India has a unitary government with a federal structure. However, for better administration, areas are further divided into smaller units. While the Union is made of several states, the states are further divided into districts. Districts are divided into sub-divisions, talukas or tehsils under which villages fall.
While the concepts of state, district and village are clear, the concept of sub-division is often confusing.
See also: What does Tarmeem mean in context of land records in India?
What is a sub-division?
While looking for land records in India, a user is invariably asked to select a sub-division or tehsil along with the district.
“Typically, a district is divided into several smaller units for administrative purposes. These units are known as sub-division, tehsil or taluka in India. While the district magistrate is the administrative head of the district, sub-divisional magistrates, who are in charge of the tehsil, report to him,” explains Amresh Shukla who works with the Uttar Pradesh Revenue Department.
In Hindi, sub-division is known as up-khand (उपखंड).
Origin of sub-division
During the Mughal period, especially during the reign of Akbar, major reforms were introduced to improve the land revenue system. Among these was the division of the estate into smaller units for better administration. Hence, the concept of sub-division has its roots in the medieval estate management system.
What are the other names used for sub-division?
States in India use localised names to denote district sub-divisions. District sub-divisions are known as mandal, taluka, taluk, tehsil, circle or CD block.
| State | Name for sub-division |
| Andhra Pradesh | Mandal |
| Arunachal Pradesh | Circle |
| Assam | Circle |
| Bihar | CD Block |
| Chhattisgarh | Tehsil |
| Goa | Taluka |
| Gujarat | Taluka |
| Haryana | Tehsil |
| Himachal Pradesh | Tehsil |
| Jammu and Kashmir | Tehsil |
| Jharkhand | CD Block |
| Karnataka | Taluka |
| Kerala | Taluka |
| Madhya Pradesh | Tehsil |
| Maharashtra | Taluka |
| Manipur | Sub-Division |
| Meghalaya | CD Block |
| Mizoram | CD Block |
| Nagaland | Circle |
| Odisha | Police Station |
| Punjab | Tehsil |
| Rajasthan | Tehsil |
| Sikkim | Sub-Division |
| Tamil Nadu | Taluka |
| Telangana | Taluka |
| Tripura | CD Block |
| Uttar Pradesh | Tehsil |
| Uttarakhand | Tehsil |
| West Bengal | CD Block |
Why knowledge of sub-division is crucial for real estate transactions?
Real estate investments involve the correct area knowledge, the geographical location of the property and the historical data related to the land/property. One must be aware of the sub-division of the property.
Property registration
At the time of property registration, your property is valued based on the prevalent circle rates in your area. Within a city, the circle rate can significantly vary between the sub-divisions. The sub-division of your property is related to its valuation. Even though stamp duty and registration fee are the same across the state, the actual money towards these duties could be significantly different based on the sub-division. In Delhi, for instance, there are 11 districts and 33 sub-divisions. Within East Delhi, circle rates of properties in the Mayur Vihar sub-division would be higher than properties located in the Gandhi Nagar sub-division.
Land records
Nearly all the states have digitised land records. For better record keeping, these are arranged district-wise, sub-division-wise and village-wise, in this order. Those who want to check land records online have to provide details, such as district, tehsil, village, etc. To check Khasra and Khatauni in UP, for instance, you have to select the district and tehsil. In the absence of such details, it would be difficult to get the land records.
Property taxation
Locality plays a major role in deciding the annual value of your property, based on which municipal bodies levy the annual property tax. Property tax differs from one sub-division in a locality to another.
FAQs
What is a tehsil?
A tehsil is a unit of administrative division in India.
Are sub-division and tehsil the same?
Yes, tehsil is a medieval term for sub-divisions of a district in India.
Are taluka and tehsil the same?
Yes, tehsil is another name for taluka in India.
Are taluka and mandal the same?
Yes, mandal is another name used for taluka in India.
Are circle and tehsil the same?
Yes, both these terms mean district sub-division.
Are mandal and tehsil the same?
Yes, both these terms mean district sub-division.
| Got any questions or point of view on our article? We would love to hear from you. Write to our Editor-in-Chief Jhumur Ghosh at jhumur.ghosh1@housing.com |
An alumna of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Dhenkanal, Sunita Mishra brings over 16 years of expertise to the fields of legal matters, financial insights, and property market trends. Recognised for her ability to elucidate complex topics, her articles serve as a go-to resource for home buyers navigating intricate subjects. Through her extensive career, she has been associated with esteemed organisations like the Financial Express, Hindustan Times, Network18, All India Radio, and Business Standard.
In addition to her professional accomplishments, Sunita holds an MA degree in Sanskrit, with a specialisation in Indian Philosophy, from Delhi University. Outside of her work schedule, she likes to unwind by practising Yoga, and pursues her passion for travel.
sunita.mishra@proptiger.com
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