A district (zilā) is an administrative division of an Indian state or territory. In some cases districts are further subdivided into sub-divisions, and in others directly into tehsils or talukas. As of 2016 there are a total of 688 districts, up from the 640 in the 2011 Census of India and the 593 recorded in the 2001 Census of India.
District officials include:
Each of these officials is aided by officers from the appropriate branch of the state government.
Most districts have a distinct headquarters; Mumbai City district (MC) in Maharashtra (MH) is an example which, despite forming a district, does not have a clear headquarters, though it does have a District Collector.