The Government of Delhi, officially the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD;

ISO The International Organization for Standardization (ISO ; ; ) is an independent, non-governmental, international standard development organization composed of representatives from the national standards organizations of member countries. Me ...

: ) is the governing body of

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

National Capital Territory Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, but spread chiefly to the west, or beyond its right bank, Del ...

Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, but spread chiefly to the west, or beyond its Bank (geography ...

, whose urban area is the seat of the

Government of India The Government of India (ISO 15919, ISO: Bhārata Sarakāra, legally the Union Government or Union of India or the Central Government) is the national authority of the Republic of India, located in South Asia, consisting of States and union t ...

. It also governs the city or local governments in the area as per the 74th Constitutional Amendment Act. Union Territories are governed directly by the Government of India. There are a few exceptions, such as Delhi and Puducherry which also have their own elected governments with some limitations. In May 2023, a

Supreme Court In most legal jurisdictions, a supreme court, also known as a court of last resort, apex court, high (or final) court of appeal, and court of final appeal, is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...

verdict ruled that the Government of Delhi has power over all administrative services, including the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), except police, land and public order, and the

Lieutenant Governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

shall exercise power under the administrative role. In May 2023, the Supreme Court delivered a landmark verdict affirming that the Government of Delhi holds authority over all administrative services, including the

Indian Administrative Service The Indian Administrative Service (IAS) is the Public administration, administrative arm of the All India Services of Government of India. The IAS is one of the three All India Services along with the Indian Police Service (IPS) and the Indian ...

, with the exception of police, land, and public order, while limiting the

's role to matters under these specific domains. However, just days after this judgment, the Central Government circumvented the ruling by issuing an ordinance to establish the National Capital Civil Services Authority in Delhi. This ordinance effectively reasserts the Central Government's dominance by designating the

Chief Minister of Delhi The chief minister of the National Capital Territory of Delhi is the head of government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. According to the Constitution of India, the lieutenant governor is the National Capital Territory of Delhi's ''de ...

as the head of the authority, with the Chief Secretary and

Home Secretary The secretary of state for the Home Department, more commonly known as the home secretary, is a senior minister of the Crown in the Government of the United Kingdom and the head of the Home Office. The position is a Great Office of State, maki ...

—both reporting to the Central Government—as members. The authority’s primary function is to control the transfer and posting of Group 'A' officers and

DANICS The Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli (Civil) Services, abbreviated DANICS and formerly called the Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands Civil Service is the civil service of the Union Terri ...

officers in the Delhi government, undermining the Supreme Court's recognition of Delhi's autonomy over its administrative services.

Local governments

The local or city government is headed by the mayor. The

Municipal Corporation of Delhi Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD; ISO: ''Dillī Nagara Nigama'') is the municipal corporation that governs most of Delhi, India. The MCD is among the largest municipal bodies in the world providing civic services to a population of about 20 ...

handles civic administration for the city, and has one mayor. Heretofore the

was trifurcated into three bodies: the

North Delhi Municipal Corporation North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) was one of the municipal corporations in Delhi, India that was established after the former Municipal Corporation of Delhi was trifurcated in 2012. It governed a jurisdiction spanning , which was furt ...

, the

South Delhi Municipal Corporation South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) was one of the municipal corporations in Delhi, India, that was established after the former Municipal Corporation of Delhi was trifurcated in 2012. It governed over a jurisdiction spanning , which was ...

, and the

East Delhi Municipal Corporation East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) was one of the municipal corporations in Delhi, India, that was established after the former Municipal Corporation of Delhi was trifurcated in 2012. It governed over a jurisdiction spanning , which was ...

in 2012. They were reunified on 22 May 2022. The

Delhi Cantonment Board Delhi Cantonment (ISO: ''Dillī Chāvanī''; popularly referred to as Delhi Cantt) is a Class I Cantonment Board established in 1914. The area of the Cantonment is and the population of the Cantonment as per the 2011 census is 110,351. The ...

operates as an independent municipal authority within the city of Delhi. As stipulated by the Cantonment Board Act of 2006, cantonment boards are designated as municipalities and are governed directly by the

Ministry of Defence A ministry of defence or defense (see American and British English spelling differences#-ce.2C -se, spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and Mi ...

. This grants the Delhi Cantonment Board jurisdiction over its area, separate from the governance and administrative framework of the Delhi government.

Government of NCT of Delhi

The Chief Minister and lieutenant Governor are the heads of the Government. The government consists of the legislative wing, namely the

Legislative Assembly of Delhi The Legislative Assembly of the National Capital Territory of Delhi is the unicameral legislature of the union territory of Delhi in India. Delhi Legislative Assembly is the legislative arm of the Government of Delhi. At present, it consists o ...

, which is

unicameral Unicameralism (from ''uni''- "one" + Latin ''camera'' "chamber") is a type of legislature consisting of one house or assembly that legislates and votes as one. Unicameralism has become an increasingly common type of legislature, making up nearly ...

, consisting of 70

members of the legislative assembly A Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) is a representative elected to sit in a legislative assembly. The term most commonly refers to members of the legislature of a federated state or an autonomous region, but is also used for several nationa ...

History

The

was first constituted on 17 March 1952 under the Government of Part C States Act, 1951, but it was abolished on 1 October 1956. The legislative assembly of Delhi was re-established on January 2, 1992, following the enforcement of the Constitution (Sixty-ninth Amendment) Act, 1991, and the subsequent Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991. The Sixty-ninth Amendment formally renamed the Union Territory of Delhi as the

National Capital Territory of Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, but spread chiefly to the west, or beyond its Bank (geography ...

, granting it a unique status with its own legislative assembly.. The maiden chief minister of Delhi was Chaudhary Brahm Prakash Yadav of the

Indian National Congress The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party, or simply the Congress, is a political parties in India, political party in India with deep roots in most regions of India. Founded on 28 December 1885, it was the first mo ...

, whereas the first woman chief minister was

Sushma Swaraj Sushma Swaraj (''née'' Sharma; 14 February 1952 – 6 August 2019; ) was an Indian lawyer, politician and diplomat who served as the 5th Chief Minister of Delhi, and also the Minister of External Affairs of India in the first Narendra Modi ...

( BJP).

Sheila Dikshit Sheila Dikshit () (née Kapoor; 31 March 1938 – 20 July 2019) was an Indian politician. The longest-serving chief minister of Delhi, as well as the longest-serving female chief minister in Indian history, she served for a period of 15 year ...

(INC) has been the chief minister for the maximum number of terms (three) and served for the longest duration (15 years).

Guru Radha Kishan Guru Radha Kishan (1925-1996) was an Indian Independence activist and Communist politician. Early life Radha Kishan was born in 1925 in a family of farmers on Krishna Janmashtami in Bid village (currently in Harda district, Madhya Pradesh) ...

( CPI) had the rare distinction of representing his constituency in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi for most years continuously by an individual and Chaudhary Prem Singh (INC) has won the maximum elections for different civic bodies in Delhi.

Council of Ministers

Central Government

The

Lieutenant Governor of Delhi The Lieutenant Governor of Delhi is the constitutional head of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. The post was established in September 1966, following the enactment of The Delhi Administration Act, 1966. Thereafter, the former Delhi Le ...

is appointed by the

President of India The president of India (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the head of state of the Republic of India. The president is the nominal head of the executive, the first citizen of the country, and the commander-in-chief, supreme commander of the Indian Armed ...

, as the agent of President and head of state like governor, on the advice of the Central government. This state government is called the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (Government of NCT of Delhi or simply Government of Delhi). It consists of an

executive Executive ( exe., exec., execu.) may refer to: Role or title * Executive, a senior management role in an organization ** Chief executive officer (CEO), one of the highest-ranking corporate officers (executives) or administrators ** Executive dir ...

, led by the

, a

judiciary The judiciary (also known as the judicial system, judicature, judicial branch, judiciative branch, and court or judiciary system) is the system of courts that adjudicates legal disputes/disagreements and interprets, defends, and applies the law ...

and a

legislature A legislature (, ) is a deliberative assembly with the legal authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country, nation or city on behalf of the people therein. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial power ...

Centre versus State

The

Supreme Court of India The Supreme Court of India is the supreme judiciary of India, judicial authority and the supreme court, highest court of the Republic of India. It is the final Appellate court, court of appeal for all civil and criminal cases in India. It also ...

in '' Government of NCT of Delhi v. Union of India'' ruled that according to the Article 239AA of the

Indian constitution The Constitution of India is the supreme legal document of India, and the longest written national constitution in the world. The document lays down the framework that demarcates fundamental political code, structure, procedures, powers, and ...

, that although the government had to keep him/her informed of its decisions, Delhi's lieutenant governor did not have any independent decision-making powers and had to follow the "aid and advice" of the

chief minister A chief minister is an elected or appointed head of government of – in most instances – a sub-national entity, for instance an administrative subdivision or federal constituent entity. Examples include a state (and sometimes a union ter ...

-led council of ministers of the Government of Delhi on matters which the

Delhi Legislative Assembly The Legislative Assembly of the National Capital Territory of Delhi is the unicameral legislature of the union territory of Delhi in India. Delhi Legislative Assembly is the legislative arm of the Government of Delhi. At present, it consists ...

could legislate on, viz., all items on the

State List The State List or List-II is a list of 61 items. Initially there were 66 items in the list in Schedule Seven to the Constitution of India. The legislative section is divided into three lists: the Union List, the State List and the Concurrent Lis ...

(items on which only state legislatures can legislate) and the

Concurrent List The Concurrent List or List-III (Seventh Schedule) is a list of 52 items (though the last subject is numbered 47) given in the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India. It includes the power to be considered by both the union and state gove ...

(items on which both the

Parliament of India The Parliament of India (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the supreme legislative body of the Government of India, Government of the Republic of India. It is a bicameralism, bicameral legislature composed of the Rajya Sabha (Council of States) and the Lok ...

and the state legislatures can legislate) barring 'police, 'public order' and 'land'. The court added that on matters referred to him/her, the LG was bound to follow the orders of the president.

Judiciary

The

Delhi High Court The High Court of Delhi ( Hindustani: दिल्ली उच्च न्यायालय; ''dillī uchcha nyāyālaya'') is the high court in Delhi, India. It was established on 31 October 1966, through the ''Delhi High Court Act, 1966. ...

has jurisdiction over Delhi, which also has two types of lower courts: the

Small Causes Court In Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi cities, the Small Causes Court is responsible for adjudicating matters related to civil cases. The court is responsible for cases relating to tax, (family matters are not dealt by small causes court), property ...

for civil cases, and the

Sessions Court A Sessions Court or even known as the Court of Sessions Judge is a court of law which exists in several Commonwealth countries. A Court of Session is the highest criminal court in a district and the court of first instance for trying serious of ...

for criminal cases. Like other Union territories, the

Delhi Police The Delhi Police (DP) is the law enforcement agency for the National Capital Territory of Delhi. Delhi Police falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. In 2024, the sanctioned strength of Delhi Police w ...

reports to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India and not the government of NCT of Delhi. Headed by the

Police Commissioner A police commissioner is the head of a police department, responsible for overseeing its operations and ensuring the effective enforcement of laws and maintenance of public order. They develop and implement policies, manage budgets, and coordinate ...

, it is one of the largest metropolitan police forces in the world. The headquarters of Delhi Police are located Jai Singh Marg,

Connaught Place, New Delhi Connaught Place, also known as Rajiv Chowk or CP, is one of the main financial, commercial and Central business district, business centres in New Delhi, Delhi, India. It houses the headquarters of several noted Indian firms and is a major shopp ...

Universities

The following universities were established by the Govt. of Delhi. #

Delhi Technological University Delhi Technological University (DTU), formerly Delhi College of Engineering (DCE) is a state university in Rohini, Delhi, India. It was established in 1941 as Delhi Polytechnic. In 1952, it started giving degrees after being affiliated with th ...

Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, Delhi (IIIT-Delhi) is a state university located in Delhi, India. IIIT Delhi offers B.Tech., M.Tech. and Ph.D. degrees. IIITD also offers PhD degrees to students through the Department of Social ...

Agencies

Commissions

#Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission

State Public Sector Undertakings

# Intelligent Communications Systems India Ltd., a JV between TCIL and DSIIDC
#

Delhi Transport Corporation The Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) is a public sector passenger road transport corporation that manages bus services in Delhi, India. It was incorporated in November 1971 as a wholly-owned corporation of the Government of India to provide ...

# Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd.
# Delhi Transco Limited
# Delhi Financial Corporation # Delhi Tourism & Transport Development Corporation Limited #

National Capital Region Transport Corporation The National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) is a joint venture company of the Government of India and the states of Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of D ...

, a Joint Venture of Govt. of India and participating State Governments
#

Indraprastha Power Generation Company Limited Indraprastha Power Generation Company Limited (IPGCL) is the electricity generation company of the Government of Delhi state in India. History IPGCL came into existence on 1 July 2002 after unbundling of Delhi Vidyut Board (DVB) commenced op ...

Hospitals

# Delhi State Cancer Institutes

Others

# Delhi State Health Mission # Delhi RERA

References

External links

* {{Delhi Government of Delhi