The Administrative divisions of India are its sub-national administrative entities.

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 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. This is the main purpose of the Administrative Division of India. Now let’s take a quick look at the administrative division of India. Learn more by reading on as it will be beneficial for the IAS exam preparation.

Basic Tiers of Administrative Divisions In India

For a long, 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. This will give you an even better understanding of the flow of power between the State government and the Union government. 

What Constitutional Provisions Are Present For The Administration Of Scheduled And Tribal Areas?

The Constitution for the Government of India also includes scheduled and tribal areas. The Scheduled and Tribal Areas are covered under Article 244.

Scheduled Areas are those areas designated as such by the President of India and are listed in the Constitution’s fifth schedule, according to Article 244(1) of the Constitution of India. There are scheduled regions in 10 states in India. The constitution also gives the President of India the power to declare an area as a Scheduled Area. The President may also increase or decrease the area of a Scheduled Area and change its boundaries. After consulting the Governor, however, the President can revoke a Scheduled Area designation.

Areas of the States of Tripura, Assam, Mizoram, and Meghalaya, that have been designated as “tribal areas” are covered by the Sixth Schedule under Article 244(2) of the Indian Constitution, which calls for District or Regional Autonomous Councils in these regions. The Indian Constitutional Provisions for Administration of Schedules and Tribal Areas include a special sub-committee to manage these areas. The sub-committee had two purposes: to develop laws and to implement the Constitution.

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Zones 

India’s 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. Under Part-III of the States Reorganisation Act of 1956, zonal councils were established. Each Zonal Councils 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.

State 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. 

Union Territory 

India comprises eight Union Territories, of which one is the 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 and their capitals are given below. 

Division 

 A division is at the level of subdivision of several 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 totality belonging to eighteen of the 28 states and three of the 8 union territories. Let us take a look at these divisions

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. 

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. 

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. 

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.  Located in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Indira Point is India’s southernmost point.
10. Dadra and Nagar Haveli are divided into two distinct geographic regions. Gujarat encircles Dadra, and Nagar Haveli is where Maharashtra and Gujarat meet.

Conclusion

Administrative divisions of India 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. 

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