RAS question
The District Collector in Rajasthan is the head of which type of administration?
Correct answer: (B) Overall district administration including revenue, development, and general administration.
In Rajasthan, the District Collector is the overall head of district administration, covering revenue, development and general administration.
Explanation
The answer is not a narrow departmental label. The official Pratapgarh district gazetteer says the district is under the administrative control of the Collector, and that the Collector acts as District Magistrate, District Development Officer and head of the district revenue department. Rajasthan District Gazetteers, Pratapgarh, Chapter 9: General Administration calls the Collector the highest administrative officer of the district and the pivot around which district administration revolves. That is why option B is the best formulation: the post combines revenue work and land administration with development supervision, general administration, law-and-order coordination, disaster management and election duties. Revenue remains a central function, but the modern Collector's role is broader than revenue alone.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Law and order is only one part of the Collector's role as District Magistrate; the office also covers revenue, development and general district administration.
- (C) Judicial administration is not the Collector's core domain; it belongs to the District Judge, while the Collector is mainly an executive and administrative authority.
- (D) Revenue administration is a major function, but the Collector also acts as District Magistrate, District Development Officer and the highest administrative officer of the district.
Concept
This tests the Rajasthan district administration topic, especially the combined Collector-District Magistrate role. It recurs in RAS because the Collector is the key field-level link between revenue administration, development work and executive coordination.