What Is the Difference Between Delhi and New Delhi?

There is often confusion about the use of the terms Delhi and New Delhi. Although both are associated with India’s national capital, they are not the same. Delhi is one of the eight union territories of India, officially called the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi. New Delhi is one of the 13 districts within Delhi and serves as the seat of India’s central government.

While Delhi evolved over centuries as a key political center under successive Indian empires such as the Delhi sultanate and Mughal dynasty, New Delhi was planned and built in the early 20th century under British colonial rule. Delhi served as the imperial capital of the British raj, and New Delhi housed the central administration. Following India’s independence in 1947, New Delhi continued to function as the seat of the central government. Delhi acquired its current constitutional status as the NCT under the 69th Constitutional Amendment Act of 1991.

Delhi covers a large area of roughly 573 square miles (1,483 square km) whereas New Delhi is a geographically smaller area located approximately in the center of Delhi and is about 16.5 square miles (42.7 square km). Delhi is an ancient city with layers of history found in monuments such as the Red Fort and Jama Masjid in the Old Delhi district and Humayun’s Tomb in the South East Delhi district. New Delhi is home to several central government and national institutions such as the Parliament, Rashtrapati Bhavan, and the Supreme Court.

Delhi is one of the three union territories in India with its own elected legislature, along with Jammu and Kashmir and Puducherry. The 69th Constitutional Amendment Act provided Delhi with an elected legislative assembly, which currently has 70 members, including a council of ministers headed by a chief minister. New Delhi is one of the 70 assembly constituencies represented in the Delhi Legislative Assembly. The amendment also designated a lieutenant governor, who is appointed by the President of India on the advice of the central government, as the constitutional head of the territory. The chief minister of Delhi, along with the council of ministers, aids and advises the lieutenant governor. The elected government of Delhi can legislate on most subjects except matters relating to public order, police, and land, which fall under the purview of the central government. New Delhi is governed at the municipal level by the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), and its district administration is headed by a district magistrate.

Delhi has representation in both houses of the Indian Parliament. In the Lok Sabha (lower house) Delhi has seven seats, and in the Rajya Sabha (upper house) it has three. New Delhi has one of Delhi’s seven Lok Sabha seats.