Difference Between District Collector and District Magistrate – DC and DM
By Balaji
Updated on: May 22nd, 2023
District Collector and District Magistrate: The most fundamental difference between District Collector and District Magistrate lies in their respective powers. Before independence in India, the judicial and executive powers were in the same hands. But, as the country’s Constitution came into force, public services were divided. Thus, the responsibilities of a collector and district magistrate also got separated.
Difference Between District Collector and District Magistrate PDF
However, in some states in India, the power of the collector and district magistrate are vested in the same person. This has led many people to believe that the collector and district magistrate is the same, which may not necessarily be true. There is a Difference Between District Collector and District Magistrate as the magistrate enjoys extra powers like imposing section 144 and curfew.
Table of content
Difference Between District Collector and District Magistrate – DC and DM
The District Collector is the senior-most administrator magistrate. Earlier, he collected the land revenue or supervised the process. However, in India after independence, the judicial powers of the collector were transferred to the Judicial officers of the district.
On the other hand, the District Magistrate is an IAS officer responsible for maintaining the coordination of police in a district. The difference between DM and Collector in terms of meaning, powers, and responsibilities is in the table below.
DM vs Collector
| Difference Between District Collector and District Magistrate | ||
| Basis of DM vs DC Difference | District Collector | District Magistrate |
| Meaning | A District Collector is the highest officer for revenue management in any district. | A District Magistrate, often abbreviated as DM, is the highest executive magistrate officer in the district. |
| Power | The power of the district collector is given by the Land Revenue Code 1959. | The district magistrate gets power from the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), 1973. |
| Responsibilities | A district collector has the following responsibilities:
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A district magistrate has the following responsibilities:
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District Collector (DC) and District Magistrate (DM)
District Collector is the chief Officer of the revenue administration and is responsible for collecting land revenue; District Magistrate is accountable for law and order and leads the police and prosecuting agency. The responsibilities of the District Magistrate and District Collector are given below.
Who is District Collector or DC?
A District Collector is the highest officer for revenue management in any district. His powers are restricted to solving revenue matters through the Divisional Commissioner and the Financial Commissioner.
He tends to the irrigation dues, Income tax duties, and indirect taxes. Besides revenue, DC has the role of maintaining the land records and statutory certificates.
Who is District Magistrate or DM?
DM full form is District Magistrate, the district’s highest executive magistrate officer. He or She is a chief in charge of the general administration of the district and is responsible for maintaining law and order in the district.
- Besides it, a District Magistrate is the head of the police and the prosecuting agency. However, the responsibilities of a DM vary from state to state.
- Though there is a difference between DM and Collector, the two posts are also similar in some respects.
- For example, both coordinate the activities between various departments and agencies of their district.
- Moreover, both District Collector and a District Magistrate work toward implementing the Government’s development programs in the district.
Conclusion:
Key Difference Between District Collector and District Magistrate
The key difference between District Collector and District Magistrate is that a District Collector is the highest officer for revenue governance in any district, while a District Magistrate is the highest executive magistrate official in the district.
