List of districts of Karnataka: Difference between revisions

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Districts of Karnataka
Districts of Karnataka
CategoryDistricts
LocationKarnataka
Number31 districts
PopulationsKodagu – 554,519 (lowest); Bengaluru Urban – 9,621,551 (highest)
AreasBengaluru Urban – 2,190 km2 (850 sq mi) (smallest); Belagavi – 13,415 km2 (5,180 sq mi) (largest)
GovernmentGovernment of Karnataka
SubdivisionsList of taluks of Karnataka

The southern Indian state of Karnataka consists of 31 districts grouped into 4 administrative divisions, viz., Belagavi, Bengaluru , Gulbarga, and Mysore. Geographically, the state has three principal variants: the western coastal stretch, the hilly belt comprising the Western Ghats, and the plains, comprising the plains of the Deccan Plateau.

4 Divisions and 31 Districts of Indian state of Karnataka.

History

Mysore State that was created during States Reorganisation of 1956.

Karnataka took its present shape in 1956, when the former states of Mysore and Coorg were unified into a linguistically homogenous Kannada-speaking state along with agglomeration of districts of the former states of Bombay, Hyderabad, and Madras as part of the States Reorganisation Act of 1956. The unified Mysore State was made up of ten districts, viz., Bangalore, Kolar, Tumkur, Mandya, Mysore, Hassan, Chikkamagalur, Shimoga, Chitradurga, and Ballari which had been transferred from Madras Presidency to Mysore State earlier in 1953, when the new state of Andhra Pradesh was created out of Madras' northern districts.<ref>"Petition against transfer of Bellary dismissed". Indian Express. 30 September 1953. Retrieved 17 December 2010.</ref> Coorg State became Kodagu district,<ref>Chinnappa, Jeevan (15 November 2005). "Did reorganisation panel ignore Kodava leaders' plea?". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 12 December 2006. Retrieved 17 December 2010.</ref> South Canara was transferred from Madras State, North Canara, Dharwad, Belgaum, and Bijapur from Bombay State. Bidar, Gulbarga, and Raichur from Hyderabad State. The state received its new name of Karnataka in the year 1973.

Formations of districts

Chronology of formation of new districts
Date New district Formerly part of Administration
15 August 1986 Bengaluru Urban Bengaluru Ramakrishna Hegde's ministry
Bengaluru Rural
25 August 1997 Chamarajanagara Mysuru J. H. Patel's ministry
Davanagere Chitradurga, Ballari and Shivamogga
Bagalakote Vijayapura
Gadaga Dharwad
Udupi Dakshina Kannada
Koppala Raichur
21 June 2007 Ramanagara Bengaluru Rural H.D. Kumaraswamy's ministry<ref name="newdis">"2 new districts notified in Bangalore". The Times of India. 6 August 2007. Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 9 August 2007.</ref>
Chikkaballapura Kolar
30 December 2009 Yadagiri<ref name="newdistrict">"Creation of Yadgir district". Online Edition of The Hindu, dated 2009-12-30. Chennai, India. 30 December 2009.</ref> Kalaburagi B.S. Yediyurappa's second ministry
18 November 2020 Vijayanagara<ref name="newdistric">"Vijayanagar to be Karnataka's 31st district, BSY Cabinet gives in-principle nod". The New Indian Express. 19 November 2020. Retrieved 23 November 2020.</ref> Ballari B.S. Yediyurappa's fourth ministry

Administrative structure

4 Divisions of Indian State of Karnataka.
31 Districts of Indian state of Karnataka.

District administration

A district of an Indian state is an administrative geographical unit, headed by a Deputy Commissioner (DC), an officer belonging to the Indian Administrative Service (IAS). The Deputy Commissioner reports to the Regional Commissioner. The Deputy Commissioner is also the Collector and District Magistrate of the district. The Deputy Commissioner is assisted by an Additional Deputy Commissioner at the district headquarters. The deputy commissioner is assisted by a number of officers belonging to the Karnataka Administrative Service. The deputy commissioner/collector is assisted by assistant commissioners and tahsildars, who are incharge of subdivisions and taluks respectively. The district (revenue district) is divided into subdivisions. Each subdivision consists of several talukas under its administrative purview. Each subdivision is headed by a Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO), who holds the designation of Assistant Commissioner and Sub-Divisional Magistrate. Each taluka is headed by a Tahsildar. These subdivisions and talukas are established for land revenue and land administration purposes. Each taluk contains hobli and villages, headed by Revenue Inspectors and Village Accountants respectively.

Police administration

A Superintendent of Police (SP), usually an officer belonging to the Indian Police Service (IPS), is entrusted with the responsibility of maintaining law and order and related issues of the district. He is assisted by the officers of the Karnataka Police Service and other Karnataka Police officials. Big cities like Bengaluru, Belagavi, Hubballi-Dharwad, Kalaburagi, Mangaluru and Mysuru are headed by a Commissioner of Police holding the rank of Additional Director General of Police(ADGP) for Bengaluru, Inspector General of Police (IGP) for Mysuru and Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) for Belagavi, Hubballi-Dharwad, Kalaburagi and Mangaluru. They are assisted by officers belonging to the Karnataka Police Service (KSPS).

Forest

A Deputy Conservator of Forests, an officer belonging to the Indian Forest Service selected through the UPSC examination is responsible for managing the forests, the environment and wildlife of the district. He is assisted by the officers of the Karnataka Forest Service selected through the KPSC examination.

Other department

Sectoral development is looked after by the district head of each development department such as Public Works, Health, Education, Agriculture, Animal husbandry, etc. These officers belong to the various state services.

Administrative divisions

Belagavi Division Bengaluru Division Kalaburagi Division Mysuru Division

Alphabetical listing of districts

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Proposed districts

As of early 2026, The Karnataka government was considering dividing 5 following existing districts into several districts (listed north to south).<ref name=karnew1>Karnataka Govt Considers Division of Five Districts, marvelousbelgaum.in, 18 December 2025.</ref>

Proposed District Proposed Since Current Division & District COmment
Chikkodi 1997 Belagavi Division (Belagavi district) Chikkodi is 70 km north of Belagavi city and 45 km northwest of Gokak city.
Gokak 1990s Gokak is 60 km northeast of Belagavi city.


Sirsi 1980s Belagavi Division (Uttara Kannada district) Sirsi city is 115 km east of Karwar port city (HQ of Uttara Kannada district).


Sullia 2020s Mysuru Division (Dakshina Kannada district) Sullia, an in-land city, is 85 km southeast of Mangaluru coastal city (HQ of Dakshina Kannada district).


Madhugiri 2020s Bengaluru Division (Tumakuru district) Madhugiri is 50 km north of Tumakuru city.
Tiptur 2020s Tiptur is 75 km west of Tumakuru city.


Hunsur 2020s Mysuru Division (Mysuru district) Hunsur, an in-land city, is 45 km west of Mysuru city.

See also

References

External links

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