Introduction — The District in Indian Administration

The district is the fundamental unit of Indian administration — the point at which the state government's machinery meets the citizen. All major government functions — revenue, law and order, development, disaster relief, elections — converge at the district level through the Collector.

India has 800+ districts (Rajasthan: 50 as of the 2023 reorganisation under CM Ashok Gehlot, which increased from 33 to 50; the reorganisation is still under legal review). The district structure in Rajasthan is:

State Level: Chief Secretary → Secretariat
    ↓
Divisional Level: Divisional Commissioner (7 Divisions)
    ↓
District Level: District Collector / DM (50 Districts)
    ↓
Sub-Division Level: Sub-Divisional Officer / SDM
    ↓
Tehsil Level: Tehsildar (333+ Tehsils)
    ↓
Village Level: Patwari / Gram Sevak (Revenue Villages)