Districts in India (According to Census 2011)
- How many Districts in India? State wise
- Districts in India in Indian Union Territories
- FAQ’S
India is a vast country both in terms of land area and population. It ranks as the second most populous nation globally and the seventh largest in terms of land area. To effectively administer such a vast territory, India is divided into states and union territories. These states and UTs are then subdivided into districts, which in turn are further segmented into cities, blocks, and panchayats. This decentralized structure is a result of India’s federal system and three-tiered governance. In this article, we will delve into the significance of districts in India, which serve as crucial administrative units typically overseen by District Collectors or Commissioners.
Overview Details Of Districts in India
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Definition | Administrative subdivisions of Indian states and union territories |
| Total Number (2024) | 806 districts |
| Role | Primary units of governance and administration, responsible for local administration and policy implementation |
| District Representatives | District Magistrates/Collectors (IAS officers), Commissioners of Police (IPS officers), Deputy Conservators of Forests (IFS officers) |
| Smallest District | Mahe, Puducherry union territory (in terms of area) |
| Largest District | Kachchh, Gujarat (covers 45,674 square kilometers) |
| Most Populated District | North 24 Parganas, West Bengal (population: 10,082,852) |
| Least Populated District | Dibang Valley, Arunachal Pradesh (population: 8,004) |
| Category | Trending |
How Many District in India?
As of 2024, there are currently 806 districts in India. These districts serve as crucial administrative units within Indian states and union territories, facilitating policy implementation and governance at the grassroots level.
The administration of districts in India is overseen by a group of government officials, including Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers, Indian Police Service (IPS) officers, and Indian Forest Service (IFS) officers.
Administration of Districts in India
- District Magistrate / District Collector: Typically an IAS officer responsible for overseeing district administration and tax collection. The District Magistrate is supported by various IAS officers such as Additional District Magistrates (ADM) and Sub-Divisional Magistrates (SDM).
- Commissioner of Police / Superintendent of Police: An IPS officer tasked with maintaining law and order in the district.
- Deputy Conservator of Forests: An IFS officer responsible for managing the district’s forests, environment, and wildlife conservation efforts.
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Largest and Smallest District in India
Here’s a comparison of the largest and smallest districts in India, along with the most and least populated districts:
- Smallest District:
- Mahe district in the Puducherry union territory is the smallest district in terms of area.
- Largest District:
- Kachchh in Gujarat is the largest district in India. It covers an area of 45,674 square kilometers, which is approximately 23.27% of Gujarat’s entire geographic area. Additionally, Kachchh shares its boundary with Pakistan.
- Most Populated District:
- North 24 Parganas in West Bengal is the most populated district in India, with a population of 10,082,852 people.
- Least Populated District:
- Dibang Valley in Arunachal Pradesh is the least populated district in India, with a population of 8,004 people.
How Many District in India (Total States and Union Territories Wise)?
| State or Union Territory | Number of Districts | Population of State |
|---|---|---|
| West Bengal | 23 | 91,276,115 |
| Uttarakhand | 13 | 10,086,292 |
| Uttar Pradesh | 75 | 199,812,341 |
| Tripura | 8 | 3,673,917 |
| Telangana | 33 | 35,003,674 |
| Tamil Nadu | 38 | 72,147,030 |
| Sikkim | 6 | 610,577 |
| Rajasthan | 50 | 68,548,437 |
| Punjab | 23 | 27,743,338 |
| Puducherry | 4 | 1,247,953 |
| Odisha | 30 | 41,974,218 |
| Nagaland | 16 | 1,978,502 |
| Mizoram | 11 | 1,097,206 |
| Meghalaya | 12 | 2,966,889 |
| Manipur | 16 | 2,570,390 |
| Maharashtra | 36 | 112,374,333 |
| Madhya Pradesh | 52 | 72,626,809 |
| Lakshadweep | 1 | 64,473 |
| Ladakh | 2 | 290,492 |
| Kerala | 14 | 33,406,061 |
| Karnataka | 31 | 61,095,297 |
| Jharkhand | 24 | 32,988,134 |
| Jammu and Kashmir | 20 | 12,258,093 |
| Himachal Pradesh | 12 | 6,864,602 |
| Haryana | 22 | 25,351,462 |
| Gujarat | 33 | 60,439,692 |
| Goa | 2 | 1,458,545 |
| Delhi | 11 | 16,787,941 |
| Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu | 3 | 586,956 |
| Chhattisgarh | 33 | 25,545,198 |
| Chandigarh | 1 | 1,055,450 |
| Bihar | 38 | 104,099,452 |
| Assam | 35 | 31,205,576 |
| Arunachal Pradesh | 26 | 1,383,727 |
| Andhra Pradesh | 26 | 49,577,103 |
| Andaman and Nicobar Islands | 3 | 380,581 |
| Total | 806 | 1,210,576,856 |
Most Populated Districts in India (According to Census 2011)
| S.No. | District | State | Population (in lakhs) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thane | Maharashtra | 180.55 |
| 2 | North 24 Parganas | West Bengal | 160.9 |
| 3 | Bangalore | Karnataka | 126.7 |
| 4 | Delhi East | Delhi | 120.12 |
| 5 | Delhi North | Delhi | 118.34 |
| 6 | Mumbai Suburban | Maharashtra | 115.06 |
| 7 | Kolkata | West Bengal | 112.09 |
| 8 | Hyderabad | Telangana | 95.7 |
| 9 | Pune | Maharashtra | 94.27 |
| 10 | Ahmedabad | Gujarat | 87.79 |
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How many Districts in India? State wise
| State | Districts |
| Andhra Pradesh | Alluri Sitharama Raju, Anakapalli, Ananthapuramu, Annamayya, Bapatla, Chittoor, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema, East Godavari, Eluru, Guntur, Kakinada, Krishna, Kurnool, Nandyal, NTR, Palnadu, Parvathipuram Manyam, Prakasam, Srikakulam, Sri Potti Sriramulu Nellore, Sri Sathya Sai, Tirupati, Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram, West Godavari, YSR |
| Arunachal Pradesh | Anjaw, Changlang, East Kameng, East Siang, Itanagar capital complex, Kamle, Kra Daadi, Kurung Kumey, Lepa Rada, Lohit, Longding, Lower Dibang Valley, Lower Siang, Lower Subansiri, Namsai, Pakke-Kessang, Papum Pare, Shi Yomi, Siang, Tawang, Tirap, Upper Dibang Valley, Upper Siang, Upper Subansiri, West Kameng, West Siang |
| Assam | Bajali, Baksa, Barpeta, Biswanath, Bongaigaon, Cachar, Charaideo, Chirang, Darrang, Dhemaji, Dhubri, Dibrugarh, Dima Hasao, Goalpara, Golaghat, Hailakandi, Hojai, Jorhat, Kamrup, Kamrup Metropolitan, Karbi Anglong, Karimganj, Kokrajhar, Lakhimpur, Majuli, Morigaon, Nagaon, Nalbari, Sivasagar, South Salmara Mankachar, Sonitpur, Tamulpur, Tinsukia, Udalguri, West Karbi Anglong |
| Bihar | Araria, Arwal, Aurangabad, Banka, Begusarai, Bhagalpur, Bhojpur, Buxar, Darbhanga, East Champaran, Gaya, Gopalganj, Jamui, Jehanabad, Kaimur, Katihar, Khagaria, Kishanganj, Lakhisarai, Madhepura, Madhubani, Munger, Muzaffarpur, Nalanda, Nawada, Patna, Purnia, Rohtas, Saharsa, Samastipur, Saran, Sheikhpura, Sheohar, Sitamarhi, Siwan, Supaul, Vaishali, West Champaran |
| Chhattisgarh | Balod, Baloda Bazar, Balrampur-Ramanujganj, Bastar, Bemetara, Bijapur, Bilaspur, Dantewada, Dhamtari, Durg, Gariaband, Gaurela-Pendra-Marwahi, Janjgir-Champa, Jashpur, Kabirdham, Kanker, Khairagarh-Chhuikhadan-Gandai, Kondagaon, Korba, Korea, Mahasamund, Manendragarh-Chirmiri-Bharatpur, Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki, Mungeli, Narayanpur, Raigarh, Raipur, Rajnandgaon, Sarangarh-Bilaigarh, Shakti, Sukma, Surajpur, Surguja |
| Goa | North Goa, South Goa |
| Gujarat | Ahmedabad, Amreli, Anand, Aravalli, Banaskantha, Bharuch, Bhavnagar, Botad, Chhota Udaipur, Dahod, Dang, Devbhumi Dwarka, Gandhinagar, Gir Somnath, Jamnagar, Junagadh, Kheda, Kutch, Mahisagar, Mehsana, Morbi, Narmada, Navsari, Panchmahal, Patan, Porbandar, Rajkot, Sabarkantha, Surat, Surendranagar, Tapi, Vadodara, Valsad |
| Haryana | Ambala, Bhiwani, Charkhi Dadri, Faridabad, Fatehabad, Gurugram, Hisar, Jhajjar, Jind, Kaithal, Karnal, Kurukshetra, Mahendragarh, Nuh, Palwal, Panchkula, Panipat, Rewari, Rohtak, Sirsa, Sonipat, Yamunanagar |
| Jharkhand | Bokaro, Chatra, Deoghar, Dhanbad, Dumka, East Singhbhum, Garhwa, Giridih, Godda, Gumla, Hazaribag, Jamtara, Khunti, Koderma, Latehar, Lohardaga, Pakur, Palamu, Ramgarh, Ranchi, Sahibganj, Seraikela-Kharsawan, Simdega, West Singhbhum |
| Karnataka | Bagalakote, Ballari, Belagavi, Bengaluru Rural, Bengaluru Urban, Bidar, Chamarajanagara, Chikkaballapura, Chikkamagaluru, Chitradurga, Dakshina Kannada, Davanagere, Dharwada, Gadaga, Kalaburagi, Hassan, Haveri, Kodagu, Kolar, Koppala, Mandya, Mysuru, Raichuru, Ramanagara, Shivamogga, Tumakuru, Udupi, Uttara Kannada, Vijayanagara, Vijayapura, Yadgiri |
| Kerela | Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Idukki, Kannur, Kasaragod, Kollam, Kottayam, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Palakkad, Pathanamthitta, Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur, Wayanad |
| Madhya Pradesh | Agar Malwa, Alirajpu, Anuppur, Ashoknagar, Balaghat, Barwani, Betul, Bhind, Bhopal, Burhanpur, Chhatarpur, Chhindwara, Damoh, Datia, Dewas, Dhar, Dindori, Guna, Gwalior, Harda, Narmadapuram, Indore, Jabalpur, Jhabua, Katni, Khandwa (East Nimar), Khargone (West Nimar), Mandla, Mandsaur, Morena, Narsinghpur, Neemuch, Niwari, Panna, Raisen, Rajgarh, Ratlam, Rewa, Sagar, Satna, Sehore, Seoni, Shahdol, Shajapur, Sheopur, Shivpuri, Sidhi Sidhi, Singrauli, Tikamgarh, Ujjain, Umaria, Vidisha |
| Maharashtra | Ahmednagar, Akola, Amravati, Aurangabad, Beed, Bhandara, Buldhana, Chandrapur, Dhule, Gadchiroli, Gondia, Hingoli, Jalgaon, Jalna, Kolhapur, Latur, Mumbai City, Mumbai Suburban, Nagpur, Nanded, Nandurbar, Nashik, Osmanabad, Palghar, Parbhani, Pune, Raigad, Ratnagiri, Sangli, Satara, Sindhudurg, Solapur, Thane, Wardha, Washim, Yavatmal |
| Manipur | Bishnupur, Chandel, Churachandpur, Imphal East, Imphal West, Jiribam, Kakching, Kamjong, Kangpokpi, Noney, Pherzawl, Senapati, Tamenglong, Tengnoupal, Thoubal, Ukhrul |
| Meghalaya | East Garo Hills, East Jaintia Hills, East Khasi Hills, North Garo Hills, Ribhoi, South Garo Hills, South West Garo Hills, South West Khasi Hills, West Garo Hills, West Jaintia Hills, West Khasi Hills |
| Mizoram | Aizawl East, Aizawl West, Champhai, Mamit, Kolasib, Lawngtlai, Lunglei, Saiha, Serchhip |
| Nagaland | Dimapur, Kiphire, Kohima, Longleng, Mokokchung, Mon, Peren, Phek, Tuensang, Wokha, Zunheboto |
| Odisha | Angul, Balangir, Balasore, Bargarh, Bhadrak, Boudh, Cuttack, Deogarh, Dhenkanal, Gajapati, Ganjam, Jagatsinghapur, Jajpur, Jharsuguda, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Kendrapara, Kendujhar, Khordha, Koraput, Malkangiri, Mayurbhanj, Nabarangpur, Nayagarh, Nuapada, Puri, Rayagada, Sambalpur, Subarnapur, Sundargarh |
| Punjab | Amritsar, Barnala, Bathinda, Faridkot, Fatehgarh Sahib, Fazilka, Firozpur, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Ludhiana, Mansa, Moga, Muktsar, Pathankot, Patiala, Rupnagar, Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar, Sangrur, Shahid Bhagat Singh Nagar, Sri Muktsar Sahib, Tarn Taran |
| Rajasthan | Anupgarh, Ajmer, Alwar, Balotra, Banswara, Baran, Barmer, Beawar, Bharatpur, Bhilwara, Bikaner, Bundi, Chittorgarh, Churu, Dausa, Dholpur, Dungarpur, Hanumangarh, Jaisalmer, Jalore, Jhalawar, Jhunjhunu, Karauli, Kota, Nagaur, Pali, Pratapgarh, Rajsamand, Sawai Madhopur, Sikar, Sirohi, Sri Ganganagar, Tonk, Udaipur, Dudu, Deeg, Didwana Kuchaman, Gangapur, Jaipur Rural, Jodhpur Rural, Kekri, Khairthal–Tijara, Kotputli-Behror, Neem Ka Thana, Phalodi, Sanchore, Salumbar, Shahpura, Jaipur & Jodhpur |
| Sikkim | East Sikkim, North Sikkim, South Sikkim, West Sikkim |
| Tamil Nadu | Ariyalur, Chengalpattu, Chennai, Coimbatore, Cuddalore, Dharmapuri, Dindigul, Erode, Kallakurichi, Kanchipuram, Kanniyakumari, Karur, Krishnagiri, Madurai, Nagapattinam, Namakkal, Nilgiris, Perambalur, Pudukkottai, Ramanathapuram, Ranipet, Salem, Sivaganga, Tenkasi, Thanjavur, Theni, Thoothukudi, Tiruchirappalli, Tirunelveli, Tirupathur, Tiruppur, Tiruvallur, Tiruvannamalai, Tiruvarur, Vellore, Viluppuram, Virudhunagar |
| Telangana | Adilabad, Bhadradri Kothagudem, Hyderabad, Jagtial, Jangaon, Jayashankar Bhupalapally, Jogulamba Gadwal, Kamareddy, Karimnagar, Khammam, Kumuram Bheem Asifabad, Mahabubabad, Mahabubnagar, Mancherial, Medak, Medchal-Malkajgiri, Mulugu, Nagarkurnool, Nalgonda, Narayanpet, Nirmal, Nizamabad, Peddapalli, Rajanna Sircilla, Rangareddy, Sangareddy, Siddipet, Suryapet, Vikarabad, Wanaparthy, Warangal Rural, Warangal Urban, Yadadri Bhuvanagiri |
| Tripura | Dhalai, Gomati, Khowai, North Tripura, Sepahijala, South Tripura, Unakoti, West Tripura |
| Uttar Pradesh | Agra, Aligarh, Ambedkar Nagar, Amethi, Amroha, Auraiya, Ayodhya, Azamgarh, Baghpat, Bahraich, Ballia, Balrampur, Banda, Barabanki, Bareilly, Basti, Bhadohi, Bijnor, Budaun, Bulandshahr, Chandauli, Chitrakoot, Deoria, Etah, Etawah, Farrukhabad, Fatehpur, Firozabad, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Ghaziabad, Ghazipur, Gonda, Gorakhpur, Hamirpur, Hapur, Hardoi, Hathras, Jalaun, Jaunpur, Jhansi, Kannauj, Kanpur Dehat, Kanpur Nagar, Kasganj, Kaushambi, Kushinagar, Lakhimpur Kheri, Lalitpur, Lucknow, Maharajganj, Mahoba, Mainpuri, Mathura, Mau, Meerut, Mirzapur, Moradabad, Muzaffarnagar, Pilibhit, Pratapgarh, Prayagraj, Raebareli, Rampur, Saharanpur, Sambhal, Sant Kabir Nagar, Shahjahanpur, Shamli, Shravasti, Siddharthnagar, Sitapur, Sonbhadra, Sultanpur, Unnao, Varanasi |
| Uttarakhand | Almora, Bageshwar, Chamoli, Champawat, Dehradun, Haridwar, Nainital, Pauri Garhwal, Pithoragarh, Rudraprayag, Tehri Garhwal, Udham Singh Nagar, Uttarkashi |
| West Bengal | Alipurduar, Bankura, Birbhum, Cooch Behar, Dakshin Dinajpur, Darjeeling, Hooghly, Howrah, Jalpaiguri, Jhargram, Kalimpong, Kolkata, Malda, Murshidabad, Nadia, North 24 Parganas, Paschim Bardhaman, Paschim Medinipur, Purba Bardhaman, Purba Medinipur, Purulia, South 24 Parganas, Uttar Dinajpur, West Bardhaman |
Districts in India in Indian Union Territories
| State | Total Districts | Districts |
| Andaman and Nicobar | 3 | Nicobar, North and Middle Andaman, South Andaman |
| Chandigarh | 1 | Chandigarh |
| Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu | 3 | Daman, Diu, Dadar and Nagar Haveli |
| Jammu and Kashmir | 20 | Anantnag, Budgam, Bandipore, Baramulla, Doda, Ganderbal, Jammu, Kathua, Kishtwar, Kulgam, Kupwara, Poonch, Pulwama, Rajouri, Ramban, Reasi, Samba, Shopian, Srinagar, Udhampur |
| Ladakh | 2 | Kargil, Leh |
| Lakshadweep | 1 | Lakshadweep |
| Delhi | 11 | Central Delhi, East Delhi, New Delhi, North Delhi, North East Delhi, North West Delhi, Shahdara district, South Delhi, South East Delhi, South West Delhi, West Delhi |
| Puducherry | 4 | Karaikal, Mahe, Puducherry, Yanam |
FAQ’S
What are districts in India?
Districts are administrative subdivisions of Indian states and union territories. They play a crucial role in governance and are responsible for local administration within their boundaries.
How many districts are there in India?
As of 2024, there are a total of 766 districts in India. However, this number may change over time due to administrative adjustments.
What is the role of district representatives?
District representatives, including District Magistrates (Collectors), Commissioners of Police (Superintendents of Police), and Deputy Conservators of Forests, oversee various aspects of district administration, such as law enforcement, tax collection, and environmental conservation.
What is the smallest district in India?
The smallest district in India is Mahe, located in the Puducherry union territory. It is characterized by its small geographic area.
Which district is the largest in India?
The largest district in India is Kachchh in Gujarat. It covers a vast area, accounting for a significant portion of Gujarat's total landmass. Moreover, it shares its boundary with Pakistan.
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