Ranchi district


Ranchi district is the most populous district of Jharkhand state in eastern India. Ranchi, the capital of Jharkhand, is the district headquarters.

History

Iron slag, potsherds and iron tools have been found in the Chota Nagpur plateau dated to 1400 BCE.
Magadha Empire exercised indirect control over the territory, which lasted until the reign of the Ashoka. Kalinga rulers are believed to have ravaged the region during their expeditions to Rajgir and Pataliputra. Armies of Samudra Gupta passed through the region on their expedition to Deccan. During medieval period, the Nagvanshi dynasty were ruling in the region. Khukhragarh was one of the capitals of Nagvanshi dynasty. With the expansion of the Mughal Empire, the Nagvanshis were forced to pay tribute, but they continued to rule and administer independently until the advent of the East India Company. Thakur Vishwanath Shahdeo, Pandey Ganpat Rai, Tikait Umrao Singh and Sheikh Bhikhari played pivotal role in Indian Rebellion of 1857. During the period of the British Raj, Adivasis and other locals of the Chotanagpur Plateau continued to oppose the subjugation by the British, and the region witnessed a number of uprisings and revolts.

Geography

Climate

Ranchi has a humid subtropical climate. However, due to its position and the forests around the city, it is known for its pleasant climate. Its climate is the primary reason why Ranchi was once the summer capital of the undivided State of Bihar. Ranchi used to be a preferable hill station in the past. Temperature ranges from maximum 42 to 20 °C during summer, and from 25 to 0 °C during winter. December and January are the coolest months with temperature getting to freezing point in some places of the city. The annual rainfall is about 1430 mm. From June to September the rainfall is about 1,100 mm.
Ranchi is located at 23°21′N 85°20′E. The total area covered by the Ranchi municipal area is 175.12 square kilometres and the average elevation of the city is 651 m above sea level.
Ranchi is located on the southern part of the Chota Nagpur plateau which forms the eastern edge of the Deccan plateau. Ranchi is referred to as the "City of Waterfalls", due to the presence of numerous large and small falls of around the close vicinity of the city. The most popular ones are Dassam Falls, Hundru Falls, Jonha Falls, and Panchghagh Falls.
The Subarnarekha river and its tributaries constitute the local river system. Dams in Kanke, Rukka and Hatia have been built over these channels to cater to the water requirements of majority the population.
Ranchi has a hilly topography and its combination with dense tropical forests ensures that it enjoys a comparatively moderate climate compared to the rest of the state. Previously, it was accorded a 'hill station' status during the British rule. Rapid population growth and industrialization have caused considerable change in the weather pattern and rise in average temperatures. This has resulted in gradual loss of this "Hill Station" like status.
It also has numerous dams constructed in different regions of the city inside and on the outskirts.

Divisions

Presently, Ranchi district is divided into 2 sub-divisions and 14 administrative blocks. On 12 September 2007, Khunti district was created by carving Khunti subdivision and its 6 blocks out of Ranchi district. Ranchi sub-division is further divided into 11 blocks: Angara, Burmu, Bero, Chanho, Kanke, Lapung, Mandar, Namkum, Ormanjhi, Ratu and Silli. Bundu sub-division comprises 3 blocks: Bundu, Sonahatu, and Tamar, The district has 7 Assembly constituencies, namely, Tamar, Silli, Khijri, Ranchi, Hatia, Kanke, and Mandar. Silli, Khijri, Ranchi, Hatia and Kanke are part of Ranchi Lok Sabha constituency.

Politics

Education

Ranchi district boasts of many premier institutes in the field of higher education. This may be a reason that Ranchi has an average literacy rate of 77.13%, higher than the national average of 74.04%: male literacy is 85.63%, and female literacy is 68.2%. Notable schools in Ranchi include Delhi Public School, Ranchi, Kairali School and St. Thomas School, Ranchi.
According to the 2011 census Ranchi district has a population of 2,914,253, roughly equal to the nation of Jamaica or the US state of Arkansas. This gives it a ranking of 130th in India. The district has a population density of. Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 23.9%. Ranchi has a sex ratio of 950 females for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate of 76.06%. 43.14% of the population lives in urban areas. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes collectively account for 41.01% of the district's total population. The prominent scheduled communities are Oraon, Munda, Lohra, Bedia, Ghasi, Mahli, Dhobi, Bhogta, Chamar/Mochi, Dusadh, Pan, Karmali, Chik Baraik, Dom, Kharia, Bhuiya, Santal, Turi, Rajwar, Gorait, Hari/Mehtar/Bhangi, Ho, Binjhia, Pasi, and Kharwar. Other communities such as Gond, Birhor, Bauri, Kol, Kora, Chero, Bhumij, Kisan, Nat, Mal Paharia, Musahar, Banjara, and Asur/Agaria also have populations ranging between one thousand to a hundred.

Languages

At the time of the 2011 Census of India, 30.23% of the population in the district spoke Sadri, 28.08% Hindi, 8.55% Urdu, 7.52% Kurukh, 11.88% Panchpargania, 4.70% Mundari, 2.51% Bengali, 2.17% Bhojpuri and 1.17% Magahi as their first language.

Administration

Ranchi district is headed by an IAS officer of the rank of Deputy Commissioner .
Ranchi district consists of 2 Sub-divisions and 18 Blocks. The following are the list of the Blocks in Ranchi district:
No.Ranchi subdivisionBundu subdivision
1BurmuRahe
2KhelariBundu
3KankeSonahatu
4OrmanjhiTamar
5Silli
6Angara
7Namkum
8Ratu
9Nagri
10Mandar
11Chanho
12Bero
13Itki
14Lapung

Notable people

Central Minister