The northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, which borders Nepal, comprises 18 administrative divisions. Within these 18 divisions, there are a total of 75 districts.[1] The following table shows the name of each division, its administrative capital city, its constituent districts, and a map of its location.
Currently 75 districts are divided into 18 divisions.
| Divisions | Formed | Headquarters | Districts | Population | Area (km2) | Density (/km2--> | Map |
| Agra division | Pre-Independence | Agra |
< | -- | -km2 (-2,147,483,648 square miles) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| --> | |||||||
| Aligarh division | 17 April 2008 (Separated From Agra division) | Aligarh |
< | -- | -km2 (-2,147,483,648 square miles) | ||
| --> | |||||||
| Ayodhya division | Pre-Independence | Ayodhya |
< | -- | -km2 (-2,147,483,648 square miles) | ||
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| Azamgarh division | 15 November 1994 (Separated from Gorakhpur and Varanasi divisions) | Azamgarh |
< | -- | -km2 (-2,147,483,648 square miles) | ||
| --> | |||||||
| Bareilly division | Pre-Independence | Bareilly |
< | -- | -km2 (-2,147,483,648 square miles) | ||
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| Basti division | 14 June 1997 (Separated from Gorakhpur division) | Basti |
< | -- | -km2 (-2,147,483,648 square miles) | ||
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| Chitrakootdham division | 21 November 1997 (Separated from Jhansi division) | Banda |
< | -- | -km2 (-2,147,483,648 square miles) | ||
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| Devipatan division | 21 November 1997 (Separated from Ayodhya division) | Gonda |
< | -- | -km2 (-2,147,483,648 square miles) | ||
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| Gorakhpur division | Pre-Independence | Gorakhpur |
< | -- | -km2 (-2,147,483,648 square miles) | ||
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| Jhansi division | Pre-Independence | Jhansi |
< | -- | -km2 (-2,147,483,648 square miles) | ||
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| Kanpur division | 15 August 1988 (Separated from Allahabad division) | Kanpur |
< | -- | -km2 (-2,147,483,648 square miles) | ||
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| Lucknow division | Pre-Independence | Lucknow |
< | -- | -km2 (-2,147,483,648 square miles) | ||
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| Meerut division | Pre-Independence | Meerut |
< | -- | -km2 (-2,147,483,648 square miles) | ||
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| Moradabad division | 14 September 1980 (Separated from Bareilly Division) | Moradabad |
< | -- | -km2 (-2,147,483,648 square miles) | ||
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| Prayagraj division | Pre-Independence | Prayagraj |
< | -- | -km2 (-2,147,483,648 square miles) | ||
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| Saharanpur division | 21 November 1997 (Separated from Meerut Division) | Saharanpur |
< | -- | -km2 (-2,147,483,648 square miles) | ||
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| Varanasi division | Pre-Independence | Varanasi |
< | -- | -km2 (-2,147,483,648 square miles) | ||
| --> | |||||||
| Vindhyachal division | 14 June 1997 (Separated from Varanasi division) | Mirzapur |
< | -- | -km2 (-2,147,483,648 square miles) | ||
| --> |
During the formation of State of Uttar Pradesh, it consisted of 49 districts divided into 10 divisions.
| Divisions | Headquarters | Districts | Population | Area (km2) | Density (/km2--> |
| 2nd or Agra division | Agra |
< | -- | -km2 (-2,147,483,648 square miles) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| --> | |||||
| 10th or Ayodhya division (Faizabad division) | Faizabad |
< | -- | -km2 (-2,147,483,648 square miles) | |
| --> | |||||
| 3rd or Bareilly division (Rohilkhand division) | Bareilly |
< | -- | -km2 (-2,147,483,648 square miles) | |
| --> | |||||
| 7th or Gorakhpur division | Gorakhpur |
< | -- | -km2 (-2,147,483,648 square miles) | |
| --> | |||||
| 5th or Jhansi division | Jhansi |
< | -- | -km2 (-2,147,483,648 square miles) | |
| --> | |||||
| 9th or Lucknow division | Lucknow |
< | -- | -km2 (-2,147,483,648 square miles) | |
| --> | |||||
| 8th or Kumaon division | Nainital | ||||
| 1st or Meerut division | Meerut |
< | -- | -km2 (-2,147,483,648 square miles) | |
| --> | |||||
| 4th or Prayagraj division (Allahabad division) | Allahabad |
< | -- | -km2 (-2,147,483,648 square miles) | |
| --> | |||||
| 6th or Varanasi division (Benaras division) | Benaras |
< | -- | -km2 (-2,147,483,648 square miles) | |
| --> |
There were three native principalities (Rampur State, Benaras State and Tehri Garhwal State) which existed outside the regular revenue administration which were later incorporated into it. Rampur State was made a district and was transferred to Rohilkhand division and later to newly formed Moradabad division. Benaras State was integrated with Varanasi district and Varanasi division. Tehri Garhwal State was carved into several hilly districts and a new Garhwal division was created in 1969 with Pauri district as its headquarters along with transferring of Dehradun district from Meerut division to Garhwal division. Pratapgarh district was transferred from Ayodhya division to Prayagraj division in 1988. Ballia district was transferred from Varanasi division when Azamgarh division was formed after separation from Gorakhpur division in 1994. When Uttarakhand got separated from Uttar Pradesh in 2000, Kumaon division and Garhwal division were incorporated into it along with newly formed Haridwar district which was transferred from Saharanpur division to Garhwal division.
Almost every department in Uttar Pradesh Government has its divisional level officers who supervise, review and guide its district level officers. There are many important divisional level committees and meetings chaired by concerned Divisional Commissioner which take inter-departmental decisions such as divisional crime and law & order review meeting, divisional security committee, divisional level monitoring committee for development work, regional transport authority etc. Every divisional headquarter district has a state guest-house known as Circuit House.
| Department | State Level Officer | Divisional Level Officer | District Level Officer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Administration and Revenue | Chief Secretary and Chairman of Board of Revenue | Divisional Commissioner, Additional Divisional Commissioners | District Magistrate, Additional District Magistrates | |
| Police | Director General of Police | Inspector General/Deputy Inspector General of Police (Range) | Senior Superintendent/Superintendent of Police (Districts) | |
| Forestry | Principal Chief Conservator of Forest | Chief Conservator/Conservator of Forest (Territorial) | Divisional Forest Officer | |
| Rural Development | Rural Development Commissioner | Joint Development Commissioner | Chief Development Officer | |
| Panchayati Raj | Director Panchayati Raj | Deputy Director, Panchayati Raj | District Panchayati Raj Officer | |
| Town and Country Planning | Chief Planner (Town and Country) | Associate Planner (Town and Country) | Assistant Planner (Town and Country) | |
| Public Works Department | Principal Engineer (Development) cum Engineer in Chief | Chief Engineer, PWD Zone | Superintendent/Executive Engineer, PWD Circle/Division | |
| Power | Chairman, UPPCL | Chief Engineer, Power | Superintendent/Executive Engineer, Power | |
| Irrigation | Engineer in Chief | Chief/Superintendent Engineer, Irrigation | Executive Engineer, Irrigation | |
| Health and Family Welfare | Director General, Health and Family Welfare | Additional Director, Health and Family Welfare | Chief Medical Officer | |
| Social Welfare | Director, Social Welfare | Joint Director, Social Welfare | District Social Welfare Officer | |
| Women and Child Welfare | Director, Women and Child Welfare | Deputy Director, Women and Child Welfare | District Probation Officer | |
| Backward Class Welfare | Director, Backward Class Welfare | Deputy Director, Backward Class Welfare | District Backward Class Welfare Officer | |
| Handicapped Welfare | Director, Handicapped Welfare | Deputy Director, Handicapped Welfare | District Handicapped Welfare Officer | |
| Minority Welfare | Director, Minority Welfare | Deputy Director, Minority Welfare | District Minority Welfare Officer | |
| Food and Civil Supplies | Food and Civil Supplies Commissioner | Regional Food Controller | District Supply Officer | |
| Food and Drugs Administration | Food and Drugs Administration Commissioner | Assistant Commissioner, Food/Drugs | Food Safety Officer/Drugs Inspector | |
| Transport | Transport Commissioner | Regional Transport Officer (Administration/Enforcement) | Assistant Regional Transport Officer (Administration/Enforcement) | |
| Treasury | Director, Treasury | Additional/Joint Director, Treasury | Chief/Senior Treasury Officer | |
| Economics and Statistics | Director, Economics and Statistics | Deputy Director, Economics and Statistics | District Economical and Statistical Officer | |
| Labour | Labour Commissioner | Deputy Labour Commissioner | District Labour Officer | |
| Employment | Director, Employment | Regional Employment Officer | District Employment Officer | |
| Vocational Education | Director, Vocational Education | Joint Director, Vocational Education | Deputy Director, Vocational Education | |
| Higher Education | Director, Higher Education | Regional Higher Education Officer | Assistant Regional Higher Education Officer | |
| Secondary Education | Director General, School Education | Joint Director, Secondary Education | District Inspector of Schools | |
| Basic Education | Director General, School Education | Assistant Director, Basic Education | Basic Shiksha Adhikari | |
| Information | Director, Information | Deputy Director, Information | District Information Officer | |
| Agriculture | Director, Agriculture | Joint Director, Agriculture | District Agriculture Officer | |
| Cane and Sugar Industry | Cane and Sugar Commissioner | Joint/Deputy Commissioner, Cane | District Cane Officer | |
| Dairy Development | Dairy Commissioner | Dairy Development Officer | Deputy Dairy Development Officer | |
| Animal Husbandry | Director, Animal Husbandry | Deputy Director, Animal Husbandry | Chief Veterinary Officer | |
| Horticulture | Director, Horticulture | Joint Director, Horticulture | District Horticulture Officer | |
| Sericulture | Director, Sericulture | Deputy Director, Sericulture | Assistant Director, Sericulture | |
| Fisheries | Director, Fisheries | Deputy Director, Fisheries | Assistant Director, Fisheries | |
| Handloom and Textile | Commissioner, Handloom and Textile | Deputy Commissioner, Handloom and Textile | Assistant Commissioner, Handloom and Textile | |
| Industries | Commissioner, Industries | Joint Commissioner, Industries | Deputy Commissioner, District Industrial Centre | |
| Mines and Geology | Director, Mines | Regional Mines Officer | District Mines Officer | |
| Excise | Excise Commissioner | Joint Excise Commissioner | District Excise Officer | |
| Commercial Tax | Commissioner, Commercial Tax | Additional Commissioner, Commercial Tax | Joint Commissioner, Commercial Tax | |
| Stamps and Registration | Inspector General, Stamps and Registration | Deputy Inspector General, Stamps and Registration | Assistant Inspector General, Stamps and Registration | |
| Prisons | Director General/Inspector General, Prisons | Deputy Inspector General, Prisons | Senior Superintendent/Superintendent of Prison | |
| Prosecution | Director, Prosecution | Additional Director, Prosecution | Joint Director, Prosection | |
| Home-guards | Director General, Home-guards | Divisional Commandant, Home-guards | District Commandant, Home-guards | |
| Fire Service | Director General, Fire Service | Deputy Director Fire Service | Chief Fire Officer | |
| Cooperative | Commissioner and Registrar, Cooperative | Deputy Commissioner and Registrar, Cooperative | Assistant Commissioner and Registrar | |
| Tourism | Director General, Tourism | Regional Tourism Officer | District Tourism Officer | |
| Sports | Director General, Sports | Regional Sports Officer | District Sports Officer |
After the state government approved integrated divisional office complexes for Gorakhpur and Varanasi division which will have offices of all divisional officers under one roof.[2] The opposition alleged favouritism for these two divisions as they are located in Chief Minister’s and Prime Minister’s constituencies.