District Evolution at a Glance
In 1951, India consolidated provinces and princely states into 310 districts across 29 states (classified as Part A, B, C, and D). The linguistic reorganization of states in 1956, based on the State Reorganisation Commission’s recommendations, laid the foundation for India’s current map.
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Between 1961 and 2021, the number of districts doubled, rising from 340 to 690, with the 1991–2001 decade adding a record 127 districts. This growth addressed governance, regional disparities, and administrative demands. Recently, from 2021 to 2024, 92 new districts were created, bringing the total to 785 as of February 2024.
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Districts are created through splits, carve-outs, and mergers. For instance, Muzaffarpur was split into three districts in 1972, and Alluri Sitharama Raju was carved out from three districts in Andhra Pradesh in 2022. Renaming is also common, as seen in Allahabad becoming Prayagraj and Osmanabad changing to Dharashiv.
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In the following dashboards, you can explore how districts evolved from 1951 to 2024 across various states.
Alluvial diagram
The following chart tracks the transition of districts of modern Indian states and UTs from 1951-2024. Follow the path of each districts either from begining, or the end and explore its linkages in other decades!
New Districts in different decades
Explore the new districts created across different states by decades, by clicking on the dendogram. The final layer shows the new district with its root. Clicking it on it will show you the history of its creation.
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