Administrative Divisions of Bihar: Divisions, Districts and Headquarters

Administrative divisions of Bihar form a hierarchical governance structure designed for regional administration, revenue collection, and law enforcement. The state is partitioned into 9 administrative divisions, which encompass 38 districts, 101 subdivisions, and 534 community development blocks. A Divisional Commissioner leads each division, while a District Magistrate or Deputy Commissioner administers each district.

Administrative Structure of Bihar

Hierarchy of Field Administration

• Divisions (Pramandal): Bihar comprises 9 divisions led by Senior IAS officers serving as Divisional Commissioners.
• Districts (Zila): The state contains 38 districts headed by District Magistrates, responsible for general administration, revenue administration, and developmental oversight.
• Subdivisions (Anumandal): 101 subdivisions exist across the state, managed by Sub-Divisional Magistrates (SDM) or Sub-Divisional Officers (SDO).
• Community Development Blocks (Prakhand): 534 CD blocks handle grassroots development and welfare implementation, supervised by Block Development Officers (BDO).
• Gram Panchayats and Revenue Villages: The state has 8,406 Gram Panchayats and 45,103 villages serving as primary local self-governance units.

Comprehensive Division and District Matrix

Detailed Profile of Administrative Divisions

Patna Division

• Covers six districts located in southwest and central Bihar south of the Ganges.
• Contains the state capital Patna, which serves as the seat of the Bihar State Legislature, Patna High Court, and the state secretariat.
• Nalanda district functions with its administrative headquarters at Bihar Sharif.
• Bhojpur district operates with its headquarters at Arrah, and Rohtas district has its headquarters at Sasaram.
• Kaimur district functions with its administrative headquarters located at Bhabua.

Tirhut Division

• Comprises six north-western districts north of the Ganges.
• West Champaran is the largest district in Bihar by geographical area (5,228 sq km), with its headquarters at Bettiah.
• East Champaran has its administrative headquarters at Motihari.
• Vaishali district functions with its headquarters at Hajipur.
• Sheohar is the smallest district in the Tirhut division and one of the smallest in Bihar.

Saran Division

• Formed out of the historic Saran Commissionership, comprising Saran, Siwan, and Gopalganj districts.
• Saran district’s headquarters is situated at Chapra.
• Bounded by Uttar Pradesh to the west and the Gandak and Ganga rivers on its administrative borders.

Darbhanga Division

• Situated in north-central Bihar within the Mithila cultural belt.
• Contains three districts: Darbhanga, Madhubani, and Samastipur.
• Madhubani borders Nepal to the north and serves as the center for traditional Mithila folk paintings.

Kosi Division

• Includes three districts: Saharsa, Madhepura, and Supaul.
• Administered from Saharsa headquarters, covering areas heavily influenced by the dynamic floodplains of the Kosi River system.
• Supaul borders Nepal to the north.

Purnia Division

• Covers four northeastern districts: Purnia, Katihar, Araria, and Kishanganj.
• Kishanganj is the easternmost district of Bihar and borders West Bengal and Nepal.
• Katihar serves as a major railway transit junction connecting northeast India.

Bhagalpur Division

• The smallest administrative division in Bihar by district count, containing only two districts: Bhagalpur and Banka.
• Bhagalpur is situated on the south bank of the Ganges and serves as the regional hub for the silk textile industry.
• Banka forms the southern boundary bordering Jharkhand.

Munger Division

• Comprises six districts spanning both north and south banks of the Ganges: Munger, Begusarai, Khagaria, Lakhisarai, Jamui, and Sheikhpura.
• Begusarai operates as an industrial and petrochemical center housing the Barauni Refinery and Thermal Power Station.
• Sheikhpura is among the least populated districts in Bihar.

Magadh Division

• Encompasses five districts in south-central Bihar: Gaya, Nawada, Aurangabad, Jehanabad, and Arwal.
• Gaya serves as the divisional headquarters and represents the second-largest district in Bihar by geographical area (4,976 sq km).
• Arwal was carved out of Jehanabad in 2001 and is the newest and smallest district in the Magadh division.

Facts

• Bihar has 9 divisions, 38 districts, 101 subdivisions, and 534 community development blocks.
• West Champaran is the largest district by area (5,228 sq km).
• Sheohar is the smallest district by area (444 sq km).
• Patna is the most populous district in Bihar according to Census data.
• Sheikhpura is the least populous district in the state.
• Bhagalpur division contains the fewest districts (2: Bhagalpur and Banka).
• Patna, Tirhut, and Munger divisions share the highest number of districts (6 each).
• Arwal is the 38th district of Bihar, formed in August 2001 by carving out territory from Jehanabad district.
• Seven districts of Bihar share an international border with Nepal: West Champaran, East Champaran, Sitamarhi, Madhubani, Supaul, Araria, and Kishanganj.
• Three districts border West Bengal to the east: Kishanganj, Purnia, and Katihar.
• Eight districts border Uttar Pradesh to the west: West Champaran, Gopalganj, Siwan, Saran, Bhojpur, Buxar, Kaimur, and Rohtas.
• Eight districts border Jharkhand to the south: Rohtas, Aurangabad, Gaya, Nawada, Jamui, Banka, Bhagalpur, and Katihar.
• District headquarters that differ from district names include Bhojpur (Arrah), Kaimur (Bhabua), Nalanda (Bihar Sharif), Rohtas (Sasaram), Saran (Chapra), East Champaran (Motihari), and West Champaran (Bettiah).