List of districts 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.

History

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. Coorg State became Kodagu district, 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.

Administrative structure

District administration

A district of an Indian state is an administrative geographical unit, headed by a Deputy Commissioner, an officer belonging to the Indian Administrative Service. 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 is divided into subdivisions. Each subdivision consists of several talukas under its administrative purview. Each subdivision is headed by a Sub-Divisional Officer, 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, 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 for Bengaluru, Inspector General of Police for Mysuru and Deputy Inspector General of Police for Belagavi, Hubballi-Dharwad, Kalaburagi and Mangaluru. They are assisted by officers belonging to the Karnataka Police Service.

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.

Alphabetical listing of districts

CodeDistrictHeadquartersEstablishedSubdivisions PopulationAreaPopulation densityMap

BAG		BagalkoteBagalkote15 August 1997
1,889,752
BEUBengaluru UrbanBengaluru1 November 1956
9,621,551
BENBengaluru NorthDoddaballapura15 August 1986
990,923
BESBengaluru SouthRamanagara10 September 2007
1,082,636
BELBelagaviBelgaum1 November 1956
4,779,661
BALBallariBallari1 November 1956
1,400,970
BIDBidarBidar1 November 1956
1,703,300
VIJBijapurBijapur1 November 1956
2,177,331
CHAChamarajanagaraChamarajanagara15 August 1997
1,020,791
CHIChikkaballapuraChikkaballapur10 September 2007
1,255,104
CHKChikmagalurChikmagalur1 November 1956
1,137,961
CHTChitradurgaChitradurga1 November 1956
1,659,456
DAKDakshina KannadaMangaluru1 November 1956
2,089,649
DAVDavanagereDavanagere15 August 1997
1,643,494
DHADhārawaḍaDhārawaḍa1 November 1956
1,847,023
GADGadagGadag24 August 1997
1,064,570
KALKalaburagiKalaburagi1 November 1956
2,566,326
HASHassanHassan1 November 1956
1,776,421
HAVHaveriHaveri24 August 1997
1,597,668
KODKodaguMadikeri1 November 1956
554,519
KLKolāraKolāra1 November 1956
1,536,401
KOPKoppalKoppal24 August 1997
1,389,920
MANMandyaMandya1 November 1956
1,805,769
MYSMysuruMysuru1 November 1956
3,001,127
RAIRaichurRaichur1 November 1956
1,928,812
SHIShivamoggaShivamogga1 November 1956
1,752,753
TUMTumakuruTumakuru1 November 1956
2,678,980
UDUUdupiUdupi25 August 1997
1,177,361
UTKUttara KannadaKarwar1 November 1956
1,437,169
VIJVijayanagaraHosapete18 November 2020
1,353,628
YADYadgiriYadgiri30 December 2009
1,174,271