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District Collector and District Magistrate

District Collector & Magistrate: Key administrative authority overseeing governance, law, & order in a district. Duties include revenue collection & judiciary.

The highest-ranked serviceman of a government revenue administration in India is a district collector. The Divisional Commissioner and the financial commissioner assign the  District Collector in the matter of the revenues in the government. While on the other hand, the DM of a city is also referred to as district magistrate. They are the highest officer in charge of the district general management in India and the senior-most administrator magistrate. The duties or responsibilities assigned to a district magistrate differ from state to state.

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Who is a District Collector? 

The highest officer of revenue administration in India is known as a district collector. The district collector is also known as District Commissioner. The district collector is in charge of complete management of the District, which is under their area considering all the departments.

The purpose of the functions of a district collector is to collect the land revenue or to supervise how to collect the rent land revenue, to maintain the order and law in the district, and to supervise the general administration. The collector’s judicial power was transferred to the district’s judicial officers, which happened after Independence.

Every district has a district collector or the chief deputy commissioner, which the state government appoints to look after the law, district administration, and order. The chief administrative head of the district is known as a collector.

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Who is a District Magistrate?

The district magistrate is also termed as DC or DM of the district and is called the Deputy Commissioner or District collector. District Magistrate is an officer of the Indian Administration Services (IAS). From the organisation of Indian Administrative Services, officers are posted by the government in different states or districts.

The members placed in IAS are either directly enrolled by the Union Public Service Commission, promoted further, and nominated by the state civil service (SCS) and the non-state civil service (Non-SCS), respectively. The state government transfers the district magistrate and the district collector from and to a place.

Some of the district magistrate’s responsibilities are, namely:

  • Coordination of police 

  • Certification of capital punishment of superior judgment of conviction and the oversight of jails

  • Maintaining peace order and law 

  • Matters which are related to child labour 

  • The management of crisis during riots

  • Management of the state or district during the natural calamities like floods or any other epidemics 

Important Pages

Difference between District Collector and District Magistrate 

              District Collector

                    District Magistrate

The district collector conducts the revenue of the court 

The district magistrate maintains the order and law in the district 

District collector tends for the indirect tax duty, Income Tax dues, and irrigation dues

The district magistrate has control over the action of the police and directs or supervises them

The district collector has to maintain the land records

The District Magistrate or the Deputy Commissioner is the chief head of the criminal administration

The District collector collects and maintains the land revenue

The District Magistrate or the Deputy Commissioner has control over jails in that district

The highest rank of revenue administration officer in India is known as a district collector

The most senior administrator Magistrate and the chief head in charge of India’s district, general administration is District Magistrate

The District collector issues several certificates such as OBC, SC/ST, Marriage, Domicile, and Nationality

District Magistrate tends to authorise or Grant permissions for arms and ammunition

Conclusion

A district is governed by the highest officer rank known as District Magistrate or District Commissioner. A district revenue officer is also known as a District Collector or District Commissioner, in charge of the whole city or the district and all the departments. Every city or district has a chief-deputy commissioner, which the state government has nominated. Both the District Magistrate and the District Collector are appointed by the state government and the Union public service commission(UPSC).

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Frequently asked questions

Get answers to the most common queries related to the UPSC Examination Preparation.

Why is a collector also called a DM?

Answer: A District Magistrate, also referred to as DM, is responsible for the order and law and is the head ...Read full

Which post is the highest among SDM and DM?.

Answer: The post of DM is higher than the SDM because a DM is the highest chief officer rank in the Indian A...Read full

Does everyone who is an IAS become DM?

Answer: For being an IAS officer, a candidate must first qualify a test known as the UPSC-CSE exam, and afte...Read full

Who has more power, among the municipal commissioner or collector?

Answer: Generally, a city is said to be a part of a district, or the city comes under a district, so the Dis...Read full