A district is an administrative division of a state. Each district in India has an officer-in-charge who represents the state governments in that area in the capacity of Collector/District Magistrate. The office of the collector is the chief representative of government in a District. District Collectors are entrusted with a wide range of duties in the jurisdiction of the district, which generally involve:
| As District Magistrate | As Collector |
| Maintenance of law and order | Land assessment |
| Supervision of subordinate Executive Magistracy | Land acquisition |
| Hearing cases under the preventive section of the Revenue Code | Collection |
| Supervision of jails and certification of execution of capital sentences | Collection of excise duties, irrigation dues, etc. |
| Arbitrator of land acquisition | Distribution of agricultural loans |
| Disaster management during natural calamities such as floods, famines, or epidemics | Chairman of the District Bankers Coordination Committee |
| Crisis management during riots or external aggression | Head of the All District departments |