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Administrative Divisions of Arunachal Pradesh—Districts, Regions, and MLA Seats

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The Administrative Divisions of Arunachal Pradesh help organize the state’s large and geographically difficult terrain for effective governance. Arunachal Pradesh is divided into districts, and these districts are further administered through subdivisions, circles, and other local administrative units. For students preparing for competitive examinations, questions about the state’s districts, administrative regions, and legislative representation are important parts of Arunachal Pradesh General Knowledge. Students preparing for APSC and other state-level examinations can also consider APSC coaching in Assam for structured guidance and preparation support.

How Many Administrative Divisions Are There in Arunachal Pradesh?

Many Administrative Divisions

There are three broad administrative divisions of Arunachal Pradesh :

  1. Western Region
  2. Central Region
  3. Eastern Region

The government describes the state’s districts through these three regional groupings. However, these should not be confused with districts themselves. A region is a broader administrative grouping, while a district is a separate administrative unit headed by a deputy commissioner. For aspirants wondering how to start preparing for APSC, understanding basic administrative structures like these can provide a useful foundation for building Assam and Northeast-focused General Knowledge.

Administrative RegionDistricts
Western Region5
Central Region14
Eastern Region8
Total27

The number of districts has increased over time as new districts have been created to improve administration and make government services more accessible to people living in remote areas.

How Many Districts Are There in Arunachal Pradesh?

Arunachal Pradesh currently has 27 districts. The 27th district is Bichom, which was created from areas of East Kameng and West Kameng. Government records from 2025–26 show Bichom functioning as a separate district, including separate district-level offices and administrative arrangements. Students preparing for civil services examinations can also explore UPSC coaching in North East India for structured guidance on regional General Knowledge and broader UPSC preparation.

The current districts are

No.DistrictRegion
1AnjawEastern
2ChanglangEastern
3Dibang ValleyEastern
4East KamengWestern
5East SiangCentral
6KamleCentral
7Keyi PanyorCentral
8Kra DaadiCentral
9Kurung KumeyCentral
10LeparadaCentral
11LohitEastern
12LongdingEastern
13Lower Dibang ValleyEastern
14Lower SiangCentral
15Lower SubansiriCentral
16NamsaiEastern
17Pakke-KessangWestern
18Papum PareCentral
19Shi-YomiCentral
20SiangCentral
21TawangWestern
22TirapEastern
23Upper SiangCentral
24Upper SubansiriCentral
25West KamengWestern
26West SiangCentral
27BichomWestern

The official 2026 Inner Line Permit guidelines list Bichom as district code 27, alongside Keyi Panyor as district code 28 in the district-code schedule. This reflects the administrative changes that occurred after the older 26-district lists were published.

Why Did Arunachal Pradesh’s District Count Increase?

The creation of new districts is linked to the need for easier administration in a state where many areas are remote and difficult to access. Two important district formations occurred in 2024. Keyi Panyor was created from Lower Subansiri, while Bichom was created from parts of East Kameng and West Kameng. Bichom was subsequently inaugurated as the state’s 27th district.

The creation of new districts can bring important administrative offices closer to residents. It can also improve coordination for development programs, revenue administration, public services, and law-and-order functions. For aspirants preparing for state civil service examinations, an Assam APSC coaching centre can provide structured guidance and help connect such regional administrative topics with the relevant examination syllabus.

What Are the Three Administrative Divisions of Arunachal Pradesh?

The state’s districts are broadly grouped into Western, Central, and Eastern regions.

Western Region

The Western Region includes:

  • Bichom
  • East Kameng
  • Pakke-Kessang
  • Tawang
  • West Kameng

The region includes important areas along the western part of Arunachal Pradesh, including Tawang and the Kameng districts.

Central Region

The Central Region contains a large number of districts, including

  • East Siang
  • Kamle
  • Keyi Panyor
  • Kra Daadi
  • Kurung Kumey
  • Leparada
  • Lower Siang
  • Lower Subansiri
  • Papum Pare
  • Shi-Yomi
  • Siang
  • Upper Siang
  • Upper Subansiri
  • West Siang

This region covers a substantial part of the state’s central and river-valley areas.

Eastern Region

The Eastern Region includes:

  • Anjaw
  • Changlang
  • Dibang Valley
  • Lohit
  • Longding
  • Lower Dibang Valley
  • Namsai
  • Tirap

The eastern districts include several areas close to the international borders and contain important mountain, forest, and river systems.

What Are the Headquarters of the Important Districts?

Apart from the administrative divisions of Arunachal Pradesh, knowing the district headquarters is useful for competitive examinations because questions may ask candidates to match districts with their headquarters.

Some important district headquarters include

DistrictHeadquarters
AnjawHawai
ChanglangChanglang
Dibang ValleyAnini
East KamengSeppa
East SiangPasighat
KamleRaga
Keyi PanyorYachuli
Kra DaadiJamin
Kurung KumeyKoloriang
LeparadaBasar
LohitTezu
LongdingLongding
Lower Dibang ValleyRoing
Lower SiangLikabali
Lower SubansiriZiro
NamsaiNamsai
Pakke-KessangLemmi
Papum PareYupia
Shi-YomiTato
SiangBoleng
TawangTawang
TirapKhonsa
Upper SiangYingkiong
Upper SubansiriDaporijo
West KamengBomdila
West SiangAalo
BichomNafra

The official government district listing confirms many of these district headquarters, while current government records also show Bichom functioning as a separate district.

How Many MLA Seats Are There in Arunachal Pradesh?

Arunachal Pradesh has 60 seats in its Legislative Assembly. The Election Commission of India lists 60 Assembly seats for the state. The Assembly is the state’s elected legislative body. Members of the Legislative Assembly, commonly called MLAs, represent individual Assembly constituencies.

The state also has 2 Lok Sabha constituencies and 1 Rajya Sabha seat.

Legislative RepresentationNumber of Seats
Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly60
Lok Sabha2
Rajya Sabha1

The 2024 Arunachal Pradesh Assembly election was conducted across all 60 Assembly constituencies.

Why Are Administrative Divisions Important in Arunachal Pradesh?

The Administrative Divisions of Arunachal Pradesh are important because the state has a difficult geographical landscape, large forest areas and many remote settlements.

District-level administration helps the government manage areas such as:

  • Revenue and land administration
  • Law and order
  • Education
  • Healthcare
  • Roads and infrastructure
  • Rural development
  • Disaster management
  • Welfare programmes
  • Forest and environmental administration
  • Delivery of government services

The creation of districts such as Keyi Panyor and Bichom also demonstrates how the administrative structure continues to evolve.

Conclusion

The Administrative Divisions of Arunachal Pradesh reflect the state’s effort to manage a large and geographically challenging territory through a structured district administration. The state is broadly organized into three regions, while its current administrative structure includes 27 districts. Because district structures can change through government notifications, candidates should check the latest official government records when preparing for an examination. 

Frequently Asked Questions

How many administrative divisions are there in Arunachal Pradesh?

Arunachal Pradesh is broadly divided into three administrative regions: Western, Central and Eastern. These regions contain the state’s districts and provide a broad geographical and administrative grouping.

How many districts are there in Arunachal Pradesh?

Arunachal Pradesh currently has 27 districts. Bichom became the 27th district after being carved out of parts of East Kameng and West Kameng. Current government records from 2025–26 also recognize Bichom as a separate district.

What are the 27 districts of Arunachal Pradesh?

The 27 districts are Anjaw, Changlang, Dibang Valley, East Kameng, East Siang, Kamle, Keyi Panyor, Kra Daadi, Kurung Kumey, Leparada, Lohit, Longding, Lower Dibang Valley, Lower Siang, Lower Subansiri, Namsai, Pakke-Kessang, Papum Pare, Shi-Yomi, Siang, Tawang, Tirap, Upper Siang, Upper Subansiri, West Kameng, West Siang, and Bichom.

Sources…

  1. The Arunachal Pradesh Gazette 
  2. Panchayati Raj in Arunachal Pradesh

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