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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.

Formations of districts

Proposed districts

Currently there are demands to carve out the following district,

• Bailhongala, Kitturu, Chikkodi and Gokak from Belagavi (largest district)
• Tipaturu from Tumakuru
• Sirsi from Uttara Kannada
• Jamakhandi from Bagalkote

Administrative structure

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. The deputy commissioner is assisted by a number of officers belonging to the Karnataka Administrative Service. The Deputy Commissioner is also the Collector and District Magistrate of the district. The deputy commissioner/collector is assisted by assistant commissioners and tahsildars, who are incharge of subdivisions and taluks respectively.

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).

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.

Sect-oral 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

Alphabetical listing of districts

Code	District	Headquarters	Established	Subdivisions(Taluka)	Population(As of 2011)	Area	Population density(As of 2011)	Map
BAG	Bagalkote	Bagalkote	15 August 1997	Badami Bagalkote Bilagi Ilkal Hunagunda Halavagalu Rabkavi Banhatti Terdal Guledgudda Jamkhandi Mudhol	1,889,752	6,575 km (2,539 sq mi)	288/km (750/sq mi)
BEU	Bengaluru Urban	Bengaluru	1 November 1956	Anekal Yelahanka Bengaluru City	9,621,551	2,190 km (850 sq mi)	4,393/km (11,380/sq mi)
BER	Bengaluru Rural	Bengaluru	15 August 1986	Devanahalli Doddaballapura Hosakote Nelamangala	990,923	2,259 km (872 sq mi)	431/km (1,120/sq mi)
BEL	Belagavi	Belagavi	1 November 1956	Athni Bailhongal Belgaum Chikodi Gokak Hukkeri Khanapur Kagawad Mudalagi Nippani Kittur Raybag Ramdurg Saundatti Yaragatti	4,779,661	13,415 km (5,180 sq mi)	356/km (920/sq mi)
BAL	Ballari	Ballari	1 November 1956	Bellari Kampli Kurugodu Sanduru Siruguppa	1,400,970	4,252 km (1,642 sq mi)	290/km (750/sq mi)
BID	Bidar	Bidar	1 November 1956	Bidar Basavakalyan Kamalnagar Hulasuru Chitgoppa Bhalki Homnabad Aurad	1,703,300	5,448 km (2,103 sq mi)	313/km (810/sq mi)
VIJ	Vijayapura	Vijayapura	1 November 1956	Vijayapura Indi Muddebihal Babaleshwar Nidagundi Tikota Devara Hippargi Talikote Chadchan Kolhar Sindgi Basavana Bagevadi Almel	2,177,331	10,498 km (4,053 sq mi)	210/km (540/sq mi)
CHA	Chamarajanagar	Chamarajanagar	15 August 1997	Chamarajanagar Gundlupet Kollegal Hanur Yelandur	1,020,791	5,101 km (1,970 sq mi)	181/km (470/sq mi)
CHI	Chikkaballapura	Chikballapura	10 September 2007	Bagepalli Chikballapur Chintamani Gauribidanur Gudibanda Sidlaghatta Manchenahalli	1,255,104	4,524 km (1,747 sq mi)	296/km (770/sq mi)
CHK	Chikkamagaluru	Chikkamagaluru	1 November 1956	Chikmagalur Kadur Koppa Mudigere Kalasa Narasimharajapura Sringeri Ajjampura Tarikere	1,137,961	7,201 km (2,780 sq mi)	158/km (410/sq mi)
CHT	Chitradurga	Chitradurga	1 November 1956	Challakere Chitradurga Hiriyur Holalkere Hosadurga Molakalmuru	1,659,456	8,440 km (3,260 sq mi)	197/km (510/sq mi)
DAK	Dakshina Kannada	Mangaluru	1 November 1956	Bantwal Beltangadi Mangalore Moodabidri Kadaba Puttur Sulya	2,089,649	4,560 km (1,760 sq mi)	430/km (1,100/sq mi)
DAV	Davanagere	Davanagere	15 August 1997	Channagiri Davanagere Harihar Honnali Jagalur Nyamati	1,643,494	4,460 km (1,720 sq mi)	370/km (960/sq mi)
DHA	Dharwad	Dharwad	1 November 1956	Annigeri Alnavara Dharwad Hubli Hubli City Kalghatgi Kundgol Navalgund	1,847,023	4,260 km (1,640 sq mi)	434/km (1,120/sq mi)
GAD	Gadag	Gadag	24 August 1997	Gadag-Betigeri Mundargi Nargund Gajendragad Lakshmeshwar Ron Shirhatti	1,064,570	4,656 km (1,798 sq mi)	229/km (590/sq mi)
KAL	Kalaburagi	Kalaburagi	1 November 1956	Afzalpur Aland Chincholi Chitapur Kalaburagi Kamalapura Kalagi Jevargi Sedam Shahbad Yedrami	2,566,326	10,951 km (4,228 sq mi)	234/km (610/sq mi)
HAS	Hassan	Hassan	1 November 1956	Alur Arkalgud Arsikere Belur Channarayapattana Hassan Holenarsipur Sakleshpur	1,776,421	6,814 km (2,631 sq mi)	261/km (680/sq mi)
HAV	Haveri	Haveri	24 August 1997	Byadgi Hangal Haveri Hirekerur Ranibennur Rattihalli Savanur Shiggaon	1,597,668	4,823 km (1,862 sq mi)	331/km (860/sq mi)
KOD	Kodagu	Madikeri	1 November 1956	Madikeri Kushalanagar Virajpet Somvarpet Ponnampet	554,519	4,102 km (1,584 sq mi)	135/km (350/sq mi)
KL	Kolar	Kolar	1 November 1956	Bangarapet Kolar Kolar Gold Fields Malur Mulbagal Srinivaspur	1,536,401	3,969 km (1,532 sq mi)	386/km (1,000/sq mi)
KOP	Koppal	Koppal	24 August 1997	Gangawati Kanakagiri Kuknur Karatagi Koppal Kushtagi Yelbarga	1,389,920	7,189 km (2,776 sq mi)	250/km (650/sq mi)
MAN	Mandya	Mandya	1 November 1956	Krishnarajpet Maddur Malavalli Mandya Nagamangala Pandavapura Shrirangapattana	1,805,769	4,961 km (1,915 sq mi)	364/km (940/sq mi)
MYS	Mysuru	Mysuru	1 November 1956	Heggadadevana kote Hunsur Krishnarajanagara Mysore Nanjangud Piriyapatna Saragur T.Narsipur	3,001,127	6,854 km (2,646 sq mi)	476/km (1,230/sq mi)
RAI	Raichur	Raichur	1 November 1956	Devadurga Lingsugur Manvi Maski Raichur Sindhnur Sirwar	1,928,812	8,440 km (3,260 sq mi)	228/km (590/sq mi)
RAM	Bengaluru South	Bengaluru South	10 September 2007	Channapatna Kanakapura Ramanagara Magadi	1,082,636	3,556 km (1,373 sq mi)	308/km (800/sq mi)
SHI	Shivamogga	Shivamogga	1 November 1956	Bhadravati Hosanagara Sagar Shikaripura Shimoga Sorab Thirthahalli	1,752,753	8,477 km (3,273 sq mi)	207/km (540/sq mi)
TUM	Tumakuru	Tumakuru	1 November 1956	Chiknayakanhalli Gubbi Huliyar Koratagere Kunigal Madhugiri Pavagada Sira Tiptur Tumkur Turuvekere	2,678,980	10,597 km (4,092 sq mi)	253/km (660/sq mi)
UDU	Udupi	Udupi	25 August 1997	Udupi Brahmavara Karkal Kapu Kundapura Hebri Byndoor	1,177,361	3,880 km (1,500 sq mi)	329/km (850/sq mi)
UTK	Uttara Kannada	Karwara	1 November 1956	Ankola Bhatkal Dandeli Haliyal Honnavar Joida Karwar Kumta Mundgod Siddapur Sirsi Yellapur	1,437,169	10,291 km (3,973 sq mi)	140/km (360/sq mi)
VIJ	Vijayanagara	Hospet	18 November 2020	Harapanahalli Hagaribommanahalli Hoovina Hadagali Hospete Kottur Kudligi	1,353,628	5,644 km (2,179 sq mi)	240/km (620/sq mi)
YAD	Yadgiri	Yadgiri	30 December 2009	Gurumitkal Hunasagi Shahpur Shorapur Vadagera Yadgir	1,174,271	5,234 km (2,021 sq mi)	224/km (580/sq mi)

Proposed districts

See also

• List of taluks of Karnataka

References

1. "Petition against transfer of Bellary dismissed". Indian Express. 30 September 1953. Retrieved 17 December 2010.
2. 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.
3. "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.
4. "Creation of Yadgir district". Online Edition of The Hindu, dated 2009-12-30. Chennai, India. 30 December 2009.
5. "Vijayanagar to be Karnataka's 31st district, BSY Cabinet gives in-principle nod". The New Indian Express. 19 November 2020. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
6. "NIC Policy on format of e-mail Address: Appendix (2): Districts Abbreviations as per ISO 3166–2" (PDF). Ministry Of Communications and Information Technology, Government of India. 18 August 2004. pp. 5–10. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 September 2008. Retrieved 24 November 2008.
7. ^ "Know India – Districts of Karnataka". Government of India portal. Retrieved 16 November 2010.
8. Here 'Established' means year of establishment as a district of Karnataka. If the district was formed earlier to the formation of district in the state of Karnataka, 1 November 1956 will be considered as the day of establishment of the district.
9. "STATES REORGANISATION ACT 1956 - Formation of a new Mysore State". Archived from the original on 16 May 2008. Retrieved 17 November 2010.
10. ^ "List of districts of Karnataka".
11. ^ "A Handbook of Karnataka – Administration" (PDF). Government of Karnataka. pp. 354, 355. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 October 2011. Retrieved 16 November 2010.
12. "District Profile". Archived from the original on 29 November 2010. Retrieved 18 November 2010.
13. "District Profile – Area and population". Archived from the original on 25 November 2010. Retrieved 18 November 2010.
14. "Kolar district at a glance" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 March 2011. Retrieved 18 November 2010.
15. Note: This date means the day when the district was initially formed, even before the formation of the state of Karnataka (Mysore). Hence 1 November 1956 will be considered as the day of formation of district in the state of Karnataka
16. "Formation of Mandya district". Archived from the original on 2 August 2010. Retrieved 18 November 2010.

External links

v t e State of Karnataka
Capital: Bengaluru
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Districts and divisions	Bangalore division Bangalore Urban Bangalore Rural Chitradurga Davanagere Kolar Shimoga Tumakuru Ramanagara Chikkaballapura Belagavi division Bagalkot Belagavi Bijapur Dharwad Haveri Gadag Uttara Kannada Kalaburagi division Ballari Bidar Kalaburagi Koppal Raichur Vijayanagara Yadgir Mysore division Chamarajanagar Chikmagalur Dakshina Kannada Hassan Kodagu Mandya Mysore Udupi
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v t e Districts of states and union territories of India
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