# List of districts of Arunachal Pradesh

As of February 2024, the Indian state Arunachal Pradesh comprised 27 districts, not including Itanagar capital complex, with more districts proposed. Most of the districts are inhabited by various tribal groups. The latest and presently valid official map of districts of Arunachal Pradesh, after the most recent new districts were last announced on 30 August 2018, is in the external links.

## Itanagar capital complex

Itanagar capital complex is administered by its own Deputy Commissioner, and contains the three circles of Itanagar, Naharlagun, and Banderdewa. In January 2013 the Arunachal Pradesh government approved in principle the creation of a "Capital district". The capital complex is currently treated as its own district by some government departments, the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises for example, and the Arunachal Pradesh State portal in particular. But the Arunachal Pradesh reorganization of district Act of 1980 with the latest amendments from 2024 does not list Itanagar capital complex as a district.

## History

Year of formation of districts in Arunachal Pradesh :
| 1965 | [5] Kameng, Subansiri, Siang, Lohit and Tirap |
| 1980 | [9] Lower Subansiri, Upper Subansiri, Lohit, Dibang Valley, East Siang, West Siang, East Kameng, West Kameng, Tirap |
| 1984 | [10] Tawang |
| 1987 | [11] Changlang |
| 1992 | [12] Papum Pare |
| 1994 | [13] Upper Siang |
| 2001 | [14, 15] Kurung Kumey, Lower Dibang Valley |
| 2004 | [16] Anjaw |
| 2012 | [17] Longding |
| 2014 | [18] Namsai |
| 2015 | [19, 20] Kra Daadi, Siang |
| 2017 | [21, 22] Lower Siang, Kamle |
| 2018 | [23-25] Pakke-Kessang, Lepa-Rada, Shi-Yomi |
| 2024 | [26, 27] Bichom Keyi Panyor |
| Numbers in brackets represent total number of districts in the state ||
* In September 1965, when control of the North-East Frontier Agency was transferred to the Ministry of Home Affairs, its five divisions, Kameng, Subansiri, Siang, Lohit and Tirap each became districts. Over the next few years many new districts were created out of the original five:
* On 13 May 1980 Subansiri district was bifurcated into two districts: Lower Subansiri district and Upper Subansiri district. Upper Subansiri district comprised the area occupied by the erstwhile Daporijo sub-division and Lower Subansiri district comprised the rest of the area occupied by the erstwhile Subansiri district.
* On 1 June 1980,
* The erstwhile Lohit district was divided into two districts: Lohit district and Dibang Valley district.
* Siang district was bifurcated into two districts: East Siang district and West Siang district.
* Seppa and Bomdila sub-divisions of the Kameng district were transformed into East Kameng district and West Kameng district, respectively.
* On 6 October 1984, Tawang district was separated from East Kameng district.
* In 1987, the erstwhile Tirap district was divided into two districts: Tirap district and Changlang district.
* On 22 September 1992, the erstwhile Lower Subansiri district was again bifurcated into Lower Subansiri district and Papum Pare district.
* On 23 November 1994, Upper Siang district was split from East Siang district.
* On 1 April 2001, Kurung Kumey district was carved out from the erstwhile Lower Subansiri district.
* On 16 December 2001, Dibang Valley district was bifurcated into Dibang Valley district and Lower Dibang Valley district.
* On 16 February 2004, Anjaw district was carved out from the erstwhile Lohit district.
* On 19 March 2012, Longding district was carved out from the erstwhile Tirap district.
* On 25 November 2014, Namsai district was carved out from the erstwhile Lohit district.
* On 7 February 2015, Kra Daadi district was carved out from the erstwhile Kurung Kumey district.
* On 27 November 2015, a new Siang district was carved out from parts of East Siang and West Siang districts.
* On 22 September 2017, Lower Siang district, was carved out of West Siang and East Siang districts.
* On 4 December 2017, a new district called Kamle district was created from Lower Subansiri District and Upper Subansiri District, with its headquarters to be located in Raga. It comprises the administrative circles of Raga (which will be the district HQ), Kumporijo and Dollungmukh circles from Lower Subansiri District. The administrative circles taken from Upper Subansiri District will be Gepen Circle, Puchigeko Circle, Daporijo Sadar which falls under 25 Raga Constituency including Ligu and Liruk demarcation from Sigen Subansiri confluence in Single Administrative Unit.
* On 30 August 2018, following 3 new districts were formed:
* Pakke-Kesang carved out of East Kameng district with five administrative units namely Pakke-Kessang, Seijosa, Pijiriang, Passa Valley and Dissingn Passo with district headquarters at Lemmi.
* Lepa-Rada created by bifurcating the Lower Siang district with headquarters at Basar and 4 administrative units namely Tirbin, Basar, Daring and Sago.
* Shi-Yomi created by bifurcating the West Siang district with its headquarters at Tato and 4 administrative units namely Mechuka, Tato, Pidi and Manigong.
* On 7 February 2024, following 2 new districts were formed:
* Bichom from 20 villages from West Kameng and 11 from East Kameng district. It entails 3 circles – Bana, Richikrong and Lada – where Aka and Nyishi tribes live.
* Keyi Panyor with 195 villages carved out from Lower Subansiri district and will also include Ter Gapin and Sam Sath area.

## Administrative set-up

The districts of Arunachal Pradesh state are administrative geographical units, each headed by a deputy commissioner, an officer belonging to the Indian Administrative Service and a superintendent of police, an officer belonging to the Indian Police Service.
List of districts, clockwise starting from west, is as follows:
| Code | District | Headquarters | Population (2011) | Area (km$^2$) | Density (/km$^2$) | Year created |
| TA | Tawang | Tawang Town | 49,950 | 2,085 | 24 | 1984 |
| WK | West Kameng | Bomdila | 87,013 | 7,422 | 12 | 1980 |
| | Bichom | Napangphung | 9,710 | 2,897 | 12 | 2024 |
| EK | East Kameng | Seppa | 78,413 | 4,134 | 19 | 1980 |
| | Pakke-Kessang | Lemmi | | | | 2018 |
| | Kurung Kumey | Koloriang | 89,717 | 8,818 | 10 | 2001 |
| PA | Papum Pare | Yupia | 176,385 | 2,875 | 61 | 1992 |
| | Kra Daadi | Jamin | 22,290 | 2,202 | 10 | 2015 |
| LB | Lower Subansiri | Ziro | 82,839 | 3,460 | 24 | 1980 |
| | Kamle | Raga | 22,256 | 200 | 111.28 | 2017 |
| | Keyi Panyor | Yachuli | | | | 2024 |
| UB | Upper Subansiri | Daporijo | 83,205 | 7,032 | 12 | 1980 |
| | Shi-Yomi | Tato | 13,310 | 2,875 | 4.6 | 2018 |
| WS | West Siang | Aalo | 112,272 | 8,325 | 12 | 1980 |
| | Siang | Boleng | 31,920 | 2,919 | 11 | 2015 |
| | Lower Siang | Likabali | 80,597 | | | 2017 |
| | Lepa-Rada | Basar | | | | 2018 |
| US | Upper Siang | Yingkiong | 33,146 | 6,188 | 5 | 1994 |
| ES | East Siang | Pasighat | 99,019 | 4,005 | 25 | 1980 |
| | Dibang Valley | Anini | 7,948 | 9,129 | 1 | 2001 |
| UD | Lower Dibang Valley | Roing | 53,986 | 3,900 | 14 | 2001 |
| EL | Lohit | Tezu | 145,538 | 2,402 | 61 | 1980 |
| AJ | Anjaw | Hawai | 21,089 | 6,190 | 3 | 2004 |
| | Namsai | Namsai | 95,950 | 1,587 | 60 | 2014 |
| CH | Changlang | Changlang | 147,951 | 4,662 | 32 | 1987 |
| TI | Tirap | Khonsa | 111,975 | 2,362 | 47 | 1965 |
| LD | Longding | Longding | 60,000 | 1,200 | 50 | 2012 |

## Proposals for new districts

Proposed new districts listed clockwise starting from west:
* From Tawang district (HQ- Tawang):
** Zemithang district (HQ- Zemithang): northwest of Tawang town, near India-Tibet-Bhutan tri-junction.
** Lumla district (HQ- Lumla): west of Tawang town, near Bhutan border.
** Mago district (HQ- Mago): east of Tawang town and north of Nafra.
* From West Kameng district (HQ- Bomdila):
** Semteng district (HQ- Semteng): on southeast border of Bhutan, west of Shergaon and Bomdila.
** Sangti district (HQ- Sangti): in Sangti Valley, northeast of Bomdila.
* From existing Kurung Kumey district (HQ- Koloriang):
** North Subansiri district (HQ- Sarli): from existing 3 districts, namely Kurung Kumey district, Kra Daadi district and Upper Subansiri district on the northernmost Indo-China border entailing the subdivisions of Sarli and Damin from "Kurung Kumey district", Pipsorang and Longding Koling from "Kra Daadi district", and Taksing, Limeking, Nacho and Siyum from the "Upper Subansiri district". It lies west of Koloriang.
** Kumey district (HQ- Patuk): from existing Kurung Kumey district will have 12,000 population across Damin, Parsi-Parlo and Panja-Sing circles. It lies east of Sarli and Koloriang.
** Chulla district (HQ- Chulla): in
* From existing Papum Pare district (HQ- Yupia):
** Sagalee district (HQ- Sagalee): entailing the existing sub-divisions of Sagalee, Leporiang, Parang, and Mengio.
* From existing Upper Subansiri district (HQ- Daporijo):
** Limeking district (HQ- Limeking): northwest of Nacho.
* From Shi Yomi district (HQ- Tato):
** Mechuka district (HQ- Mechuka): in existing Shi-Yomi district, east of Nacho.
** Monigong district (HQ- Monigong): in existing east of Mechuka and west of Tuting.
* From existing Upper Siang district (HQ- Yingkiong):
** Tuting district (HQ - Tuting): from existing Upper Siang district, including Singa, Gelling, Paling and Miging and Tuting circles of Tuting sub-division on India-China border along the Yarlung Tsangpo River (Brahmaputra River).
** Sinik district (Singa district) (HQ- Singa): from existing Upper Siang district. There is demand to create two districts out of Nacho constituency and subdivision -Tuting district in Sinik district. This lies on India-China border southeast of Tuting towards Anini.
* From existing Dibang Valley district (HQ: Anini):
** Asunli district (HQ: Asunli) : from western "Dibang Valley district", west of Anini towards Tuting & Singa.
** Engolin (HQ: Engolin) : from northern "Dibang Valley district", north of Mipi and Anini.
** Malinye district (HQ: Malinye) from eastern "Dibang Valley district", southeast of Anini and east of Etalin towards Chaglagam, immediate north of Fish Tail-II.
** Esuli district i.e. Yamne-Sikang district (HQ: Esuli) from south "Dibang Valley district", along Sikang river (Dibang River), 180 km south of Anini, 130 south of Etalin, 145 km north of Roing. Two NW-SE flowing tributary rivers meet the Dibang river at Esuli, one flowing along Cheppe and Egolin on Tuting-Singa-Cheppe/Egolin section of under construction Arunachal Frontier Highway, and other flowing parallel to the first one to its east along Asunli.
* From Anjaw district (HQ Hawai): the easternmost district.
** Chaglagam district (HQ Chaglagam): fom northwest part of Anjaw district, immediate south of Fish Tail-II.
** Hayuliang district (HQ- Hayuliang): from southwest part of Anjaw district.
** Dong district (Dong): from northeast part of Anjaw district including Kibithu.
* From existing Changlang district (HQ Changlang):
** Vijaynagar district (Arunachal) (HQ- Vijoynagar): includes Namdapha National Park & Tiger Reserve.
** Diyun district (HQ- Diyun): between Namsai district HQ and Miao.
** Jairampur district (HQ- Jairampur): southwest of Diyun, on border with Assam.
** Nampong district (HQ- Nampong): near Pangsau Pass on border with Myanmar on NH-3155 Ledo Road (Stilwell Road).
** Rima district (HQ- Miao): from existing Changlang district was proposed in 2017 entail8ng existing subdivisions of Diyun, Bordumsa, Kharsang, Jairampur, Nampong, Rima-Putak (Tikhak), Miao, and Vijoynagar from the "Changlang district". However, it was unanimously opposed by the Changlang People's Forum in the same month.
* From existing Tirap district (HQ: Khonsa):
** Borduria district (HQ- Borduria): Borduria lies 10 km north of Tirap district headquarter Khonsa.