RAS question
In the revenue administration hierarchy, above the District Collector is the:
Correct answer: (A) Divisional Commissioner.
In Rajasthan's revenue administration hierarchy, the Divisional Commissioner is above the District Collector because the division is the administrative level between the district and the state government.
Explanation
The hierarchy is not just a list of titles; it reflects territorial levels. The cited Rajasthan District Gazetteer explains that a revenue division is an administrative area between the district and the state government, and that the officer in charge of this area is the Divisional Commissioner. It then describes the District Collector as the head of revenue administration at the district level. So, when the question asks who is above the District Collector in the revenue administration hierarchy, the answer is the Divisional Commissioner, who supervises the division above the district layer.
Why the other options are wrong
- (B) An SDM or Sub-Divisional Officer functions at the subdivision level, which is below the district level headed by the District Collector.
- (C) A Tehsildar works at the tehsil level, which comes below the subdivision and district layers in the revenue administration structure.
- (D) A Patwari is linked to the patwar circle and land-record work at the field level, far below the District Collector in the hierarchy.
Concept
This tests the administrative hierarchy within Rajasthan's revenue system: division, district, subdivision and tehsil. It recurs in RAS because questions often ask candidates to place offices correctly within the state's revenue and general administration chain.