Tehsil

A tehsil (Hindustani pronunciation: [tɛɦsiːl], also known as tahsil, taluk, or taluka) is a local unit of administrative division in India and Pakistan. It is a subdistrict of the area within a district including the designated populated place that serves as its administrative centre, with possible additional towns, and usually a number of villages.^[1] The terms in India have replaced earlier terms, such as pargana (pergunnah) and thana.^[2]

In Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, a newer unit called mandal (circle) has come to replace the tehsil system. It is generally smaller than a tehsil, and is meant for facilitating local self-government in the panchayat system.^[3] In West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, community development blocks are the empowered grassroots administrative unit, replacing tehsils.

Tehsil office is primarily tasked with land revenue administration, besides election and executive functions. It is the ultimate executive agency for land records and related administrative matters. The chief official is called the tehsildar or, less officially, the talukdar or taluka muktiarkar. Tehsil or taluk can be considered sub-districts in the Indian context. In some instances, tehsils overlap with "blocks" (panchayat union blocks or panchayat development blocks or cd blocks) and come under the land and revenue department, headed by the tehsildar; and blocks come under the rural development department, headed by the block development officer and serve different government administrative functions over the same or similar geographical area.^[4]

Although they may on occasion share the same area with a subdivision of a revenue division, known as revenue blocks, the two are distinct. For example, Raipur district in Chhattisgarh state is administratively divided into 13 tehsils and 15 revenue blocks.^[5] Nevertheless, the two are often conflated.

^ "tehsil". Lexico UK English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on March 22, 2020.
^ Dutt, Ashok K.; Noble, Allen G.; Costa, Frank J.; Thakur, Sudhir K.; Thakur, Rajiv; Sharma, Hari S. (15 October 2015). Spatial Diversity and Dynamics in Resources and Urban Development: Volume 1: Regional Resources. Springer. ISBN 9789401797719 – via Google Books.
^ Rajiv Balakrishnan (2007), Participatory Pathways: People's Participation in Development Initiatives, Pearson Education India, pp. 65–, ISBN 978-81-317-0034-1
^ Sharma, A. K. (2012). Population and Society. New Delhi: Concept Publishing Company. p. 53. ISBN 978-81-8069-818-7. The main purpose of the census is to provide data on size and composition of population of India and its geographic divisions, i.e., population of different states and union territories, districts, blocks and villages.
^ Rahman, Syed Amanur, ed. (2006). The Beautiful India: Chhatisgarh. New Delhi: Reference Press. p. 34. ISBN 978-81-8405-017-2.

[1] "tehsil". Lexico UK English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on March 22, 2020.

[2] Dutt, Ashok K.; Noble, Allen G.; Costa, Frank J.; Thakur, Sudhir K.; Thakur, Rajiv; Sharma, Hari S. (15 October 2015). Spatial Diversity and Dynamics in Resources and Urban Development: Volume 1: Regional Resources. Springer. ISBN 9789401797719 – via Google Books.

[Balakrishnan2007-3] Rajiv Balakrishnan (2007), Participatory Pathways: People's Participation in Development Initiatives, Pearson Education India, pp. 65–, ISBN 978-81-317-0034-1

[4] Sharma, A. K. (2012). Population and Society. New Delhi: Concept Publishing Company. p. 53. ISBN 978-81-8069-818-7. The main purpose of the census is to provide data on size and composition of population of India and its geographic divisions, i.e., population of different states and union territories, districts, blocks and villages.

[5] Rahman, Syed Amanur, ed. (2006). The Beautiful India: Chhatisgarh. New Delhi: Reference Press. p. 34. ISBN 978-81-8405-017-2.

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