Madhya Pradesh State Guide: History, Government, Elections, Exams

Overview

Madhya Pradesh is a landlocked state in the middle of India, and its name literally means "Central Province". Its capital is Bhopal and its largest city is Indore. The state came into its present form on 1 November 1956, when the old Madhya Pradesh was joined with the former states of Madhya Bharat, Vindhya Pradesh and Bhopal. It lost its south-eastern third on 1 November 2000, when Chhattisgarh became a separate state. As on October 2026 it has 55 districts grouped into 10 divisions.

The state covers 308,252 square kilometres and is the second largest in India by area, after Rajasthan. It shares borders with five states: Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh to the north, Chhattisgarh to the east, Maharashtra to the south and Gujarat to the west. The Narmada river runs east to west through the middle of the state, between the Vindhya and Satpura ranges, and for centuries this line has been treated as the divide between northern and southern India.

Census 2011 recorded 72,626,809 people, which made Madhya Pradesh the fifth most populous state at that time. Scheduled Tribes made up 21.1 per cent of the population and Scheduled Castes 15.6 per cent. About 72 per cent of people lived in villages. Hindi is the official language, written in the Devanagari script.

Three things shape how the state is usually described.

• Forests and wildlife. The India State of Forest Report 2023 gives Madhya Pradesh the largest forest cover of any state, at 77,073 sq km, and the largest combined forest and tree cover, at 85,724 sq km. The state is known as the "Tiger State" and has nine tiger reserves, according to recent reports.
• Heritage. It holds ancient sites such as the Bhimbetka rock shelters, the Buddhist stupas at Sanchi, the Chandela temples at Khajuraho, the forts of Gwalior and Mandu, and the pilgrimage city of Ujjain. Part C of this guide covers them in detail.
• Regions. The state is not one block. Malwa and Nimar in the west, Bundelkhand and Chambal in the north, Baghelkhand in the north-east, Mahakoshal in the centre-east and the Bhopal-Narmada belt in the middle differ in language, farming, history and food. Many exam questions are really questions about these regions.

Census 2011 is still the latest published census, so every population figure in this guide is from 2011 unless a different year is named. Figures that change, such as the district count, carry an as-on date. This page names no sitting office-holders, because those names change; for the current Governor, Chief Minister and others, see current affairs.

This first part covers the land and its people: history, geography, administration and demography. Later parts cover government and elections, economy and culture, and the state's recruitment exams.

For exam preparation

• Madhya Pradesh took its present form on 1 November 1956, with Bhopal as capital; Chhattisgarh was separated on 1 November 2000.
• Area is 308,252 sq km, the second largest state in India.
• It borders five states: Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Gujarat.
• Census 2011 population is 72,626,809; sex ratio is 931; literacy is 69.32 per cent.
• As on October 2026 there are 55 districts and 10 divisions.
• Forest cover is the largest in India (ISFR 2023: 77,073 sq km).

History

The land that is now Madhya Pradesh has some of the oldest traces of human life in India. In the early historic period it was home to the Avanti and Chedi kingdoms, then it passed through the Mauryas, the Guptas, the Paramaras of Malwa and the Chandelas of Bundelkhand, the Delhi and Malwa sultanates, the Mughals and the Marathas, and finally the British. The modern state took shape between 1948 and 1956 and was reduced in size in 2000.

Prehistory and the first settlements

Remains of an early human ancestor, usually described as Homo erectus, have been found at Hathnora in the Narmada valley. They suggest people lived in this area as far back as the Middle Pleistocene period. The Bhimbetka rock shelters in Raisen district hold paintings that range from the Palaeolithic to the historic age, and they are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Stone tools turn up at many places along the Narmada.

Farming villages of the Chalcolithic ("copper-stone") age appear in the west of the state. Archaeologists name two cultures from the Malwa region: the Kayatha culture, dated to about 2100–1800 BCE, and the Malwa culture, dated to about 1700–1500 BCE.

Early kingdoms and the Mauryas

By the sixth century BCE Ujjain, ancient Avantika, had become a major city and the capital of the Avanti kingdom, one of the sixteen mahajanapadas named in Buddhist texts. Avanti, Chedi and Vatsa all covered parts of the present state. Chedi lay in Bundelkhand and the Jabalpur belt. Tradition links the Chedi king Shishupala with it. Avanti was later absorbed into the Magadhan empire, which passed from the Shishunagas to the Nandas and then to the Mauryas.

Under Chandragupta Maurya and Ashoka the whole of the present state lay inside the Mauryan empire. Tradition says Ashoka's wife came from Vidisha, and the stupas at Sanchi, near Vidisha, date back to his time. After the Maurya decline, the region was contested among the Shungas, Sakas, Kushanas and Satavahanas. The Heliodorus pillar near Vidisha records a Greek ambassador at the court of a Shunga king. Ujjain became the main trading centre of western India from the first century CE, because it sat on the route between the Ganges plain and the ports of the Arabian Sea. The Satavahana king Gautamiputra Satakarni defeated the Saka rulers in the second century CE and took parts of Malwa.

The Guptas, the Vakatakas and Harsha

The Gupta empire held the region in the fourth and fifth centuries, and the Vakatakas ruled to its south. The Bagh caves in Dhar district and a Barwani inscription dated 487 CE show the Gupta presence. Hun attacks broke up the empire at the end of the fifth century. Yashodharman of Malwa defeated the Huns in 528 CE. Harsha (about 590–647) later ruled the northern parts. From the late eighth to the tenth century the Rashtrakutas of the Deccan held Malwa, and when Govinda III annexed it he installed a family that took the name Paramara.

Rajput dynasties and the great temples

The medieval period belongs to the Rajput clans.

• Paramaras of Malwa (ninth to fourteenth century). Their best-known king, Bhoja (about 1010–1060), is remembered as a scholar-king and patron of the arts. Dhar and Ujjain were important centres. The last known Paramara king was defeated and killed by the forces of Alauddin Khalji in 1305.
• Chandelas of Bundelkhand (ninth to thirteenth century). They built the temples of Khajuraho between about 950 and 1050. The complex includes both Hindu and Jain temples. Chandela power ended in the early thirteenth century after attacks by the Chahamanas and the Ghurids.
• Gurjara-Pratiharas and Kachchhapaghatas held Gwalior and the western parts at different times, and left monuments there.
• Kalachuris of Tripuri ruled the Jabalpur region from about 875 CE.
• Gond kingdoms. Gondwana and Mahakoshal were held by Gond dynasties, of which the Garha kingdom was the best known. Its queen, Rani Durgavati, ruled as regent from about 1550 for her son and fought the Mughal general Asaf Khan in 1564. She died in battle at Narrai near Jabalpur on 24 June 1564, and her death day is observed as Balidan Diwas.

Sultanates, Mughals and Marathas

The Delhi Sultanate took the north in the thirteenth century. When it weakened at the end of the fourteenth century, independent regional rulers emerged. These were the Tomaras of Gwalior and the Malwa Sultanate, founded by Dilawar Khan Ghuri, who declared independence in 1392 and later made Mandu his capital. Malwa painting began in this period. The Gujarat Sultanate conquered Malwa in 1531, and Sher Shah Suri took most of the state in the 1540s.

Akbar brought most of the region under Mughal rule after 1556. The Gond kingdoms accepted Mughal supremacy but kept a large measure of autonomy. Gwalior became a famous centre of music, and the Gwalior gharana belongs to this age.

After Aurangzeb died in 1707, Mughal control weakened and the Marathas moved in. Between about 1720 and 1760 they took most of the state and formed semi-independent houses under the nominal control of the Peshwa: the Scindias at Gwalior, the Holkars at Indore, the Pawars at Dewas and Dhar, and the Bhonsles of Nagpur in the Mahakoshal and Gondwana area. The Peshwa Bajirao I defeated the Mughal forces and the Nawab of Bhopal at the Battle of Bhopal in 1737. Bhopal remained a Muslim-ruled state, founded by Dost Mohammad Khan, a former Mughal officer, and it paid tribute to the Marathas. Among the Maratha rulers of the region, Mahadji Scindia, Ahilyabai Holkar and Yashwantrao Holkar are the best known. Smaller states such as Orchha and Rewa also continued.

British rule

The three Anglo-Maratha wars between 1775 and 1818 left the British in control. After the Third Anglo-Maratha War, the Scindias, Holkars and Bhopal became princely states under British paramountcy, and Bhopal signed a treaty in 1818. Bhopal was ruled by four women, the Begums, between 1819 and 1926. Their rule is remembered for waterworks, railways, a postal system and a municipality.

The territory of the Nagpur Bhonsles was annexed in 1853, and in 1861 it was combined with the Saugor and Nerbudda Territories to form the Central Provinces. In 1903 Berar was merged with them and the province became the Central Provinces and Berar, with Nagpur as capital. The princely states of the north were managed separately, through the Central India Agency.

The uprising of 1857 reached the region. Tatya Tope, who had fought at Kanpur and joined Rani Lakshmibai at Gwalior, was captured and hanged at Sipri in present-day Shivpuri district on 18 April 1859. Rani Avantibai Lodhi is also remembered for her part in the revolt.

The freedom movement

The Congress carried out Flag Satyagrahas in Jabalpur and Nagpur in 1923. The 1939 session of the Indian National Congress took place at Tripuri, at Tilwaraghat on the Narmada near Jabalpur. It is remembered for the re-election of Subhas Chandra Bose as Congress president, defeating Pattabhi Sitaramayya, who had Mahatma Gandhi's support. Chandra Shekhar Azad was born in what is now Madhya Pradesh. The princely states of Central India were fully drawn into the Union in the years after 1947.

Formation of the state, 1947–1956

After independence the story runs through four political units.

Unit	Created	Capital	Notes
Madhya Bharat	28 May 1948	Gwalior	Formed from 25 princely states of the Central India Agency
Vindhya Pradesh	Formed 12 March 1948, inaugurated 4 April 1948; named Vindhya Pradesh on 25 January 1950	Rewa	Made from 36 princely states in the east of the old agency
Bhopal State	Became part of the Union in 1949	Bhopal	Former princely state
Madhya Pradesh (first form)	1950	Nagpur	Renamed Central Provinces and Berar, with some princely states added

On 1 November 1956 the States Reorganisation Act took effect. Madhya Bharat, Vindhya Pradesh and Bhopal were merged into Madhya Pradesh. The Marathi-speaking Vidarbha region, including Nagpur, went to Bombay State. Bhopal became the capital, and Ravishankar Shukla is recorded as the first Chief Minister.

A note on the capital: Jabalpur was considered for the role, but Bhopal was chosen in the end.

Since 1956

The state's major events since 1956 include the Bhopal gas tragedy of December 1984, when a gas leak from the Union Carbide pesticide plant killed thousands of people and injured many more. Death and injury figures differ by source, so this guide does not give a single number.

On 1 November 2000, under the Madhya Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2000 (assent 25 August 2000), the Chhattisgarh region was separated. The Act reduced the state's strength from 320 to 230 Assembly seats, from 40 to 29 Lok Sabha seats, and from 16 to 11 Rajya Sabha seats. Sixteen districts went to Chhattisgarh. The new state also got its own High Court, at Bilaspur. Madhya Pradesh remained the second largest state by area after the split. Chhattisgarh's own story is told in the Chhattisgarh state guide.

For exam preparation

• Avanti, with Ujjain as capital, and Chedi were mahajanapadas that covered parts of the present state.
• The Chandelas built the Khajuraho temples between about 950 and 1050; Paramara king Bhoja ruled about 1010–1060.
• Rani Durgavati of the Garha kingdom died fighting Asaf Khan at Narrai on 24 June 1564.
• The Central Provinces were formed in 1861 and merged with Berar in 1903; Nagpur was the capital.
• Madhya Bharat was formed on 28 May 1948 with Gwalior as capital; Vindhya Pradesh had Rewa as capital.
• The 1939 Congress session was held at Tripuri near Jabalpur, where Subhas Chandra Bose was re-elected president.
• Tatya Tope was hanged at Sipri (Shivpuri) on 18 April 1859.
• Madhya Pradesh was formed on 1 November 1956 with Bhopal as capital; the 2000 split took 16 districts and gave Chhattisgarh 11 Lok Sabha seats.

Geography

Madhya Pradesh lies in the geographic heart of India, between about 21.6 and 26.3 degrees north latitude and about 74 and 83 degrees east longitude. It is a plateau state. The Vindhya and Satpura ranges and the Narmada rift valley cross the middle, the Malwa plateau lies in the west, and river basins drain north to the Yamuna and Ganga and south to the Godavari. It has no coastline, and the climate is a monsoon type with hot summers.

Location and boundaries

The state borders Rajasthan (north-west and north), Uttar Pradesh (north-east), Chhattisgarh (east and south-east), Maharashtra (south) and Gujarat (west). The highest point is Dhupgarh near Pachmarhi in the Satpura range, at about 1,350 metres. The lowest areas, around 90 metres, lie in the Chambal valley in the north.

Physiography and regions

The land is a plateau, broken by two mountain systems and the Narmada trough between them.

• Vindhya range and plateau. These run along the northern bank of the Narmada and form the southern edge of the Ganga basin. The Kaimur hills form the eastern extension.
• Narmada valley. A long, narrow rift valley with fertile alluvial and black soil, running west from Amarkantak. The Tapti river also flows west through its own rift valley to the south.
• Satpura range and Maikal hills. South of the Narmada, with Pachmarhi and Amarkantak at their high points. The Mahadeo hills lie in the Satpura system.
• Malwa plateau. In the west, with black soil and the cities of Indore and Ujjain.
• Nimar. The Narmada–Tapti valley area in the south-west (Khandwa, Khargone, Burhanpur, Barwani).
• Bundelkhand and the Chambal valley. The north has the rocky Bundelkhand upland (Sagar, Chhatarpur, Panna, Tikamgarh, Niwari) and the Chambal ravines (Morena, Bhind, Sheopur).
• Baghelkhand. The north-east (Rewa, Satna, Sidhi, Singrauli).
• Mahakoshal. The Jabalpur and Narmada belt in the centre-east.

Planners group the state into eleven agro-climatic zones: Kaimur Plateau and Satpura Hills, Vindhyan Plateau, Narmada Valley, Wainganga Valley, Chambal Valley, Gwalior Region, Bundelkhand Region, Satpura Plateau, Malwa Plateau, Nimar Plateau and Jhabua Hills.

Rivers

The Narmada is the longest river that flows through the state and is the most sacred. It rises at Narmada Kund on the Amarkantak plateau in Anuppur district and flows west to the Gulf of Khambhat. The Narmada and Tapti systems together drain nearly a quarter of the state. North of the Vindhyas, rivers flow north to the Yamuna. A smaller area in the south drains to the Godavari through the Wainganga, Wardha and Pench. After the 2000 split most of the Mahanadi basin went to Chhattisgarh, and only about 154 sq km of the Hasdeo basin in Anuppur district remains in Madhya Pradesh.

River	Where it rises (state)	Flows to	Notes
Narmada	Narmada Kund, Amarkantak, Anuppur district	Gulf of Khambhat (Arabian Sea)	About 1,312 km in all; west-flowing, through a rift valley; tributaries include the Tawa, Denwa, Banjar, Machna and Shakkar
Tapti	Multai, Betul district	Arabian Sea	About 724 km; flows west through the Burhanpur area
Chambal	Vindhya hills near Mhow, Indore district	Yamuna	National Chambal Sanctuary protects gharial and river dolphin
Betwa	Vindhya range near Obedullaganj, Raisen district	Yamuna	Flows past Vidisha and Orchha
Ken	Kaimur range, Katni district	Yamuna	About 427 km; flows past Panna
Son	Amarkantak area, Maikal hills	Ganga	Largest Ganga tributary on the south bank that does not rise in the Himalaya
Shipra	Kakri Bardi hills, Indore district	Chambal	About 195 km; the Simhastha Kumbh at Ujjain is held on its banks
Kali Sindh	Vindhyas near Bagli, Dewas district	Chambal	Tributary of the Chambal
Wainganga	Mundara, Seoni district	Pranahita (Godavari system)	About 569 km; flows through Seoni and Balaghat
Dhasan	Vindhya range	Betwa	Bundelkhand river

The sources give differing lengths for some rivers, so this table gives lengths only where the cited page gave one.

Climate

There are three seasons. Summer lasts from March to June, and the north, especially Gwalior, Morena and Datia, can go above 42 degrees Celsius in May. The south-west monsoon arrives around mid-June, and most rain falls between June and September. Winter starts in November and is dry and clear. The state's average rainfall is about 1,194 mm. The east and south-east are wettest: Jabalpur, Mandla, Balaghat, Sidhi and neighbouring areas receive more than 1,500 mm, and some places up to about 2,150 mm. The west and north-west receive about 800 to 1,000 mm or less.

Soils

Soil	Where it is found
Black soil	Malwa, Mahakoshal and southern Bundelkhand
Red and yellow soil	Baghelkhand
Alluvial soil	Northern Madhya Pradesh
Laterite	Highland areas
Mixed soil	Parts of the Gwalior–Chambal region

Forests

According to the figures the state gave for 2011, the recorded forest area was 94,689 sq km, which is 30.7 per cent of the state's area and about 12.3 per cent of India's recorded forest area. About 65 per cent of it is Reserved Forest and about 33 per cent Protected Forest. The India State of Forest Report 2023 puts forest cover, which is measured by satellite and is a different figure from "recorded forest area", at 77,073 sq km, and forest plus tree cover at 85,724 sq km. Both are the largest in the country. Teak and sal forests are the main formations, and bamboo is widespread. The forests are thinner in the north and west, where most of the cities lie.

Minerals

The state is rich in minerals. Panna is the diamond area, and Malanjkhand in Balaghat district is the main copper site; Wikipedia states that the state has India's largest diamond and copper reserves. Coal comes from the Singrauli and Sohagpur fields. Manganese, limestone, bauxite and dolomite are also found in many districts. Part C covers mining and industry in more detail.

Wildlife and protected areas

Wikipedia and other sources list eleven national parks, although lists differ on the fossil parks. Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Pench, Panna and Satpura are managed under Project Tiger. Later additions brought the number of tiger reserves to nine according to recent reports.

Area	Type	District (main)	Known for
Kanha	National park, tiger reserve	Mandla and Balaghat	Largest park in the state; barasingha (hard-ground swamp deer)
Bandhavgarh	National park, tiger reserve	Umaria	High tiger density
Pench	National park, tiger reserve	Seoni and Chhindwara	Pench river; shares a reserve with Maharashtra
Panna	National park, tiger reserve	Panna and Chhatarpur	Ken river, Bundelkhand landscape
Satpura	National park, tiger reserve	Narmadapuram	Satpura range, near Pachmarhi
Sanjay-Dubri	National park, tiger reserve	Sidhi	Notified as a tiger reserve in 2008–09
Kuno	National park	Sheopur	Site of the cheetah reintroduction project
Madhav	National park, later a tiger reserve	Shivpuri	Sakhya Sagar lake
Van Vihar	National park	Bhopal	Within the city of Bhopal
Dinosaur Fossils (Dhar) and fossil plant parks	National parks	Dhar, Mandla	Fossils
National Chambal Sanctuary	Sanctuary	Chambal valley	Gharial, mugger, Gangetic river dolphin and turtles
Pachmarhi and Amarkantak	Biosphere reserves	Narmadapuram, Anuppur	Two of the state's biosphere reserves

Veerangana Durgavati (notified in 2023, in the Damoh and Sagar area) and Ratapani (notified in December 2024, in Raisen and Sehore) were the seventh and eighth tiger reserves, and Madhav is reported as the ninth. The state also lists five Ramsar wetlands: Bhoj Wetland in Bhopal (2002), and Sakhya Sagar, Sirpur Lake, Yashwant Sagar and Tawa Reservoir. The state animal is the barasingha, the state bird is the Indian paradise flycatcher (known locally as dudhraj), the state tree is the banyan, the state fish is the mahseer and the state flower is the white lily.

For exam preparation

• The state lies between about 21.6° and 26.3° N latitude and spans about 74° to 83° E longitude.
• Highest point: Dhupgarh (about 1,350 m) in the Satpura range.
• Narmada rises at Amarkantak (Anuppur district) and flows west into the Gulf of Khambhat; Tapti rises at Multai (Betul).
• Shipra rises near Indore and hosts the Simhastha Kumbh at Ujjain; Chambal rises near Mhow.
• Soils: black soil in Malwa and Mahakoshal; red and yellow soil in Baghelkhand; alluvial soil in the north.
• Panna is the diamond region; Malanjkhand (Balaghat) is the copper site.
• Kanha is the largest national park in the state; the older tiger reserves are Kanha, Pench, Bandhavgarh, Panna and Satpura, with Sanjay-Dubri notified in 2008–09.
• Forest cover is the largest in India (ISFR 2023).
• State animal is the barasingha; state bird is the Indian paradise flycatcher.

Administration and districts

The state is divided into 10 divisions and 55 districts as on October 2026. A division is headed by a Commissioner and a district by a Collector, who also works as District Magistrate. Districts are broken down into sub-divisions, tehsils and development blocks. Rural areas have a three-tier panchayat system, and towns have municipal corporations, municipal councils and nagar panchayats. A large part of the tribal belt is a Fifth Schedule area.

Divisions

The ten divisions take their names from the headquarters city of each. Divisions cover regions of unequal size, from three districts (Chambal, Narmadapuram and Shahdol) to nine (Jabalpur).

Division	Headquarters	Districts
Bhopal	Bhopal	Bhopal, Raisen, Rajgarh, Sehore, Vidisha
Chambal	Morena	Morena, Bhind, Sheopur
Gwalior	Gwalior	Gwalior, Ashoknagar, Datia, Guna, Shivpuri
Indore	Indore	Indore, Alirajpur, Barwani, Burhanpur, Dhar, Jhabua, Khandwa, Khargone
Jabalpur	Jabalpur	Jabalpur, Balaghat, Chhindwara, Dindori, Katni, Mandla, Narsinghpur, Pandhurna, Seoni
Narmadapuram	Narmadapuram	Narmadapuram, Betul, Harda
Rewa	Rewa	Rewa, Maihar, Mauganj, Satna, Sidhi, Singrauli
Sagar	Sagar	Sagar, Chhatarpur, Damoh, Niwari, Panna, Tikamgarh
Shahdol	Shahdol	Shahdol, Anuppur, Umaria
Ujjain	Ujjain	Ujjain, Agar Malwa, Dewas, Mandsaur, Neemuch, Ratlam, Shajapur

Narmadapuram district and division were earlier called Hoshangabad.

Districts

As on October 2026 the state has 55 districts. We searched for any new district after October 2023 and found none notified. Proposals exist for several more, including Chachaura (approved in principle by the state cabinet on 18 March 2020) and others from Gohad, Bijawar, Junnardev and Nagda, but none was a district at the time of checking.

No.	District	Headquarters	Division	Known for
1	Bhopal	Bhopal	Bhopal	State capital
2	Raisen	Raisen	Bhopal	Sanchi stupas, Bhimbetka rock shelters
3	Rajgarh	Rajgarh	Bhopal
4	Sehore	Sehore	Bhopal
5	Vidisha	Vidisha	Bhopal	Heliodorus pillar
6	Morena	Morena	Chambal	Chambal ravines
7	Bhind	Bhind	Chambal
8	Sheopur	Sheopur	Chambal	Kuno National Park
9	Gwalior	Gwalior	Gwalior	Gwalior Fort
10	Ashoknagar	Ashoknagar	Gwalior	Created 15 August 2003 from Guna
11	Datia	Datia	Gwalior
12	Guna	Guna	Gwalior
13	Shivpuri	Shivpuri	Gwalior	Madhav National Park; Tatya Tope was hanged here
14	Indore	Indore	Indore	Largest city of the state
15	Alirajpur	Alirajpur	Indore	Created 17 May 2008 from Jhabua
16	Barwani	Barwani	Indore	Formed 1998
17	Burhanpur	Burhanpur	Indore	Created 15 August 2003 from Khandwa
18	Dhar	Dhar	Indore	Mandu, Bagh caves
19	Jhabua	Jhabua	Indore	Tribal-majority district
20	Khandwa	Khandwa	Indore	Earlier East Nimar; Omkareshwar
21	Khargone	Khargone	Indore	Earlier West Nimar; Maheshwar
22	Jabalpur	Jabalpur	Jabalpur	High Court seat; Marble Rocks, Bhedaghat
23	Balaghat	Balaghat	Jabalpur	Malanjkhand copper
24	Chhindwara	Chhindwara	Jabalpur
25	Dindori	Dindori	Jabalpur	Tribal-majority district
26	Katni	Katni	Jabalpur
27	Mandla	Mandla	Jabalpur	Tribal-majority district; Kanha
28	Narsinghpur	Narsinghpur	Jabalpur
29	Pandhurna	Pandhurna	Jabalpur	Created 5 October 2023 from Chhindwara
30	Seoni	Seoni	Jabalpur	Pench; source of the Wainganga
31	Narmadapuram	Narmadapuram	Narmadapuram	Earlier Hoshangabad; Satpura National Park, Pachmarhi
32	Betul	Betul	Narmadapuram	Source of the Tapti (Multai)
33	Harda	Harda	Narmadapuram	Formed 1998
34	Rewa	Rewa	Rewa	Capital of former Vindhya Pradesh
35	Maihar	Maihar	Rewa	Created 5 October 2023 from Satna
36	Mauganj	Mauganj	Rewa	Created 15 August 2023 from Rewa
37	Satna	Satna	Rewa
38	Sidhi	Sidhi	Rewa	Sanjay-Dubri Tiger Reserve
39	Singrauli	Waidhan	Rewa	Coal and power; energy capital
40	Sagar	Sagar	Sagar
41	Chhatarpur	Chhatarpur	Sagar	Khajuraho
42	Damoh	Damoh	Sagar
43	Niwari	Niwari	Sagar	Created 1 October 2018 from Tikamgarh; Orchha
44	Panna	Panna	Sagar	Diamond mines, Panna Tiger Reserve
45	Tikamgarh	Tikamgarh	Sagar
46	Shahdol	Shahdol	Shahdol
47	Anuppur	Anuppur	Shahdol	Created 15 August 2003 from Shahdol; Amarkantak
48	Umaria	Umaria	Shahdol	Formed 1998 from Shahdol; Bandhavgarh
49	Ujjain	Ujjain	Ujjain	Mahakaleshwar; Simhastha Kumbh
50	Agar Malwa	Agar	Ujjain	Formed 2013 from Shajapur
51	Dewas	Dewas	Ujjain
52	Mandsaur	Mandsaur	Ujjain
53	Neemuch	Neemuch	Ujjain	Created 30 June 1998 from Mandsaur
54	Ratlam	Ratlam	Ujjain
55	Shajapur	Shajapur	Ujjain

The list and headquarters follow Wikipedia's "List of districts of Madhya Pradesh", cross-checked against pages on individual districts. Official spellings of some names (Narmadapuram, Agar Malwa) vary between documents.

Formation of new districts

New districts have been added in several rounds since the 2000 split.

• 1998. Neemuch (30 June, from Mandsaur), Barwani (25 May), Umaria (from Shahdol) and Harda were formed. Dates for some other districts formed in the 1990s, such as Dindori and Katni, are not confirmed here.
• 2003. On 15 August 2003 Ashoknagar (from Guna), Burhanpur (from Khandwa) and Anuppur (from Shahdol) were created.
• 2008. Alirajpur was formed from the Alirajpur, Jobat and Bhabra tehsils of Jhabua on 17 May 2008. The formation dates of Singrauli and Sheopur are not confirmed here.
• 2013. Agar Malwa was formed from Shajapur.
• 2018. Niwari was formed from Tikamgarh on 1 October 2018, and was reported as the 52nd district.
• 2023. Mauganj (from Rewa, 15 August 2023), Maihar (from Satna, 5 October 2023) and Pandhurna (from Chhindwara, 5 October 2023) raised the count from 52 to 55. Pandhurna, in the Jabalpur division, is the least populous district of the state.

Pandhurna was gazetted as the 54th district and Maihar as the 55th.

Urban and rural local government

Under the 73rd and 74th Constitution Amendments, the state has a three-tier rural system and an urban system.

• Rural (Panchayati Raj). Zila Panchayat at district level, Janpad Panchayat at block level and Gram Panchayat at village level. A report from about 2022 counted 51 Zila Panchayats, 313 Janpad Panchayats and 23,051 Gram Panchayats. These counts have not been updated for the 2023 districts and should be checked with the State Election Commission.
• Urban. Municipal corporations (Nagar Palika Nigam) for large cities, municipal councils (Nagar Palika Parishad) for medium towns and nagar panchayats for small towns. The same 2022 report counted 413 urban local bodies: 16 municipal corporations, 99 municipal councils and 298 nagar panchayats.

Fifth Schedule areas and PESA

The Constitution has no Sixth Schedule area in Madhya Pradesh. A large part of its tribal districts is covered by the Fifth Schedule instead, which gives the Governor special powers to protect tribal land and culture. A report on the Fifth Schedule in the state describes five districts fully covered and fifteen districts partly covered, spread over 89 blocks. We could not confirm the names of the districts from an official list, so they are not listed here.

The Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996, known as PESA, gives gram sabhas in these areas extra powers over land, forests and local disputes. The state reported implementing it across 88 tribal blocks, and over 8,000 disputes were said to have been settled in village meetings. Wikipedia lists the districts where Scheduled Tribes are in the majority as Mandla, Dhar, Dindori, Barwani, Jhabua and Alirajpur.

For exam preparation

• As on October 2026: 55 districts and 10 divisions.
• The ten divisions are Bhopal, Chambal, Gwalior, Indore, Jabalpur, Narmadapuram, Rewa, Sagar, Shahdol and Ujjain.
• The three newest districts are Mauganj (15 August 2023), Maihar and Pandhurna (both 5 October 2023).
• Niwari (2018) was formed from Tikamgarh; Agar Malwa (2013) from Shajapur; Alirajpur (2008) from Jhabua.
• Jabalpur is the largest division by number of districts (9); Indore has 8.
• Singrauli district headquarters is Waidhan, not Singrauli.
• Rural local government has three tiers: Zila, Janpad and Gram Panchayat.
• A large share of the tribal districts is a Fifth Schedule area, and PESA applies there.

Demography

Madhya Pradesh had 72,626,809 people in Census 2011, about 6 per cent of India's population. The state is mostly rural, has a large Scheduled Tribe population, has a sex ratio below the national figure of 940, and is home to many languages that the census groups under Hindi and several other tongues.

Census 2011 at a glance

Indicator	Census 2011
Total population	72,626,809
Males	37,612,306
Females	35,014,503
Decadal growth, 2001–2011	20.35 per cent
Density	236 per sq km
Sex ratio	931 females per 1,000 males
Child population (age 0–6)	10,809,395
Child sex ratio (0–6)	918
Literacy (as a share of population)	69.32 per cent; males 78.73, females 59.24
Urban population	27.63 per cent
Rural population	72.37 per cent
Scheduled Castes	15.6 per cent
Scheduled Tribes	21.1 per cent (about 15.34 million)
Rank by population	5th among states at the time
Rank by area	2nd

Sources for the figures above are Census of India 2011 data as reproduced on census2011.co.in and Wikipedia's tables. Some references show a density of 240 per sq km; this guide uses 236 from the census-based table. Population in 1951 was about 18.6 million and in 2001 about 60.3 million, so the state has roughly quadrupled in size since independence.

Languages

Hindi is the official language and is spoken by more than two-thirds of the population as the census reports it. The census, however, counts several regional tongues separately, and many speakers use dialects that are not fully understandable to Hindi speakers.

Mother tongue (Census 2011)	Share of population
Hindi	67.96%
Malvi	6.44%
Bundeli	5.92%
Bagheli	3.62%
Nimadi	3.16%
Bhili	2.50%
Marathi	1.70%
Gondi	1.60%
Bareli	1.36%
Urdu	1.26%
Bhilali	1.03%
Others	3.45%

The chart figures come from the Wikipedia page on the state and have not been matched against the original census tables, so treat them as approximate. In regional terms, Malvi is spoken in Malwa, Nimadi in Nimar, Bundeli in Bundelkhand, and Bagheli in Baghelkhand. Marathi is the main language of Burhanpur district and a major minority language in the south, because of Maratha rule in the past. Gondi, a Dravidian language related to Telugu, is spoken mainly in the southern Satpura highlands. Korku, a Munda language, has about 400,000 speakers in the central highlands, and Bhil languages are strong in Barwani, Jhabua and Alirajpur.

Religion

Religion (Census 2011)	Share of population
Hindu	90.9%
Muslim	6.6%
Jain	0.8%
Buddhist	0.3%
Christian	0.3%
Sikh	0.2%

Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes

The state has 46 recognised Scheduled Tribes, and three of them are identified as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups: the Baiga, Bharia and Sahariya. The main tribal groups are the Gond, Bhil, Baiga, Korku, Bharia, Halba, Malto and Sahariya (the last is also given as Saharia). Tribal people are a majority in six districts, namely Mandla, Dhar, Dindori, Barwani, Jhabua and Alirajpur, and in Jhabua and Alirajpur roughly nine in ten people belong to a Scheduled Tribe. Scheduled Tribes are 30 to 50 per cent of the population in districts such as Khargone, Khandwa, Burhanpur, Betul, Chhindwara, Seoni, Anuppur, Umaria, Shahdol and Singrauli. Part C has a fuller table of tribes and their culture.

Urbanisation

Only 27.63 per cent of people lived in towns in 2011, a little over a quarter. The larger cities are Indore, Bhopal, Jabalpur and Gwalior, each with more than a million residents counting the city and its urban agglomeration, followed by Ujjain, Sagar, Dewas, Satna, Ratlam and Rewa.

Human development and health

Human development figures for the state differ between sources and years. One source gives the Human Development Index as 0.606 for 2018, and another gives 0.692 for 2023, and they are not directly comparable because they come from different methods. We have not verified a single NFHS-5 table for the state, so this guide gives no NFHS-5 indicators here. See the education and health section in Part C for the figures we could confirm.

For exam preparation

• Census 2011 population is 72,626,809; decadal growth 2001–2011 was 20.35 per cent.
• Density is 236 per sq km; sex ratio is 931 and child sex ratio is 918.
• Literacy was 69.32 per cent (male 78.73, female 59.24).
• Urban share was 27.63 per cent; rural 72.37 per cent.
• Scheduled Tribes are 21.1 per cent and Scheduled Castes 15.6 per cent of the population; there are 46 Scheduled Tribes, of whom the Baiga, Bharia and Sahariya are PVTGs.
• Hindus are 90.9 per cent and Muslims 6.6 per cent (Census 2011).
• Tribal-majority districts include Mandla, Dhar, Dindori, Barwani, Jhabua and Alirajpur.
• Malvi, Bundeli, Bagheli and Nimadi are the main regional mother tongues after Hindi.

How the state is governed

Madhya Pradesh is governed under the parliamentary system set by the Constitution of India, the same pattern every Indian state follows. The structure described here stays fixed from one government to the next; the people who fill the offices change, so this guide does not name them. For the present Governor, Chief Minister, ministers, Chief Secretary, Director General of Police and Chief Justice, use the official state portal and our current affairs pages. Office-holders whose tenures have ended are listed in the history sections below. Facts about the structure were checked on 4 October 2026.

The executive

Office	Role	How filled
Governor	Constitutional head of the state; summons and dissolves the Assembly, gives assent to bills, appoints the Chief Minister	Appointed by the President for a five-year term, which in practice continues until a successor takes charge. The list of Governors since 1956 has 30 entries, counting repeat and acting or additional-charge spells
Chief Minister	Head of the government; leader of the Council of Ministers	Leader of the party or alliance with a majority in the Assembly, appointed by the Governor
Council of ministers	Runs the departments; collectively responsible to the Assembly	Capped at 15 per cent of the Assembly's strength under Article 164(1A). For a 230-seat House the arithmetic gives 34.5; the practical ceiling is reported as 35 including the Chief Minister, a rounding point not confirmed here
Deputy Chief Minister	Not a constitutional post; a political and administrative arrangement	Named by the Chief Minister. The state has used it from time to time
Chief Secretary	Head of the civil service and the secretariat	Senior IAS officer chosen by the government
Director General of Police	Head of the state police	IPS officer, selected under the Supreme Court's Prakash Singh guidelines
Advocate General	Chief legal adviser to the government	Appointed by the Governor under Article 165

Bhopal is the capital and the seat of government. The Governor's residence is Raj Bhavan in Bhopal, with a summer residence at Pachmarhi. The Assembly meets at the Vidhan Bhavan in the Arera Hills capital complex in Bhopal, and the secretariat is also in Bhopal.

Departments and constitutional bodies

The government works through a large set of departments, each headed by a minister and run by a secretary. Several bodies are set up by the Constitution or by law, and they act independently of the ministers:

• Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission (MPPSC), established 1 November 1956 with headquarters at Indore; it recruits to state civil services.
• State Election Commission, set up on 1 February 1994 after the 73rd and 74th Amendments, under Article 243K, with its office at Arera Hills, Bhopal. It runs panchayat and municipal elections.
• Lokayukta, the state ombudsman for corruption complaints, created by state law in 1981.
• State Human Rights Commission, State Information Commission and State Finance Commission, the other standing statutory bodies.
• Chief Electoral Officer, appointed with the Election Commission of India's approval, who runs Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in the state.

Recruitment is not handled by the PSC alone. A separate examination board, once widely known by its Hindi acronym Vyapam, has run many state recruitment and entrance tests; its history is covered under political developments below.

For exam preparation

• The Governor is appointed by the President; the Chief Minister is appointed by the Governor.
• The council of ministers is capped at 15 per cent of the House by Article 164(1A), added by the 91st Amendment.
• The Advocate General is covered by Article 165; the Governor's powers fall under Articles 153 to 167.
• Bhopal is the capital; the Assembly sits at the Vidhan Bhavan in Arera Hills.
• MPPSC was established on 1 November 1956 and is headquartered at Indore.
• The State Election Commission began on 1 February 1994 and acts under Article 243K.

Legislature, Parliament and judiciary

Madhya Pradesh has a single-chamber legislature, the Vidhan Sabha, of 230 members, together with 11 Rajya Sabha seats and 29 Lok Sabha seats. There is no Vidhan Parishad (upper house). The strength of 230, 11 and 29 dates from the Madhya Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2000, enacted on 25 August 2000, when Chhattisgarh was separated and the old Assembly of 320 seats, 40 Lok Sabha seats and 16 Rajya Sabha seats were reduced.

Vidhan Sabha

The Legislative Assembly is made up of members elected from 230 single-member constituencies by first-past-the-post voting, for five-year terms unless dissolved earlier. Of these, 35 seats are reserved for Scheduled Castes and 47 for Scheduled Tribes, which leaves 148 General seats. The Assembly numbered 232 seats in 1952 (for the old state), 288 in 1957 and 1962, 296 in 1967 and 1972, 320 from 1977 to 1998 and 230 since 2003. The current House is the Sixteenth Assembly, elected in 2023; the next general election is due in 2028.

Party	Seats won, 2023 election
Bharatiya Janata Party	163
Indian National Congress	66
Bharat Adivasi Party	1
Total	230

These are the results declared on 3 December 2023. Strength can shift with vacancies, resignations and by-elections, so check the Assembly website for the live position; this guide gives the election result, not a running tally. The post of Deputy Speaker was reported vacant from March 2020 in a list last updated in January 2026. Details of the by-elections held since 2020 are in the Elections section.

Rajya Sabha

The state sends 11 members to the Rajya Sabha, chosen by MLAs through the single transferable vote. Terms are six years and one-third of the seats retire every two years. Before 2000 the state had 16 seats, and the five seats that went to Chhattisgarh were removed from 15 November 2000. Before the 1956 reorganisation the separate states of Madhya Pradesh (12), Madhya Bharat (6), Vindhya Pradesh (4) and Bhopal (1) had their own seats.

Lok Sabha

The state has 29 constituencies: 19 General, 4 Scheduled Caste and 6 Scheduled Tribe. The reserved seats are listed below; the party that holds each seat is not shown, in line with this guide's approach, and 2024 results are in the Elections section.

Category	Constituencies
Scheduled Caste (4)	Bhind, Tikamgarh, Dewas, Ujjain
Scheduled Tribe (6)	Shahdol, Mandla, Betul, Dhar, Ratlam, Khargone
General (19)	Morena, Gwalior, Guna, Sagar, Damoh, Khajuraho, Satna, Rewa, Sidhi, Jabalpur, Balaghat, Chhindwara, Hoshangabad, Vidisha, Bhopal, Rajgarh, Mandsaur, Indore, Khandwa

High Court and judiciary

The Madhya Pradesh High Court traces itself to the Nagpur High Court, established on 2 January 1936 under Letters Patent. When the new state was formed on 1 November 1956, the Nagpur High Court became, by a legal fiction under Section 49 of the States Reorganisation Act, the High Court for Madhya Pradesh, with its principal seat at Jabalpur. On the same day the Chief Justice set up temporary benches at Indore and Gwalior; a Presidential Notification of 28 November 1968 made them permanent. After Chhattisgarh was separated on 1 November 2000, a new High Court was set up at Bilaspur, and the Jabalpur court remained the High Court for the successor state. The sanctioned strength is 53 judges (as on the court's Wikipedia entry; the permanent and additional split was not confirmed). Below the High Court sit district and sessions courts, family courts and special courts under Articles 233 to 237.

Other bodies

The Lokayukta (1981), the State Election Commission (1994) and MPPSC (1956) are described under the executive section above. Local-body polls are run by the State Election Commission, while the Chief Electoral Officer handles Assembly and Parliament polls.

For exam preparation

• The Assembly has 230 seats: 148 General, 35 SC and 47 ST.
• The state has 11 Rajya Sabha and 29 Lok Sabha seats (4 SC, 6 ST); there is no Vidhan Parishad.
• The Madhya Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2000 was enacted on 25 August 2000; it cut the Assembly from 320 to 230 seats.
• The High Court sits at Jabalpur, with permanent benches at Indore and Gwalior (Presidential Notification of 28 November 1968).
• The High Court descends from the Nagpur High Court of 2 January 1936.
• The 2023 result was BJP 163, INC 66 and Bharat Adivasi Party 1.

Elections

The Assembly of today's Madhya Pradesh has been elected sixteen times counting the 1952 poll of the old state: 1952, 1957, 1962, 1967, 1972, 1977, 1980, 1985, 1990, 1993, 1998, 2003, 2008, 2013, 2018 and 2023. The Congress governed for most of the period to 1990, the BJP won in 1990, Congress won in 1993 and 1998, and the BJP won in 2003, 2008 and 2013. In 2018 Congress emerged as the largest party and formed a government that fell in March 2020, and the BJP won again in 2023. Figures are taken from Wikipedia's election pages, which cite Election Commission of India (ECI) reports; the ECI statistical reports themselves could not be opened in this check.

Vidhan Sabha elections, 1952 to 1985 (summary)

Year	Seats in House	INC	Main challenger(s)	Outcome
1952 (old state)	232	194	KMPP 8, RRP 3, SP 2, independents 23	INC
1957	288	232	PSP 12, BJS 10, HM 7	INC
1962	288	142	BJS 41, PSP 33, Socialist 14	INC
1967	296	167	BJS 78, SSP 10, Swatantra 7	INC at first; an SVD coalition took over in July 1967
1972	296	220	BJS 48, SSP 7	INC
1977	320	84	Janata Party 230	Janata Party
1980	320	246	BJP 60	INC
1985	320	250	BJP 58	INC

Polling dates for 1993, 1998 and 2003 are given by month only because sources disagree on the exact days. The 1952 election was for the old state with Nagpur as capital; the separate states of Madhya Bharat, Vindhya Pradesh and Bhopal had their own assemblies and merged on 1 November 1956, so 1957 was the first general election for the reorganised state. Vote shares where listed: Janata Party 47.28 per cent against Congress 35.88 in 1977 (turnout 52.73); Congress 47.52 per cent against BJP 31.38 in 1980 (turnout 49.03); Congress 48.87 per cent against BJP 32.42 in 1985 (turnout 49.83).

Vidhan Sabha elections, 1990 to 2023

Year	Poll date	Turnout	BJP seats	INC seats	Others	Government formed
1990	27 Feb	54.19%	220	56	JD 28, CPI 3, BSP 2, KSM 1, Ind 10	BJP
1993	Nov	60.52%	117	174	BSP 11, JD 4, CPI 2, CPI(M) 1, CMM 1, KSM 1, RPI(K) 1, Ind 8	INC
1998	Nov	60.22%	119	172	BSP 11, JD 4, SP 4, balance small parties and Ind	INC
2003	Nov or Dec	67.25%	173	38	SP 7, GGP 3, BSP 2, RSD 2, Ind 2, NCP 1, JD(U) 1, CPI(M) 1	BJP
2008	27 Nov	69.63%	143	71	BSP 7, BJSP 5, SP 1, Ind 3	BJP
2013	25 Nov	72.69%	165	58	BSP 4, Ind 3	BJP
2018	28 Nov	75.63%	109	114	BSP 2, SP 1, Ind 4	INC
2023	17 Nov	77.74%	163	66	BAP 1	BJP

All seat counts add to the House strength (320 up to 1998, 230 afterwards), except 1998, where the party-by-party figures given on Wikipedia add up to a few more than 320 and the others column is left broad. Wikipedia's infobox shows 119 BJP seats for 1993, but its results table and the Elections overview give 117, which is used here. The 2013 turnout is 72.69 per cent when computed from votes cast over registered voters; some summaries use a slightly lower figure near 72.1 per cent.

Year	Electors	BJP vote share	INC vote share	Others notable
1990	3,76,05,101	39.14%	33.38%	n/a
1993	4,02,10,405	38.82%	40.67%	BSP 7.05%
1998	4,48,61,764	39.28%	40.59%	BSP 6.15%
2003	3,79,36,518	42.50%	31.61%	BSP 7.26%
2008	3,62,66,969	37.64%	32.39%	BSP 9.00%, BJSP 4.71%
2013	4,66,36,788	44.88%	36.38%	BSP 6.29%; NOTA 1.90%
2018	5,04,95,251	41.06%	41.05%	BSP 5.01%; NOTA 1.42%
2023	about 5.6 crore (derived)	about 48.6%	about 40.4%	BSP about 3.4%; NOTA about 1.0%

The electoral rolls for 2003 and 2008 as shown on Wikipedia run in the wrong direction (3.79 crore, then 3.63 crore); the cause is not clear and the figures should be treated with caution. The 2023 electors figure is worked back from 4,34,93,222 votes cast and a 77.74 per cent turnout, and the 2023 shares from party vote totals; BJP's 48.62 and Congress's 40.45 per cent in the Wikipedia infobox use a slightly different basis.

The three most recent elections

2013. The BJP won 165 of 230 seats with 44.88 per cent of the vote, its second-largest tally in a 230-seat House, while Congress won 58 with 36.38 per cent. The poll on 25 November was the first in which the "None of the above" (NOTA) option appeared on EVMs in the state, and 6,43,171 voters chose it (1.90 per cent). A total of 2,586 candidates filed nominations according to Wikipedia. Counting took place on 8 December 2013.

2018. Congress won 114 seats, two short of a majority, and the BJP won 109. The vote shares were almost identical: the BJP polled 15,643,623 votes (41.06 per cent) against Congress's 15,595,696 (41.05 per cent), a gap of 47,927 votes, yet it finished five seats behind. Turnout was 75.63 per cent and NOTA took 5,42,295 votes. Congress formed a government with the support of the BSP, the SP and independents, and it was sworn in on 17 December 2018; this government survived until March 2020 (see Political history).

2023. The BJP won 163 seats and Congress 66; the Bharat Adivasi Party won one seat. The BJP's seat tally rose by 54 and Congress's fell by 48. Polling was on 17 November with a turnout of 77.74 per cent, the highest in the state's history on the figures listed here, up 2.11 points from 2018. Turnout was 79.83 per cent in the ST constituencies, 76.94 per cent in SC constituencies and 77.25 per cent in General ones, according to ECI data reported by the press. Counting was on 3 December 2023 and the new government was sworn in on 13 December. Press reports say 27 women were elected, about 11.7 per cent of the House, up from about 9.1 per cent in 2018 (2018: 21 of 230; derived).

Lok Sabha elections

The Lok Sabha seat count fell from 40 to 29 after 2000, so figures before and after 2004 are not like for like.

Year	Seats	INC	BJP	Others	Turnout	BJP / INC vote share
1989	38	8	27	JD 3	not confirmed	not confirmed
1991	40	27	12	BSP 1	not confirmed	not confirmed
1996	40	8	27	BSP 2, others 3	not confirmed	not confirmed
1998	40	10	30	none	not confirmed	not confirmed
1999	40	11	29	none	not confirmed	not confirmed
2004	29	4	25	none	not confirmed	48.13 / 34.07
2009	29	12	16	BSP 1	51.17%	43.45 / 40.14
2014	29	2	27	none	61.61%	not confirmed
2019	29	1	28	none	71.20%	58.0 / 34.5
2024	29	0	29	none	68.29%	60.13 / 32.90

For the earlier cycles the seat-by-party record on Wikipedia shows Congress winning 28 of 29 seats in 1951, 34 of 35 in 1957, 24 of 36 in 1962, 25 of 37 in 1967, 21 of 37 in 1971, 35 of 40 in 1980 and all 40 in 1984. In 1977 the Janata Party won 38 of 40 and Congress one. In 2019 the only Congress win was Chhindwara. In 2024 the BJP won all 29 seats, the first clean sweep since Congress won all 40 in 1984; the poll ran in four phases on 19 April, 26 April, 7 May and 13 May, with phase turnouts of 67.75, 58.59, 66.75 and 72.05 per cent. In Indore, Congress urged voters to press NOTA after its candidate withdrew his nomination. The vote shares above are from Wikipedia and exclude NOTA in at least some cases, so they may differ from ECI's own table by a point or so.

By-elections

The 2020 by-elections were the largest single round, 28 seats on 3 November 2020 (counted 10 November, turnout 70.86 per cent). Of the 28 seats, 25 were vacated by resignations of Congress MLAs and three by deaths. The BJP won 19 and Congress 9.

Date	Seat or seats	Outcome
3 Nov 2020	28 Assembly seats	BJP 19, INC 9
2021	Damoh (resignation)	INC gained
2021	Prithvipur (death)	BJP gained from INC
2021	Raigaon, SC (death)	INC gained from BJP
2021	Jobat, ST (death)	BJP gained from INC
2024	Amarwara, ST (resignation)	BJP gained from INC
23 Nov 2024 (count)	Vijaypur	INC
23 Nov 2024 (count)	Budhni	BJP held

The 2021 contests were held in that year (the exact dates are not given here), and Amarwara in 2024. In Vijaypur the seat stayed with Congress even though its sitting member had resigned.

Municipal and panchayat elections, 2022

Urban bodies. Elections to about 347 urban local bodies were held in two phases on 6 July and 13 July 2022, with results between 17 and 20 July. One press summary refers to 413 bodies, a difference not resolved here. The 16 municipal corporations elected their mayors directly.

Municipal corporation result	Count	Corporations
BJP	9	Indore, Bhopal, Ujjain, Burhanpur, Khandwa, Sagar, Satna, Dewas, Ratlam
INC	5	Gwalior, Jabalpur, Chhindwara, Rewa, Morena
AAP	1	Singrauli
Independent	1	Katni

The Congress gains of Gwalior and Morena and the AAP's first mayoralty (Singrauli) were the main stories. Chairpersons of nagar palikas and councils were chosen by councillors indirectly. No complete body-by-body table for palikas and parishads was found; in phase two, among 40 municipal councils the BJP won about 20 and Congress about 12 in a press count that was not checked.

Panchayats. Panchayat elections that had been scheduled for January and February 2022 were cancelled in December 2021 after the Supreme Court stayed the OBC-reserved seats and the state withdrew its ordinance. The three-tier polls were held in three phases on 25 June, 1 July and 8 July 2022, on a non-party basis and with ballot papers, for 3,94,233 posts: 875 zila panchayat members, 6,771 janpad members, 22,921 sarpanches and 3,63,726 panches. About 3.94 crore voters were eligible and turnout was 80.31 per cent. Because parties do not contest on symbols, there is no authoritative party-wise count; the BJP claimed 41 zila panchayat presidencies and Congress 9, with the Gondwana Gantantra Party claiming one. Claims for janpad presidencies were contradictory and are not given. A press report says the next round of local-body elections is expected in 2027.

Reservation, delimitation and voters

The Assembly has 35 SC and 47 ST seats under the Delimitation Commission order of 2008, first used at the 2008 election. The Lok Sabha has 4 SC and 6 ST seats. In local bodies, women's seats and SC, ST and OBC reservation apply, and the OBC share was the issue that cancelled the early-2022 panchayat polls; this guide does not quote current percentages. Special Intensive Revision of rolls ran in the state in late 2025 and early 2026; reported figures are 5.74 crore electors before the draft list and 5.39 crore on the final roll, a fall of 34.25 lakh or 5.96 per cent (secondary source, rounded). Male-to-female elector ratios and EPIC statistics were not checked.

Firsts and records

• The BJP's 173 seats in 2003 are the largest tally in the 230-seat House.
• In the old 320-seat House, Congress's 250 seats in 1985 was the highest.
• In 2018 the party that won more votes (BJP by 47,927) won fewer seats.
• 2023 turnout of 77.74 per cent is the highest for an Assembly poll in the table above.
• 2024 was the first Lok Sabha election in which one party won every seat in the state since Congress won all 40 in 1984; it is the first sweep of the 29-seat state.

For exam preparation

• Digvijaya Singh's Congress won in 1993 (174 seats) and 1998 (172).
• The BJP won 173 of 230 seats in 2003, 143 in 2008 and 165 in 2013.
• In 2018 Congress won 114 seats and the BJP 109; in 2023 the BJP won 163, Congress 66 and the Bharat Adivasi Party 1.
• Turnout was 75.63 per cent in 2018 and 77.74 per cent in 2023.
• NOTA was first used in the 2013 election.
• The 2020 by-election covered 28 seats (BJP 19, INC 9).
• In the 2022 mayoral polls the BJP won 9 of 16 corporations, Congress 5, AAP 1 (Singrauli) and an independent 1 (Katni).
• The 2022 panchayat polls were held on 25 June, 1 July and 8 July with ballot papers; turnout was 80.31 per cent.
• The BJP won all 29 Lok Sabha seats in 2024.

Past Chief Ministers, Governors and office-holders

This section lists only completed tenures, which do not change. Names in the tables are drawn from Wikipedia's lists, which cite official records; exact dates can differ by a few days between sources. The incumbent Chief Minister, Governor and Speaker are not named; see the note under How the state is governed.

Chief Ministers

Since 1 November 1956 the state has had 19 Chief Ministers according to Wikipedia's count, with the first, Ravishankar Shukla, counted from his term in the old state.

No.	Chief Minister	Party	Tenure
1	Ravishankar Shukla	INC	26 Jan 1950 to 31 Dec 1956 (old state until 31 Oct 1956; died in office)
2	Bhagwantrao Mandloi	INC	9 Jan 1957 to 31 Jan 1957
3	Kailash Nath Katju	INC	31 Jan 1957 to 12 Mar 1962
(2)	Bhagwantrao Mandloi	INC	12 Mar 1962 to 30 Sep 1963
4	Dwarka Prasad Mishra	INC	30 Sep 1963 to 30 Jul 1967
5	Govind Narayan Singh	SVD	30 Jul 1967 to 13 Mar 1969
6	Nareshchandra Singh	SVD	13 Mar 1969 to 26 Mar 1969
7	Shyama Charan Shukla	INC	26 Mar 1969 to 29 Jan 1972
8	Prakash Chandra Sethi	INC	29 Jan 1972 to 23 Dec 1975
(7)	Shyama Charan Shukla	INC	23 Dec 1975 to 30 Apr 1977
	President's rule		30 Apr 1977 to 24 Jun 1977
9	Kailash Chandra Joshi	JP	24 Jun 1977 to 18 Jan 1978
10	Virendra Kumar Sakhlecha	JP	18 Jan 1978 to 20 Jan 1980
11	Sunder Lal Patwa	JP (listed as BJP on Wikipedia)	20 Jan 1980 to 17 Feb 1980
	President's rule		17 Feb 1980 to 9 Jun 1980
12	Arjun Singh	INC	9 Jun 1980 to 13 Mar 1985
13	Motilal Vora	INC	13 Mar 1985 to 14 Feb 1988
(12)	Arjun Singh	INC	14 Feb 1988 to 25 Jan 1989
(13)	Motilal Vora	INC	25 Jan 1989 to 9 Dec 1989
(7)	Shyama Charan Shukla	INC	9 Dec 1989 to 5 Mar 1990
(11)	Sunder Lal Patwa	BJP	5 Mar 1990 to 15 Dec 1992
	President's rule		15 Dec 1992 to 7 Dec 1993
14	Digvijaya Singh	INC	7 Dec 1993 to 8 Dec 2003
15	Uma Bharti	BJP	8 Dec 2003 to 23 Aug 2004
16	Babulal Gaur	BJP	23 Aug 2004 to 29 Nov 2005
17	Shivraj Singh Chouhan	BJP	29 Nov 2005 to 17 Dec 2018
18	Kamal Nath	INC	17 Dec 2018 to 23 Mar 2020
(17)	Shivraj Singh Chouhan	BJP	23 Mar 2020 to 13 Dec 2023
19	Incumbent	BJP	From 13 Dec 2023

Mandloi's first tenure is listed in Wikipedia as starting on 9 January 1957, which leaves a gap after Shukla's death; some other sources give a different start date and this was not resolved. Records and firsts: Govind Narayan Singh was the first non-Congress Chief Minister; Nareshchandra Singh's 13 days was the shortest tenure; Digvijaya Singh was the first to complete two full five-year terms, serving from 1993 to 2003; Shivraj Singh Chouhan is the longest-serving, with about 16 years 283 days over two spells to December 2023; Uma Bharti remains the only woman Chief Minister. The three spells of President's rule were 55, 113 and 357 days.

Before 1956. The merged states had their own heads: Madhya Bharat (Gopikrishna Vijayavargiya, Takhatmal Jain, Mishrilal Gangwal), Vindhya Pradesh (Sambhu Nath Shukla, 1952 to 1956) and Bhopal (Shankar Dayal Sharma, 1952 to 1956).

Governors

No.	Governor	Tenure
1	B. Pattabhi Sitaramayya	1 Nov 1956 to 13 Jun 1957 (resigned)
2	H. V. Pataskar	14 Jun 1957 to 10 Feb 1965
3	K. Chengalaraya Reddy	11 Feb 1965 to 2 Feb 1966
4	Justice P. V. Dixit (acting)	3 Feb 1966 to 9 Feb 1966
5	K. Chengalaraya Reddy	10 Feb 1966 to 7 Mar 1971
6	Satya Narayan Sinha	8 Mar 1971 to 13 Oct 1977
7	N. N. Wanchoo	14 Oct 1977 to 16 Aug 1978
8	C. M. Poonacha	17 Aug 1978 to 29 Apr 1980
9	Bhagwat Dayal Sharma	30 Apr 1980 to 25 May 1981
10	Justice Guru Prasanna Singh (acting)	26 May 1981 to 9 Jul 1981
11	Bhagwat Dayal Sharma	10 Jul 1981 to 20 Sep 1983
12	Justice Guru Prasanna Singh (acting)	21 Sep 1983 to 7 Oct 1983
13	Bhagwat Dayal Sharma	8 Oct 1983 to 14 May 1984
14	K. M. Chandy	15 May 1984 to 30 Nov 1987
15	Justice Narayan Dutta Ojha (acting)	1 Dec 1987 to 29 Dec 1987
16	K. M. Chandy	30 Dec 1987 to 30 Mar 1989
17	Sarla Grewal	31 Mar 1989 to 5 Feb 1990 (resigned)
18	Kunwar Mahmud Ali Khan	6 Feb 1990 to 23 Jun 1993 (resigned)
19	Mohammad Shafi Qureshi	24 Jun 1993 to 21 Apr 1998
20	Bhai Mahavir	22 Apr 1998 to 7 May 2003
21	Ram Prakash Gupta	7 May 2003 to 1 May 2004 (died in office)
22	Lt Gen K. M. Seth (Retd), additional charge	2 May 2004 to 29 Jun 2004
23	Balram Jakhar	30 Jun 2004 to 30 Jun 2009
24	Rameshwar Thakur	30 Jun 2009 to 8 Sep 2011
25	Ram Naresh Yadav	8 Sep 2011 to 8 Sep 2016
26	Om Prakash Kohli, additional charge	8 Sep 2016 to 23 Jan 2018
27	Anandiben Patel	23 Jan 2018 to 28 Jul 2019 (transferred)
28	Lalji Tandon	29 Jul 2019 to 21 Jul 2020 (died in office)
29	Anandiben Patel, additional charge	1 Jul 2020 to 8 Jul 2021
30	Incumbent	From 8 Jul 2021

Rows 28 and 29 overlap in the source list (Tandon's death is dated 21 July 2020, the additional charge from 1 July 2020); the overlap has not been resolved. Three High Court judges served as acting Governors, and two Governors, Gupta and Tandon, died in office.

Speakers of the Assembly

No.	Speaker	Party	Term
1	Kunji Lal Dubey	INC	1 Nov 1956 to 7 Mar 1967 (three Assemblies)
2	Kashi Prasad Pandey	INC	24 Mar 1967 to 24 Mar 1972
3	Tejlal Tembhre	INC	25 Mar 1972 to 10 Aug 1972
4	Gulsher Ahmad	INC	14 Aug 1972 to 14 Jul 1977
5	Mukund Sakharam Newalkar	JP	15 Jul 1977 to 2 Jul 1980
6	Yagya Datt Sharma	INC	3 Jul 1980 to 19 Jul 1983
7	Ram Kishore Shukla	INC	5 Mar 1984 to 13 Mar 1985
8	Rajendra Prasad Shukla	INC	25 Mar 1985 to 19 Mar 1990
9	Brij Mohan Mishra	BJP	20 Mar 1990 to 22 Dec 1993
10	Sriniwas Tiwari	INC	24 Dec 1993 to 11 Dec 2003
11	Ishwardas Rohani	BJP	16 Dec 2003 to 5 Nov 2013
12	Sitasharan Sharma	BJP	9 Jan 2014 to 1 Jan 2019
13	N. P. Prajapati	INC	8 Jan 2019 to 23 Mar 2020
14	Girish Gautam	BJP	22 Feb 2021 to 3 Dec 2023
15	Incumbent	BJP	From 20 Dec 2023

Sriniwas Tiwari's spell of nearly ten years across two Assemblies is the longest. Dates for the earliest Speakers come from Wikipedia and may differ in the Assembly's own records.

Chief Justices of the High Court

Chief Justices of the earlier Nagpur High Court were Gilbert Stone (from 9 January 1936), Frederick Louis Grille, Vivian Bose, Bhuvaneshwar Prasad Sinha and M. Hidayatullah (3 December 1954 to 31 October 1956).

No.	Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court	Tenure
1	M. Hidayatullah	1 Nov 1956 to 30 Nov 1958
2	Ganesh Prasad Bhutt	13 Dec 1958 to 12 Sep 1959
3	P. V. Dixit	22 Sep 1959 to 18 Mar 1969
4	Bishambhar Dayal	19 Mar 1969 to 13 Sep 1972
5	P. K. Tare	14 Sep 1972 to 10 Oct 1975
6	Shiv Dayal Shrivastava	11 Oct 1975 to 27 Feb 1978
7	Ananda Prakash Sen	28 Feb 1978 to 16 Jul 1978
8	G. P. Singh	27 Jul 1978 to 3 Jan 1984
9	Goverdhan Lal Oza	1 Dec 1984 to 28 Oct 1985
10	J. S. Verma	14 Jun 1986 to 31 Aug 1986
11	Narayan Dutt Ojha	8 Jan 1987 to 17 Jan 1988
12	G. G. Sohani	20 Oct 1989 to 23 Oct 1989
13	Sushil Kumar Jha	27 Oct 1989 to 15 Dec 1993
14	U. L. Bhat	15 Dec 1993 to 13 Oct 1995
15	A. K. Mathur	3 Feb 1996 to 21 Dec 1999
16	Bhawani Singh	24 Feb 2000 to 24 Aug 2003
17	Kumar Rajarathnam	6 Sep 2003 to 12 Mar 2004
18	R. V. Raveendran	8 Jul 2004 to 8 Sep 2005
19	A. K. Patnaik	2 Oct 2005 to 16 Nov 2009
20	Syed Rafat Alam	20 Dec 2009 to 4 Aug 2011
21	S. A. Bobde	16 Oct 2012 to 11 Apr 2013
22	A. M. Khanwilkar	24 Nov 2013 to 12 May 2016
23	Hemant Gupta	18 Mar 2017 to 1 Nov 2018
24	Sanjay Kumar Seth	14 Nov 2018 to 9 Jun 2019
25	Ajay Kumar Mittal	3 Nov 2019 to 29 Sep 2020
26	Mohammad Rafiq	3 Jan 2021 to 13 Oct 2021
27	Ravi Malimath	14 Oct 2021 to 24 May 2024
28	Suresh Kumar Kait	25 Sep 2024 to 23 May 2025
29	Sanjeev Sachdeva	17 Jul 2025 to 1 Jun 2026
30	Incumbent	From 10 Sep 2026

Acting Chief Justices served in the gaps between tenures, and two of the names above, M. Hidayatullah and S. A. Bobde, later became Chief Justice of India.

For exam preparation

• Ravishankar Shukla was the first Chief Minister, B. Pattabhi Sitaramayya the first Governor and Kunji Lal Dubey the first Speaker of the reorganised state.
• Govind Narayan Singh (1967) was the first non-Congress Chief Minister.
• Digvijaya Singh was the first Chief Minister to complete two full terms (1993 to 2003).
• Shivraj Singh Chouhan is the longest-serving Chief Minister; Uma Bharti is the only woman Chief Minister.
• Two Governors have died in office: Ram Prakash Gupta (2004) and Lalji Tandon (2020).
• The state has had three spells of President's rule (1977, 1980 and 1992 to 1993).
• M. Hidayatullah was the first Chief Justice of the High Court of the reorganised state.

Political history and movements

Unlike Chhattisgarh or Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh did not come out of a long agitation. It took its present form when the States Reorganisation Act, 1956 merged Madhya Bharat, Vindhya Pradesh, Bhopal and the Sironj subdivision with the old Madhya Pradesh, whose Marathi-speaking Vidarbha region went to Bombay State. It then lost its southern third when Chhattisgarh became a state in 2000. Its politics has moved through Congress dominance, brief non-Congress interludes and a two-party contest between the Congress and the BJP.

Formation and the Congress era

The new state came into being on 1 November 1956 with Bhopal as capital, a Congress Chief Minister and a Governor from Andhra. The Congress won the 1957 election with 232 of 288 seats and remained the main party through 1962 and 1972. The first break came after the 1967 election, when a group led by Govind Narayan Singh, elected as a Congress member, left the party and formed a coalition under the banner of the Samyukta Vidhayak Dal (SVD), a loose alliance of non-Congress parties that took power in several north Indian states that year. That produced the first non-Congress Chief Minister, from 30 July 1967 to 13 March 1969, followed by a 13-day government under a second SVD leader.

Janata wave and the 1980s

After the Emergency, the Janata Party won 230 of 320 seats in 1977 and governed until January 1980, when a short government of 28 days under Sunder Lal Patwa (listed as BJP in Wikipedia's table) ended and President's rule was imposed on 17 February 1980. Congress returned with 246 seats in 1980 and 250 in 1985, and the state saw frequent changes of Chief Minister within those Assemblies. On the night of 2 and 3 December 1984 gas leaked from the Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal, which is considered the world's worst industrial disaster; the official count of immediate deaths is 2,259, with much larger estimates by others. The disaster has been a recurring subject in state politics.

The 1990s and Chhattisgarh

The BJP won 220 seats in 1990, but its government ended with President's rule on 15 December 1992, the period following the events of 6 December 1992 at Ayodhya. Congress then formed a government in December 1993 and won again in 1998, so one Chief Minister served from 1993 to 2003. On 1 November 2000 the southern region forming Chhattisgarh was separated under the Madhya Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2000. The remaining state kept 230 Assembly seats, 29 Lok Sabha seats and 11 Rajya Sabha seats,.

BJP governments, 2003 to 2018

The BJP won 173 seats in 2003. Chief Ministers changed twice in the early years, in August 2004 and November 2005, and after that one Chief Minister served until December 2018, winning in 2008 and 2013. Two events from this period matter to aspirants. In 2013 an organised racket in recruitment and admission examinations run by the state's professional examination board, popularly called the Vyapam scam, came to light; a Special Task Force was set up on 26 August 2013, more than 2,000 people were reported arrested by June 2015, and in July 2015 the Supreme Court ordered the case transferred to the CBI. The same year NOTA was introduced on EVMs.

2018 to 2020: a government and its fall

Congress was the largest party in 2018 and formed a government with the support of the BSP, the SP and independents. In March 2020, 22 Congress MLAs resigned from the Assembly and a prominent Congress leader joined the BJP. The Supreme Court, hearing petitions from both parties, ordered a floor test to be held by 5 pm on 20 March 2020. The Chief Minister resigned on 20 March, the 22 former MLAs joined the BJP on 21 March and the new Chief Minister took oath on 23 March 2020. Three more Congress MLAs resigned by 23 July, and 28 by-elections on 3 November 2020 left the BJP with a working majority.

2023 and after

The BJP won 163 seats in 2023 and a new Chief Minister was sworn in on 13 December 2023. The state launched the Mukhya Mantri Ladli Behna Yojana, a cash-transfer scheme for women, in January 2023, initially at Rs 1,000 a month, later raised to Rs 1,250 and now Rs 1,500; about 1.25 crore women are registered (PRS, March 2026). Since 2023 the state has also seen by-elections in 2024, the rolls revision of late 2025 and early 2026, and talk of a delimitation commission for local bodies ahead of the next local polls, which a press report places in 2027.

For exam preparation

• The state was formed on 1 November 1956 under the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, merging Madhya Bharat, Vindhya Pradesh and Bhopal with the old state.
• The 1967 Samyukta Vidhayak Dal government was the first non-Congress government.
• The state's President's rule spells were in 1977, 1980 and 1992 to 1993.
• The Bhopal gas leak occurred on the night of 2 and 3 December 1984.
• Chhattisgarh was separated on 1 November 2000 under the Madhya Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2000.
• The Vyapam case was transferred to the CBI by the Supreme Court in July 2015.
• The Ladli Behna Yojana began in January 2023.

Budget and governance

The state's budget for 2026-27 was presented on 18 February 2026. PRS Legislative Research puts net expenditure at Rs 3,88,923 crore with another Rs 34,437 crore of debt repayment, so total expenditure of Rs 4,23,360 crore. Press reports gave the headline size as about Rs 4.38 lakh crore, a figure that PRS's table does not show and that was not reconciled here. All figures below are budget estimates for 2026-27 from the PRS analysis (dated 2 March 2026) and are replaced each February; they are given as on 4 October 2026.

Key numbers

Item	2026-27 (budget estimate)
Net expenditure (excluding debt repayment)	Rs 3,88,923 crore, 10 per cent above 2025-26 revised
Total receipts (excluding borrowings)	Rs 3,17,465 crore, up 14 per cent
Revenue receipts	Rs 3,08,703 crore (own Rs 1,42,061 crore, centre Rs 1,66,642 crore)
Own tax revenue	Rs 1,17,667 crore, 6.4 per cent of GSDP
Share in central taxes	Rs 1,12,137 crore
Grants from the Centre	Rs 54,505 crore
Revenue expenditure	Rs 3,08,659 crore
Capital outlay	Rs 78,920 crore
Revenue surplus	Rs 44 crore
Fiscal deficit	Rs 71,458 crore, 3.9 per cent of GSDP
Outstanding liabilities	32.5 per cent of GSDP
GSDP at current prices	Rs 18,48,274 crore, 11 per cent above 2025-26 revised

Press accounts gave capital expenditure as Rs 80,266 crore and the fiscal deficit as Rs 74,323 crore or 4.45 per cent; these differ from the PRS table, which reflects the budget documents, and PRS figures are used here. In the 2025-26 revised estimates the fiscal deficit was 4.5 per cent of GSDP. The 16th Finance Commission recommended a 3 per cent annual limit for 2026 to 2031, and central 50-year interest-free capital loans are excluded from the borrowing ceiling. The Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act, 2005 sets the state's annual targets.

Headline allocations

The largest sector provisions are education, sports, arts and culture (Rs 52,917 crore), social welfare and nutrition (Rs 40,400 crore), energy (Rs 31,843 crore), health and family welfare (Rs 24,001 crore), rural development (Rs 23,579 crore) and agriculture and allied activities (Rs 23,576 crore). The Ladli Behna Yojana receives Rs 23,883 crore, the Atal Griha Jyoti scheme Rs 6,033 crore and Samagra Shiksha Rs 5,649 crore. Committed expenditure on salaries, pensions and interest is Rs 1,37,826 crore, or 45 per cent of revenue receipts.

Policy announcements and fiscal risks

PRS highlights industrial parks across the state, a telecom manufacturing zone at Gwalior, the Indore-Pithampur Economic Corridor (about Rs 2,360 crore), the Dwarka Scheme for city infrastructure (Rs 5,000 crore over three years), the state's first Social Impact Bond to be listed on the National Stock Exchange and a Space Tech Policy 2026. On risk, outstanding guarantees were estimated at Rs 48,430 crore (3 per cent of GSDP) as on 31 December 2025. A CAG report of 2025 noted 19,897 pending utilisation certificates for grants of Rs 22,049 crore as of March 2024, and a state public-sector enterprise review noted that 66 of 73 enterprises had accounts in arrears as of March 2023. Details of e-governance programmes were not confirmed for this guide.

For exam preparation

• The 2026-27 budget was presented on 18 February 2026; net expenditure is Rs 3,88,923 crore.
• The fiscal deficit is Rs 71,458 crore, 3.9 per cent of GSDP; GSDP is Rs 18,48,274 crore.
• Capital outlay is Rs 78,920 crore and the revenue surplus Rs 44 crore.
• Ladli Behna Yojana receives Rs 23,883 crore; the monthly payment is Rs 1,500.
• Own tax revenue is Rs 1,17,667 crore; state GST is the largest source (about 36 per cent of own tax revenue).
• Committed expenditure takes 45 per cent of revenue receipts.

Economy

Madhya Pradesh has one of the larger state economies in India and one of the more farm-dependent ones. As on October 2026, the state's Economic Survey 2025-26 (tabled in the Vidhan Sabha in February 2026) puts nominal GSDP for 2025-26 at about ₹16.7 lakh crore and per capita income at ₹1,69,050 at current prices. Primary activities (crops, livestock, forestry, mining) still make up the largest slice of output, services are the fastest-growing part, and manufacturing is the smallest of the three. State finances run close to balance on the revenue account, but borrowing and committed spending are high.

Size, growth and income

Indicator	Value	Source and year
Nominal GSDP	₹16,69,750 crore (about ₹16.7 lakh crore)	2025-26, revised estimate in the 2026-27 budget documents
Nominal GSDP growth	11.14%	Economic Survey 2025-26
Real GSDP growth (2011-12 prices)	8.04%	Economic Survey 2025-26
Per capita income (current prices)	₹1,69,050	Economic Survey 2025-26
Per capita income (constant prices)	₹76,971	Economic Survey 2025-26
Per capita income in 2011-12	₹38,497	Economic Survey 2025-26
Projected GSDP, 2026-27	₹18,48,274 crore (11% above 2025-26 revised)	State budget 2026-27

A second yardstick is worth knowing. PRS Legislative Research, working from national statistics, shows per capita GSDP for 2024-25 at ₹1,70,430 at current prices, against ₹2,34,859 for India as a whole. So the state's per capita figure is roughly 73% of the national one. The two state-level figures above (₹1,69,050 for 2025-26 and ₹1,70,430 for 2024-25) are not directly comparable, because they come from different estimate series, and we have not been able to reconcile them. Quote each with its source.

Sectors

At current prices, the Economic Survey 2025-26 gives the sector shares of GSDP for 2025-26 as follows.

Sector	Share at current prices	Share at constant prices
Primary (agriculture, livestock, forestry, fishing, mining)	43.09%	33.54%
Secondary (manufacturing, construction, utilities)	19.79%	26.18%
Tertiary (services)	37.12%	40.28%

PRS reports almost the same split for 2024-25 (44%, 19% and 37%). The shares differ at constant prices because relative prices have moved since the 2011-12 base year.

PRS notes real GSDP growth of about 6% for 2024-25, a little below India's estimated 6.5% for that year.

Poverty

NITI Aayog's National Multidimensional Poverty Index (progress review of July 2023, using NFHS-4 and NFHS-5) shows the share of Madhya Pradesh's people who are multidimensionally poor falling from 36.57% in 2015-16 to 20.63% in 2019-21. That is a fall of about 15.9 percentage points, reported as the second-largest improvement among states after Bihar, and about 1.36 crore people moved out of the poor category. "Multidimensional" means the index looks at health, education and living standards together, not at income alone.

Investment, exports and enterprise

The Economic Survey and its reporting give these headline numbers:

• Exports in 2024-25: ₹66,218 crore.
• Foreign direct investment, January to September 2025: ₹327.34 crore. This is small; most investment comes from domestic firms.
• Industrial land allotted: 1,028 units with ₹1.17 lakh crore of proposed investment and an expected 1.7 lakh jobs.
• Registered start-ups: 1,723, with 103 incubation centres.
• Tourist arrivals in 2024-25: 13.39 crore, which the survey places 9th among states.

The 2026-27 budget speech announced industrial parks across the state, a telecom manufacturing zone at Gwalior, an Indore-Pithampur Economic Corridor (estimated at ₹2,360 crore), a "Dwarka Scheme" for city infrastructure (₹5,000 crore over three years), the state's first Social Impact Bond to be listed on the National Stock Exchange, and a Madhya Pradesh Space Tech Policy 2026. These are announcements; check the latest notifications before treating any as completed.

State finances (budget 2026-27)

The budget for 2026-27 was presented on 18 February 2026. The figures below are from the budget documents as analysed by PRS Legislative Research.

Item	Amount (2026-27 budget estimate)
Net expenditure (excluding debt repayment)	₹3,88,923 crore (up 10% on 2025-26 revised)
Revenue receipts	₹3,08,703 crore
Own tax revenue	₹1,17,667 crore (6.4% of GSDP)
Own non-tax revenue	₹24,394 crore
Share in central taxes	₹1,12,137 crore
Grants from the Centre	₹54,505 crore
Capital outlay	₹78,920 crore
Revenue surplus	₹44 crore
Fiscal deficit	₹71,458 crore (3.9% of GSDP; 4.5% in 2025-26 revised)
Outstanding liabilities	32.5% of GSDP at end of 2026-27

Of revenue receipts, about 46% is raised by the state and 54% comes from the Centre (36% share of central taxes and 18% grants). State GST is the largest own-tax source (₹42,311 crore, 36% of own tax), followed by sales tax/VAT (₹22,209 crore), state excise (₹20,279 crore) and stamp duty and registration (₹19,112 crore, up 37% on the previous year's estimate).

Committed spending (salaries, pensions, interest) is ₹1,37,826 crore, about 45% of revenue receipts: salaries ₹75,574 crore, pensions ₹28,518 crore and interest ₹33,735 crore. The 16th Finance Commission, as cited by PRS, noted that the state's budgeted subsidies and transfers in 2025-26 were 4.1% of GSDP against an average of 2.7% for states, driven by power subsidies (₹25,142 crore) and cash transfers (₹20,821 crore). Outstanding government guarantees stood at ₹48,430 crore (3% of GSDP) on 31 December 2025.

The state's Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Act dates from 2005. The 16th Finance Commission has recommended a 3% fiscal-deficit limit for states for 2026-31, with the Centre's 50-year interest-free capital loans excluded when the borrowing ceiling is worked out. Of 73 state public sector enterprises, PRS (citing the CAG and the Finance Commission) notes that 66 had accounts in arrears as of March 2023, and that three power distribution companies accounted for 91% of the reported losses of those that had finalised accounts.

Figures from the Economic Survey and the budget differ in places (for example, the survey reports a fiscal deficit near 4.6% and a debt ratio near 31%). Where this guide gives a budget figure, it is the PRS reading of the budget documents.

For exam preparation

• The Economic Survey 2025-26 puts nominal GSDP for 2025-26 at about ₹16.7 lakh crore and per capita income at ₹1,69,050.
• The primary sector is the largest part of GSDP at current prices (43.09%), ahead of services (37.12%) and the secondary sector (19.79%).
• NITI Aayog's 2023 review shows multidimensional poverty falling from 36.57% (2015-16) to 20.63% (2019-21).
• The 2026-27 budget projects GSDP at ₹18,48,274 crore, a fiscal deficit of 3.9% of GSDP and a tiny revenue surplus of ₹44 crore.
• State GST is the largest own-tax source; the Centre supplies about 54% of revenue receipts.
• The state's FRBM Act was passed in 2005.

Agriculture, forests, minerals, industry and energy

Madhya Pradesh is a grain, pulse and oilseed state, India's largest forest-cover state, India's only diamond producer, and a growing power exporter. The black cotton soils of the Malwa plateau and the Narmada valley support soybean and wheat, the Bundelkhand and eastern uplands hold coal, limestone and bauxite, and the Vindhyan and Satpura forests hold the tiger reserves described in the tourism section.

Crops and farming

The Economic Survey 2025-26, as reported, gives these production figures and national shares (for 2024-25):

Crop group	Production	Share of India	Rank
Foodgrains	46.63 million tonnes	13.04%	2nd
Wheat	24.51 million tonnes	20.78%	2nd
Maize	6.64 million tonnes	15.3%	1st
Total pulses	5.24 million tonnes	20.4%	1st
Chickpea (gram)	2.11 million tonnes	19.01%	2nd
Oilseeds	8.25 million tonnes	19.19%	2nd
Soybean	5.38 million tonnes	35.27%	See note
Groundnut	1.55 million tonnes	12.99%	3rd

Note on soybean: Madhya Pradesh has long been called the "Soya State" and has the largest area under the crop, but one 2024-25 comparison puts Maharashtra ahead on output (72.75 lakh tonnes against 53.31 lakh tonnes for Madhya Pradesh). Wheat tonnage also differs between the Economic Survey series and the state agriculture department's own series; use the survey figure with its source. Wheat and gram dominate the rabi (winter) season, and soybean, maize and paddy dominate kharif. Burhanpur bananas, Raisen basmati-type rice and Balaghat chinnor rice are among the products promoted under the One District One Product (ODOP) initiative.

The milk production growth rate reported by the survey is 5.95%. The survey figures for irrigated area and livestock population were not confirmed for this guide.

Forests

According to the India State of Forest Report 2023 (Forest Survey of India), Madhya Pradesh has 77,073 sq km of forest cover, about 25% of the state's area, which is the largest forest cover of any Indian state. Arunachal Pradesh (65,882 sq km) and Chhattisgarh (55,812 sq km) follow. Forest plus tree cover is reported at 85,724 sq km, also the largest. The same report records that Madhya Pradesh lost 612.41 sq km of forest cover compared with the previous assessment, the largest fall among states in that report.

Forests are mainly dry and moist deciduous, with teak, sal and bamboo, and they matter to the economy through tendu leaf, mahua, lac and other minor forest produce collected largely by tribal families.

Minerals

Madhya Pradesh is the only state in India that produces diamonds, and it leads or ranks high in several other minerals. According to Indian Bureau of Mines material as summarised in state-level reporting:

• Diamond: the Panna belt in Bundelkhand; the Panna mine produces roughly one lakh carats a year, and the state holds about 90% of India's diamond resources. The Bunder block in Chhatarpur district is estimated at 32.2 million carats.
• Copper: Balaghat district (Malanjkhand), with occurrences also in Betul and Jabalpur; the state holds about 19% of India's copper ore resources.
• Manganese: produced mainly around Balaghat and Chhindwara; the state is among the leading producers, with about 12% of national resources.
• Limestone: widespread, in Katni, Satna, Jabalpur, Damoh, Dhar, Jhabua, Mandsaur, Shivpuri and other districts; it supports the state's cement industry.
• Coal: Singrauli (formerly part of Sidhi), Shahdol and Betul; the state ranks about fourth in coal.
• Other: bauxite (Katni, Satna, Rewa, Mandla and other districts), rock phosphate, dolomite and iron ore.

Different years and sources give slightly different rankings, so treat "ranks first in copper and manganese, third in limestone, fourth in coal" as the commonly cited summary rather than a fixed statistic.

Industry

The industrial map has a few clear clusters:

• Indore-Pithampur-Dewas belt: Pithampur has a special economic zone and a large auto and pharmaceutical base, and the Sanwer industrial area adjoins it. Pharmaceutical companies including Ipca, Cipla, Lupin, Glenmark and Unichem operate in the Indore region. The Bank Note Press at Dewas prints Indian currency.
• Bhopal-Mandideep: the Mandideep industrial area on the Bhopal-Nagpur highway hosts plants of firms such as HEG, Procter & Gamble, Lupin and Eicher.
• Jabalpur: defence manufacturing, including Vehicle Factory Jabalpur, the Gun Carriage Factory and Ordnance Factory Khamaria.
• Singrauli-Sidhi: mining and power in the east, around Vindhyachal.

The state's industrial policy and investor summits have been repeatedly used to attract investment. The investment figures announced at the Global Investors Summit held in Bhopal in early 2025 were not confirmed for this guide and are left out.

Power and energy

The Economic Survey 2025-26 reports total installed power capacity of 25,416 MW. Renewable capacity was 9,508 MW as of November 2025, with solar at 5,781 MW and wind at 3,500 MW as the main components. (The component figures reported alongside do not add up exactly to the total, so use the headline numbers only.)

Key power assets:

• Vindhyachal Thermal Power Station (Singrauli, NTPC): coal-fired, about 4,780 MW including small solar and hydro units, and commonly described as one of India's largest power stations. Construction began in 1982 and the final stage was completed in 2015.
• Rewa Ultra Mega Solar (Rewa district): 750 MW in three 250 MW units, fully commissioned in January 2020. It was the first solar project in India to break the grid-parity barrier, with a first-year tariff of ₹2.97 a unit, and it supplies power to the Delhi Metro.
• Indira Sagar Dam (Narmada, Khandwa district): about 1,000 MW; the dam was commissioned in 2005 and creates one of India's largest reservoirs by storage volume.
• Omkareshwar Dam (Narmada, Khandwa district): about 520 MW; operational since 2007.

Power is also a fiscal question. The budget allots ₹6,033 crore to the Atal Griha Jyoti scheme, and PRS reports power subsidies of ₹25,142 crore in 2025-26 (budget estimate). The Omkareshwar floating solar project is mentioned in other sources, but its capacity and commissioning status were not confirmed for this guide.

For exam preparation

• Madhya Pradesh is the only diamond-producing state in India; the Panna belt in Bundelkhand is the source.
• Malanjkhand in Balaghat district is the state's main copper area.
• The state has the largest forest cover in India: 77,073 sq km (India State of Forest Report 2023).
• Madhya Pradesh is first in maize and pulses and second in wheat, gram, oilseeds and foodgrains (Economic Survey 2025-26, as reported).
• Vindhyachal (Singrauli, NTPC) is the state's largest thermal station.
• Rewa Ultra Mega Solar is 750 MW and was the first Indian solar project to reach grid parity.
• Indira Sagar (about 1,000 MW) and Omkareshwar (about 520 MW) are Narmada dams in Khandwa district.

Transport and infrastructure

Madhya Pradesh sits in the middle of the country, so most north-south and east-west rail and road corridors cross it. It has no coast and no port; trade reaches the sea through other states. As on October 2026, the state's two big cities, Bhopal and Indore, have begun metro services, and airport coverage is expanding beyond the four largest cities.

Railways

Rail transport in the state began in 1867, when the Allahabad-Jabalpur branch line opened in June. The main operator is West Central Railway (WCR), created on 3 April 2003 with headquarters at Jabalpur; its divisions are Jabalpur, Bhopal and Kota (Kota is in Rajasthan). The Ratlam division of Western Railway serves the west, and other zones touch the state's edges, including Central Railway around Khandwa, so more railway divisions pass through Madhya Pradesh than through most states.

Important junctions include Bhopal, Itarsi, Bina and Guna (Bhopal division); Jabalpur, Satna and Katni (Jabalpur division); and Ratlam, Ujjain, Nagda, Dewas and Indore (west). Bhopal's Rani Kamalapati station is the redeveloped former Habibganj station. The Delhi-Chennai route was introduced in 1903. The state reports more than 700 stations.

Roads and bridges

National highways in the state were over 9,000 km at the end of 2022 (a national statistics compilation; the current figure has risen). The Economic Survey 2025-26 reports 73,000 km of rural roads constructed and 12,809 bridges built. The 2026-27 budget allots ₹9,910 crore for capital outlay on roads and bridges. The state has announced plans for new expressways and for an airport roughly every 150-200 km and an airstrip every 75 km; treat these as targets.

Airports

Reports differ on the count: one 2026 report says the state has eight airports, six of them operational. Scheduled services are available at Bhopal (Raja Bhoj Airport), Indore (Devi Ahilya Bai Holkar Airport), Jabalpur, Gwalior and Khajuraho. Rewa, Satna and Datia are reported as having started operations within the past year, and land acquisition has begun for new airports in Ujjain and Shivpuri. Check current airline schedules before assuming any airport has regular flights.

Metro

• Bhopal: the Orange Line priority corridor (Subhash Nagar to AIIMS, about 6.2 km) opened for commercial operation on 21 December 2025. The rest of Phase 1, including a further 8.77 km of the Orange Line and the Blue Line (about 12.9 km, 14 stations), is under construction. Completion is targeted around 2029.
• Indore: a first stretch of about 6 km, largely in the outer areas, opened earlier. A new 17 km corridor with 16 stations, from Super Corridor-3 to Malviya Nagar and costing about ₹2,850 crore, was reported inaugurated on 5 September 2026. Confirm the line's exact current extent from the metro operator.

Both systems use trains built by one rolling-stock supplier under a combined contract for the two cities.

Water and power infrastructure

The Narmada dams (Indira Sagar, Omkareshwar) provide both power and irrigation. Indira Sagar's command area is spread across Khandwa and Khargone. The 2026-27 budget allots ₹11,546 crore for capital outlay on irrigation and flood control. For power, see the previous section.

For exam preparation

• West Central Railway has its headquarters at Jabalpur and was created in April 2003.
• The Bhopal metro's first stretch, Subhash Nagar to AIIMS, opened on 21 December 2025.
• Rail transport began in the state in 1867 with the Allahabad-Jabalpur line.
• The state is landlocked and has no port.
• Itarsi and Bina are major rail junctions.

Culture, tribes and heritage

Madhya Pradesh's culture is a layering of tribal, Bundeli, Malwi, Nimadi and Baghel traditions with the legacies of the Mauryas, Chandelas, Paramaras, Malwa sultans, Marathas and Mughals. It is reported to have the largest Scheduled Tribe population of any Indian state. Its music, from the Gwalior school to the Maihar gharana, is one of the main reasons the state was recognised internationally.

Languages and literature

Hindi is the official language. The regional Hindi varieties are Malwi (Malwa, around Indore and Ujjain), Nimadi (Nimar, around Khandwa and Khargone), Bundeli (Bundelkhand, in the north), Bagheli (Baghelkhand, in the east, around Rewa) and Bhili in the west. Tribal languages include Gondi, Bhili, Korku and Baigani. The classical-Sanskrit poet Kalidasa is traditionally associated with Ujjain, and the annual Kalidas Samaroh there is named for him.

Tribes

In Census 2011, Scheduled Tribes numbered 15.31 million, 21.1% of the state's population. Sources count 43 or 46 notified Scheduled Tribes, depending on how sub-groups are counted; this was not resolved for this guide. Three groups are classed as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs): Baiga, Bharia and Sahariya.

Tribe	Share of ST population (Census 2011)	Main area	Known for
Bhil (incl. Bhilala, Barela, Pateliya)	38.88% (about 59.9 lakh)	Jhabua, Alirajpur, Dhar, Barwani, Khargone	Bhagoria festival, archery, Pithora painting
Gond	33.04% (about 50.9 lakh)	Dindori, Mandla, Chhindwara, Betul, Seoni	Gond painting, Karma and Saila dances
Kol	7.57%	Rewa and surrounding districts	Agriculture, forest work
Korku	4.74%	Khandwa and nearby districts	Agriculture, minor forest produce
Sahariya (PVTG)	4.02%	Sheopur, Shivpuri, Guna	Forest produce; special nutrition and livelihood support
Baiga (PVTG)	Not separately confirmed	Dindori, Mandla, Balaghat, Umaria	Herbal medicine knowledge, tattooing (godna)
Bharia (PVTG)	Not separately confirmed	Patalkot valley, Chhindwara	Herbal medicine practice

Constitutional safeguards include the Fifth Schedule, Article 46 and Article 338A, and the Forest Rights Act, 2006. The Baiga were relocated out of 28 villages in the Kanha area up to 1968, an example of the tension between conservation and tribal land use.

Folk dance, music and theatre

• Karma: a dance tied to the Karma festival in the rainy season, performed by the Gond, Baiga and Oraon communities.
• Saila: a Gond men's group dance with batons, peacock feathers and ankle bells.
• Bhagoria: a Bhil dance and festival of the Jhabua, Alirajpur and Dhar belt, held before Holi, with courtship overtones.
• Matki: a Malwa women's dance in which dancers balance clay pots on their heads, performed at weddings and festivals.
• Gangaur: the nine-day Gangaur festival of the Nimar region honours Ranubai, Suryadev and Parvati, with women dancing around the idol of Ranubai (Parvati) and Suryadev.
• Rai and Baredi: Bundelkhand dances; Rai is traditionally performed by women.
• Maanch: the folk theatre of Malwa, combining dialogue, music and singing. Sanja, Bhojali, Chaiti and Kajri are among the folk songs of Malwa.

Classical music is anchored in Gwalior, the home of a major vocal school and the city associated with Tansen and with the dhrupad tradition. UNESCO added Gwalior to its Creative Cities Network as a City of Music in 2023. Maihar, in Satna district, is the home of the Maihar gharana associated with Ustad Allauddin Khan.

Festivals and fairs

Festival	Place	Notes
Simhastha Kumbh	Ujjain (Shipra)	Held about every 12 years; the next is in 2028, in the April-May season. Exact bathing dates are not confirmed here; use the official notification. The Cabinet has approved infrastructure projects (74 projects, about ₹7,380 crore) and a 29 km pathway and ghats along the Shipra
Khajuraho Dance Festival	Khajuraho	Held in February in the temple courtyards, since 1975; the 50th edition in February 2024 set a record for the largest Kathak performance
Tansen Samaroh	Gwalior	Classical music festival honouring Tansen, held around November or December
Ustad Allauddin Khan Samaroh	Maihar	Classical music festival of the Maihar gharana; dates have varied (March or October)
Kalidas Samaroh	Ujjain	Annual event commemorating the poet Kalidasa; first held in 1958
Lokrang	Bhopal	Five-day festival of tribal and folk arts, beginning on 26 January
Mandu Utsav	Mandu, Dhar	Cultural festival at the fort
Nimar Utsav	Nimar region	Folk culture, craft and food festival
Bhagoria	Jhabua, Alirajpur, Dhar	Bhil harvest and courtship festival before Holi
Mahashivratri and Mahakal Sawari	Ujjain	Night-long worship at Mahakaleshwar; the Sawari procession is held in Shravan and Bhadrapada

Simhastha is the best-known. The word "Simha" refers to Leo; the festival is held at Ujjain when Jupiter is in Leo, and pilgrims bathe in the Shipra.

Cuisine

Food varies by region. The north and west lean to wheat and meat, and the south and east to rice and fish. Neighbouring states (Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh) have shaped much of it.

• Indore and Malwa: poha with sev and onion, eaten with jalebi at breakfast; dal bafla (boiled then baked wheat balls with ghee and dal, close to Rajasthan's dal baati); sabudana khichdi; chakki ki shak; and the night food market at Sarafa, with dahi bade, khopra patties, malpua and imarti.
• Bhopal: Mughlai-influenced korma, biryani, kebabs, and Bhopali paan.
• Gwalior and Indore: milk-based sweets. Ratlami sev and Morena gajak are GI-tagged snacks and sweets.
• Tribal and eastern areas: millets, rice and forest foods.

Handicrafts and GI tags

At least 19 products from the state held GI tags as of July 2025, and the state tourism board's list of GI crafts alone names 16 items (several added in 2025). The more exam-relevant ones are:

GI product	Place	Year (tourism board list)
Chanderi saree	Chanderi	2005
Bagh print	Bagh, Dhar	2008
Bell metal craft	Tikamgarh and Datia	2008
Maheshwari saree and fabric	Maheshwar	2012
Leather toys of Indore	Indore	2015
Gond painting	Patangarh, Dindori	2023
Iron craft	Dindori	2023
Waraseoni handloom saree	Waraseoni, Balaghat	2023
Carpet weaving	Gwalior	2023
Batik print	Bherugarh, Ujjain	2023
Marble craft	Jabalpur	2023
Khajuraho stone craft, Gwalior stone craft, Gwalior papier-mache, wood craft and furniture (Chhatarpur)	As named	2025
Bharewa metal craft	Betul	2025

Food GIs include Kadaknath black chicken (Jhabua), Ratlami sev (Ratlam) and Morena gajak. The Maheshwari fabric blends silk and cotton and flourished under the patronage of Ahilyabai Holkar. Gond painting, Bhil Pithora painting and godna tattooing are the main tribal art forms.

Painting and architecture

The Bhimbetka rock shelters hold the state's oldest paintings, with the earliest dated to the Mesolithic, about 10,000 BCE, and some sources suggesting older. The Great Stupa at Sanchi was commissioned by Ashoka in the 3rd century BCE; its four carved gateways (toranas) came later, in the Satavahana period of the 1st century BCE. The Chandela temples of Khajuraho were mostly built between about 885 and 1000 CE, with later work up to the early 11th century. Mandu, a Malwa Sultanate capital, contains Hoshang Shah's tomb, described as India's first marble structure.

For exam preparation

• Scheduled Tribes are 21.1% of the population (Census 2011), about 15.31 million people.
• The three PVTGs are Baiga, Bharia and Sahariya.
• Bhil and Gond are the two largest tribes; Bhils are about 38.9% and Gonds about 33.0% of the ST population.
• Bhagoria is the Bhil festival before Holi; Saila and Karma are Gond dances; Matki belongs to Malwa; Rai belongs to Bundelkhand.
• Gwalior was named a UNESCO City of Music in 2023.
• The Khajuraho Dance Festival began in 1975 and is held in February.
• Chanderi (2005), Bagh print (2008) and Maheshwari (2012) are older GI tags; Gond painting got its GI in 2023.

Tourism and places of interest

Tourism is a growing sector. The Economic Survey 2025-26 reports 13.39 crore tourist arrivals in 2024-25 and ranks the state 9th. The state topped the National Tourism Awards in 2010-11. Its pitch is a mix of heritage (three World Heritage Sites), wildlife (the "Tiger State"), pilgrimage (two Jyotirlingas) and hill and lake scenery.

UNESCO and other designations

• World Heritage Sites (3): Khajuraho Group of Monuments (1986), Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi (1989) and Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka (2003). All three are cultural sites.
• Biosphere reserves recognised by UNESCO: Pachmarhi (2009), Achanakmar-Amarkantak (2012, shared with Chhattisgarh) and Panna (2020).
• UNESCO Creative City: Gwalior, City of Music (2023).
• Ramsar wetlands: Bhoj Wetland (Bhopal), Sakhya Sagar, Sirpur Lake, Yashwant Sagar and Tawa Reservoir. India had 101 Ramsar sites as of August 2026.
• Jyotirlingas (2): Mahakaleshwar (Ujjain) and Omkareshwar (Khandwa, on an island in the Narmada).
• Tentative list: one source says Orchha was added to a UNESCO heritage list in 2020. We could not confirm the exact status, and it is left out of the table below.

Key sites

Site	Place	What to know
Khajuraho temples	Chhatarpur	Chandela temples, mostly 10th-11th century; about 25 survive of an original 85; Western group includes Kandariya Mahadeva and Lakshmana temples; UNESCO 1986
Sanchi Stupa	Raisen, about 46 km from Bhopal	Ashokan Great Stupa; later gateways; UNESCO 1989. The Heliodorus pillar (about 100 BCE) is near Vidisha
Bhimbetka	Raisen, about 45 km from Bhopal	Over 750 shelters; Mesolithic paintings; first reported by the archaeologist V. S. Wakankar in 1957; UNESCO 2003
Mahakaleshwar	Ujjain	A Jyotirlinga; the idol faces south; Mahashivratri and the Sawari procession; Harsiddhi Shaktipeeth is nearby
Omkareshwar	Khandwa	A Jyotirlinga on a Narmada island
Gwalior Fort	Gwalior	Hill fort on a sandstone rock; Man Mandir (15th century, Tomar), Teli ka Mandir, rock-cut Jain sculptures; Gurdwara Data Bandi Chhor remembers Guru Hargobind's imprisonment in 1609; the Chaturbhuj temple inscription has an early place-value zero
Orchha	Niwari, on the Betwa	Bundela capital founded in 1531; Ram Raja temple, where Rama is worshipped as king; Jahangir Mahal; royal chhatris
Mandu	Dhar	Malwa Sultanate fort city at about 633 m; Jahaz Mahal, Hindola Mahal, Hoshang Shah's tomb; wall of about 37 km with 12 gates
Pachmarhi	Narmadapuram (Hoshangabad)	The state's hill station, at about 1,067 m; Dhupgarh (1,352 m) is the highest peak of the Satpura region; Pandava caves and rock paintings; found as a hill station in 1857
Maheshwar	Khargone	Narmada ghats and fort; home of Maheshwari fabric
Chanderi	Ashoknagar	Home of Chanderi weaving

National parks and tiger reserves

The state is called the "Tiger State". In the 2022 estimate (released 2023), Madhya Pradesh had 785 tigers, the highest in the country; the counts for the state in earlier cycles were 257 (2010), 308 (2014) and 526 (2018). Between 2010 and 2022 the state relocated about 200 villages from protected areas, and tigers were reintroduced in Panna after nearly vanishing there.

As on October 2026, the state has nine tiger reserves, the most of any state:

Tiger reserve	District(s)	Note
Kanha	Mandla, Balaghat	National park from 1 June 1955, tiger reserve 1973; barasingha (hard-ground swamp deer); Baiga relocation
Pench	Seoni, Chhindwara	Shared with Maharashtra's Pench
Bandhavgarh	Umaria
Panna	Panna, Chhatarpur	Reintroduction of tigers; UNESCO biosphere reserve, 2020
Satpura	Narmadapuram, Betul, Chhindwara	Includes the Pachmarhi area
Sanjay-Dubri	Sidhi, Singrauli
Veerangana Durgavati	Damoh, Sagar, Narsinghpur	Declared 2023
Ratapani	Raisen, Sehore	Declared 2024
Madhav	Shivpuri	India's 58th tiger reserve, reported declared on 9 March 2025; about 1,751 sq km

A published list shows 11 national parks in the state: Bandhavgarh, Dinosaur Fossils, Ghughua Fossil, Kanha, Kuno, Madhav, Panna, Pench, Sanjay, Satpura and Van Vihar (Bhopal). The count has changed with the new tiger reserves, and one 2022 source gave 10 national parks and 24 sanctuaries; use the current Forest Department list if you need the exact number.

Kuno National Park (Sheopur) is the site of Project Cheetah. India launched the programme in 2022 with 8 cheetahs from Namibia, added a group from South Africa in 2023, and received 9 more from Botswana in 2026. Counts reported in early 2026 vary between sources, and a few cheetahs have been moved to Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary. The exact present population is not confirmed here.

For exam preparation

• The three World Heritage Sites are Khajuraho (1986), Sanchi (1989) and Bhimbetka (2003).
• The state's two Jyotirlingas are Mahakaleshwar (Ujjain) and Omkareshwar (Khandwa).
• Madhya Pradesh has the most tiger reserves in India (nine) and had 785 tigers in the 2022 estimate.
• Pachmarhi (2009), Achanakmar-Amarkantak (2012) and Panna (2020) are UNESCO biosphere reserves.
• Bhoj Wetland in Bhopal is among the state's five Ramsar sites.
• Kuno National Park is the home of India's cheetah reintroduction.

Education, health, sports and personalities

Madhya Pradesh has a good set of national institutes, a large state university system, literacy that is still below the national level, and a record of health gains that is real but uneven. Sports are headlined by mallakhamb, which the state has declared its official sport.

Literacy and schooling

Census 2011 (still the latest published census) records literacy of 69.32% (male 78.73%, female 59.24%), a sex ratio of 931 females per 1,000 males and a child sex ratio of 918. The 2026-27 budget provides ₹52,917 crore for education, sports, arts and culture (13.7% of total expenditure, against a 14.5% state average for 2025-26) and ₹5,649 crore for Samagra Shiksha. The Economic Survey 2025-26 reports a primary dropout rate of 0% and an upper-primary dropout rate of 6.3%.

Universities and institutes

Institution	Place	Note
IIT Indore	Indore	Established 2009; there is no IIT at Bhopal
IIM Indore	Indore	Set up in the late 1990s (sources give 1996 to 1998)
AIIMS Bhopal	Bhopal	Under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana; first department in September 2012
MANIT (NIT) Bhopal	Bhopal	Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology, 1960
IISER Bhopal	Bhopal	2008
IIITDM Jabalpur	Jabalpur	2005
ABV-IIITM Gwalior	Gwalior	1997
IIIT Bhopal	Bhopal	2017
NLIU	Bhopal	National Law Institute University; founded in the late 1990s
Dharmashastra NLU	Jabalpur	2018
Dr Harisingh Gour University	Sagar	Central university, 1946
Indira Gandhi National Tribal University	Amarkantak	Central university, 2007
Rani Durgavati University	Jabalpur	State university, 1956
Vikram University	Ujjain	1957
Devi Ahilya University	Indore	1964
Jiwaji University	Gwalior	1964
Barkatullah University	Bhopal	1970
MP Medical Science University	Jabalpur	2011

The state has about sixteen state universities in all; the list above is not complete.

Health

NFHS-5 (2019-21) records an infant mortality rate of about 41 per 1,000 live births (51 in NFHS-4), an under-five mortality rate of 49 (65 in NFHS-4) and about 91% of births in health facilities. The 2026-27 budget allots ₹24,001 crore to health and family welfare (6.2% of expenditure, equal to the state average) and ₹4,600 crore to the National Health Mission. We did not confirm the latest maternal mortality ratio or stunting figures and have left them out.

Sports

Mallakhamb, a gymnastic sport performed on a pole or rope, was declared the official state sport on 9 April 2013. The first national championship of its modern competitive form was held at Gwalior in 1962, and the first all-India championship under the national federation took place at Ujjain in 1981. Indore's Holkar Stadium and Gwalior's Captain Roop Singh Stadium have hosted international cricket. The state also has a long hockey tradition through players such as Roop Singh, born in Jabalpur.

Notable people (deceased)

Person	Link to the state	Known for
Kalidasa	Traditionally linked to Ujjain	Sanskrit poet and dramatist
Raja Bhoj	Paramara king (Dhar)	Patron of learning; Bhopal's Bhoj Wetland is associated with his name
Tansen	Gwalior region	Court musician; Tansen Samaroh honours him
Rani Durgavati	Gond queen of Garha	Resisted the Mughal army in the 16th century
Ahilyabai Holkar	Maheshwar and Indore	18th-century Holkar ruler and temple builder
Rani Avantibai Lodhi	Ramgarh (Mandla)	Leader in the Revolt of 1857
Chandrashekhar Azad	Born in Bhabra, Alirajpur	Revolutionary
Ustad Allauddin Khan	Maihar	Musician and teacher; the Maihar gharana
Lata Mangeshkar	Born in Indore	Playback singer
Kishore Kumar	Born in Khandwa	Singer and actor
Atal Bihari Vajpayee	Born in Gwalior	Former Prime Minister
Shankar Dayal Sharma	Born in Bhopal	Former President of India
Roop Singh	Born in Jabalpur	Olympic hockey player

State cultural awards and national honours go to artists, writers and sportspeople from Madhya Pradesh every year. Awardees change annually and are not listed here.

For exam preparation

• IIT Indore (2009), IIM Indore, AIIMS Bhopal (2012), MANIT Bhopal (1960), IISER Bhopal (2008) are the headline institutes.
• There are two National Law Universities: NLIU Bhopal and Dharmashastra NLU Jabalpur (2018).
• Mallakhamb became the official state sport in April 2013.
• Census 2011 literacy was 69.32%, with a sex ratio of 931.
• NFHS-5 infant mortality was about 41 per 1,000 live births.

Government schemes

Madhya Pradesh's welfare spending is dominated by cash transfers and subsidies, with the state's flagship schemes aimed at women, girls, farmers and the elderly. All amounts and eligibility rules below are as reported on the date of writing (October 2026) and change by order, so check the scheme portal or the latest notification before applying.

State schemes

Scheme	What it gives	Eligibility, as reported
Mukhyamantri Ladli Behna Yojana	Monthly cash transfer to women's bank accounts. First instalment in June 2023 at ₹1,000, raised to ₹1,250, then to ₹1,500 from November 2025 (state Cabinet approval on 12 November 2025). The state has said it aims for ₹3,000 by 2028; that is a stated goal, not a legal commitment	Resident women aged 21 to 60 with family income up to ₹2.5 lakh a year, with an Aadhaar-linked bank account (portal reports); about 1.25 crore women registered; ₹23,883 crore allocated in 2026-27
Mukhyamantri Kisan Kalyan Yojana	₹6,000 a year from the state, on top of the ₹6,000 a year from the Centre's PM-KISAN, paid in instalments	Farmers who receive PM-KISAN
Mukhyamantri Ladli Laxmi Yojana (from 2007)	Support for girl children in stages: ₹6,000 a year for five years (₹30,000) after registration, then amounts on admission to classes 6, 9, 11 and 12, and a lump sum at 21 (reported as ₹1.43 lakh)	Girls born in eligible families; check current rules
Mukhyamantri Kanya Vivah / Nikah Yojana	Assistance for the marriage of girls from poor families; raised in 2023 to ₹51,000	Poor families, with mass-marriage events organised by local bodies
Mukhyamantri Teerth Darshan Yojana (from 2012)	One-time subsidised pilgrimage by special train for senior citizens	Residents aged 60 or above (relaxed for women)
Atal Griha Jyoti Yojana	Electricity subsidy scheme; ₹6,033 crore allocated in 2026-27	Domestic consumers under the scheme's terms

The 2026-27 budget also announced the Dwarka Scheme for city infrastructure. For the Simhastha Kumbh at Ujjain in 2028, a news report said ₹2,000 crore was set aside in the 2025-26 budget.

Central schemes in the state budget

• PM-KISAN: ₹6,000 a year to farmer families, paid by the Centre.
• Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana: the Economic Survey reports 41 lakh houses sanctioned in the state; the 2026-27 budget allots ₹2,301 crore for the urban component.
• Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan: ₹5,649 crore in 2026-27.
• National Health Mission: ₹4,600 crore in 2026-27.
• Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana: ₹1,299 crore (state share) in 2026-27.
• VB-G RAM G (rural employment): ₹10,428 crore in 2026-27, per the PRS analysis.

Tribal and local-product initiatives

The One District One Product (ODOP) programme promotes each district's speciality, and the state won a silver medal for it in 2025. Under the Forest Rights Act, 2006, tribal families can claim rights over forest land and produce, and the Fifth Schedule areas have their own administration arrangements.

For exam preparation

• Ladli Behna started with a first instalment in June 2023; the monthly amount rose from ₹1,000 to ₹1,250 and then to ₹1,500 from November 2025.
• Ladli Laxmi Yojana began in 2007 and is aimed at girl children.
• Mukhyamantri Teerth Darshan Yojana began in 2012 for senior citizens.
• The state tops up PM-KISAN with ₹6,000 a year under the Mukhyamantri Kisan Kalyan Yojana.
• ₹23,883 crore is allocated to Ladli Behna in the 2026-27 budget.

Government exams in Madhya Pradesh

Government recruitment in Madhya Pradesh runs through a small number of bodies. The Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission (MPPSC) selects officers for the State Service and several specialist services. The Madhya Pradesh Employees Selection Board (ESB), the body people still call Vyapam, runs the written exams for most Class III posts, police constables and school teachers. The High Court recruits judicial officers and its own staff, and individual departments run the physical, skill and document stages. Vacancy numbers, dates, fees and age limits change with every advertisement, so treat each figure below as a pointer and check the latest notification before you apply. To see what is open now, use our Madhya Pradesh government jobs listing; to practise, use the online test series. We do not yet have separate exam guides for Madhya Pradesh exams, so this page is the reference.

Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission (MPPSC)

The commission was set up on 1 November 1956 under Article 315 of the Constitution and has its headquarters at Indore. Its State Service Examination fills posts such as Deputy Collector and Deputy Superintendent of Police. The commission's own site also lists recruitment for Assistant Professors, Assistant Directors, Scientific Officers, the State Forest Service and other specialist posts, each with its own advertisement and syllabus. The State Service Examination has three stages: Prelims, Mains and Interview.

The scheme was revised for the 2026 cycle, and sources we opened disagree on some marks, so read the rules attached to the notification you are applying under.

Stage	What is reported
Prelims	Two objective papers of 100 questions each, two hours each: Paper I (General Studies) and Paper II (General Aptitude Test). For 2026, one source reports 3 marks per question (300 marks per paper) with 1 mark deducted for each wrong answer, where older descriptions give 200 marks per paper. Only Paper I counts for the Mains shortlist; Paper II is qualifying.
Mains	Six descriptive papers: four General Studies papers, General Hindi and a Hindi essay. One reference lists 300 marks for each General Studies paper, 200 for General Hindi and 100 for the essay, which adds to 1,500, while other pages quote a total of 1,400. Reported minimum marks are 40% in each paper for unreserved candidates and 30% for reserved candidates.
Interview	Reported as 175 marks in some pages and 185 in others. Final merit is drawn from the Mains and the Interview; the Prelims is a screening stage.

The 2026 State Service advertisement was reported with 155 posts, a notification on 31 December 2025 and online applications from 10 January to 9 February 2026. Two sources give different Prelims dates (26 April 2026 and 26 June 2026), and we could not open the commission's notice for the Mains or Interview schedule. Do not rely on our dates; open mppsc.mp.gov.in.

Age is reported as 21 to 40 years for non-uniformed posts and 21 to 33 for uniformed posts such as DSP, counted on 1 January of the year of the advertisement, with an upper limit that can stretch to 45 for reserved-category candidates domiciled in the state. A bachelor's degree is the reported qualification. These are secondary-source figures, so confirm them in the notification.

Madhya Pradesh Employees Selection Board (ESB, formerly Vyapam)

The board began in 1970 as the Pre-Medical Test Board, was merged into the Professional Examination Board in 1982, and became known everywhere by its Hindi abbreviation Vyapam (Madhya Pradesh Vyavsayik Pariksha Mandal). The Vyapam scam surfaced in 2013, involving impersonation, rigged papers and bribed officials in admission and recruitment tests. The government later reconstituted the board and gave it the name Employees Selection Board; one reference dates the rename to 2022 and another notes a Madhya Pradesh Employees Selection Board Act of 2020 that reconstituted its directors. The board's own website, esb.mp.gov.in, now shows the heading "M.P. Employees Selection Board, Bhopal". You will still see "MPPEB" and "Vyapam" on older admit cards, answer keys and coaching pages, and they refer to the same body.

The ESB is the examination agency for most Class III recruitment, including police constable and sub-inspector level posts, teacher eligibility and selection, and departmental recruitment tests (patwari, group exams and similar). We have not verified a complete list of its exams, so check the board's notice page. The exams we found details for are below.

• Police Constable. The 2025 recruitment was advertised with 7,500 posts. The qualification reported is a Class 10 pass. The written test is an online CBT of 100 questions, 100 marks and 2 hours, with no negative marking reported, followed by a Physical Efficiency Test, Physical Standards Test, document verification and medical examination. The exam was reported for 30 October 2025 in two shifts. Registration dates were extended, so reports differ on the last date. Age is reported as 18 to 33 years for general-category men and up to 38 for reserved categories, women, ex-servicemen and government employees.
• Subedar and Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI). The 2025 notification covered about 500 posts for Police Headquarters, with registrations from 27 October to 10 November 2025 and a written exam scheduled for 9 January 2026. A graduate degree is the reported qualification, and selection is by written test, physical test and interview. A separate Sub-Inspector recruitment is run in cycles; we did not confirm the latest one.
• Fees. The 2025 police notices reported Rs 500 for unreserved candidates and Rs 250 for OBC, SC, ST, EWS and disabled candidates. Fees differ by notification.

Teacher eligibility and recruitment

School teacher recruitment in Madhya Pradesh has two parts: an eligibility test and a selection test. The Madhya Pradesh Teacher Eligibility Test (MP TET) is conducted by the Employees Selection Board for three levels: Varg 3 (primary, classes 1 to 5), Varg 2 (middle school, classes 6 to 8) and Varg 1 (high school, classes 9 and 10). The reported qualifying marks are 60% for general candidates and 50% for reserved categories. For Varg 3, the usual qualification route is Class 12 with at least 50% marks plus a two-year diploma in elementary education, or another route in the notification, such as graduation with a B.Ed. or a four-year integrated degree. One reference reports a two-stage Varg 3 scheme, a 100-mark eligibility paper followed by a 150-mark selection paper, with no negative marking; confirm this in the notification, because patterns have changed across cycles. Another reference says candidates must hold a valid MP TET pass from 2020 or 2024 for recent Varg 3 recruitment. We did not verify the date of the latest exam, the validity period of the certificate or the number of vacancies, so use the board's notice page.

High Court of Madhya Pradesh

The High Court has its principal seat at Jabalpur, with permanent benches at Indore and Gwalior. It recruits civil judges through its own examination. The Civil Judge (Junior Division, Entry Level) exam has three stages, Prelims, Mains and Interview, and is open to law graduates. Past cycles reported on exam-information pages were 123 posts (2021) and 191 posts (2022), with an age range reported as 21 to 35 years. The High Court also recruits its own staff and publishes the results on mphc.gov.in. We could not open the exam-details page for the current pattern, so check the High Court's recruitment notices.

Other recruiters

Police Headquarters, the health, school education, revenue and forest departments, universities and district offices advertise further posts, some directly and some through the ESB or MPPSC. A monthly check of the commission's site, the board's site and our state jobs page is the practical way to track them. If you are comparing neighbouring states, our Chhattisgarh guide covers the state that was separated from Madhya Pradesh in 2000.

For exam preparation

• MPPSC State Service has three stages: Prelims, Mains and Interview.
• Only Prelims Paper I counts for the Mains shortlist; Paper II is qualifying.
• MPPSC was set up on 1 November 1956 under Article 315 and is headquartered at Indore.
• Vyapam is now the Employees Selection Board, based in Bhopal.
• MP TET has three levels: Varg 3 (classes 1 to 5), Varg 2 (6 to 8) and Varg 1 (9 and 10).
• The High Court's principal seat is Jabalpur, with benches at Indore and Gwalior.

Domicile, reservation and recruitment rules

In Madhya Pradesh recruitment, being a state domicile mainly changes your category benefit, your fee and your age limit. Candidates from other states are generally reported to be allowed to apply for open exams such as the State Service, but they are treated as unreserved. The rules below come from news reports and secondary exam pages, not from the official rules, so the notification overrides all of it.

Domicile and residence

For the State Service Examination, the reported position is that candidates from any state may apply, but reservation and age relaxation apply only to those with a Madhya Pradesh domicile (resident) certificate. A candidate from another state is placed in the unreserved category even if the candidate belongs to a reserved category at home, and pays the full fee. Some exams or posts may also ask for a Class 10 or Class 12 certificate from a school in the state or an employment-exchange registration; the notification lists this. For teacher exams one reference says that domicile, or completing Classes 10 to 12 in the state, carries reservation benefits.

Two points are often confused:

• A "jobs only for locals" announcement is not a rule. In August 2020 the Chief Minister of the time announced that all state government jobs would be reserved for those born in Madhya Pradesh. A legal commentary at the time noted that Article 16(2) of the Constitution bars discrimination only on place of birth or residence, and that Article 16(3) lets Parliament, not a state, set residence requirements. We did not confirm that any rule implementing the announcement is in force, so do not assume that out-of-state candidates are barred.
• Age by domicile is legally sensitive. In a March 2018 judgment the Madhya Pradesh High Court held that an age limit based only on domicile (a higher limit for locals) for Assistant Professor posts was unconstitutional. The relaxations for reserved categories described below are different, because they depend on category and are tied to the state's own reservation roster.

Reservation in state services

Category	Share	Note
Scheduled Castes (SC)	16%	As reported in the legal coverage we opened.
Scheduled Tribes (ST)	20%	Same.
Other Backward Classes (OBC)	14% in effect; 27% legislated	The 2019 law raising it to 27% is under litigation; see below.
Economically Weaker Sections (EWS)	10%	Under the 103rd Constitutional Amendment; the state-level application is set in each notification.
Women	35%	Cabinet ratification reported on 5 November 2024 for recruitments through MPPSC and the ESB.

Women's reservation was raised from 33% to 35% under the Madhya Pradesh Civil Services (Special Provisions for Appointment of Women) Rules, 1997, and the cabinet ratified a notification dated 13 September 2023. We did not confirm whether it is horizontal within each category, or whether it covers police posts, so read the notification.

The OBC 27% litigation (status as on 4 October 2026)

This is the most important rule change affecting Madhya Pradesh recruitment, and it is not settled. The reported sequence is:

• March 2019. An ordinance (8 March 2019) raised OBC reservation in state services from 14% to 27%. A High Court interim order of 19 March 2019 followed the challenge, and an Act on the same subject was reported as notified on 14 July 2019. With SC 16%, ST 20% and OBC 27%, reservation reaches 63%, above the 50% ceiling in the Indra Sawhney case of 1992; adding EWS 10% brings it to 73%.
• 87:13 formula (reported 2022). In recruitment, the state applied a formula that fills 87% of posts and keeps 13% on hold until the cases end. The High Court rejected petitions challenging this formula in January 2025.
• Supreme Court, 2025. In April 2025 the Supreme Court took the transferred petitions on the issue together (52 reported). On 12 August 2025 it asked the state whether it had been sleeping for six years over the held posts, and daily hearings were fixed to begin in late September 2025.
• 19 February 2026. The Supreme Court sent the batch of appeals back to the Madhya Pradesh High Court, asking the Chief Justice to form a special bench and decide within three months.
• High Court, 2026. Regular hearings were fixed from 15 April 2026, and a later report said final daily hearings were to begin on 15 July 2026 before a new bench. We could not find a final judgment as on 4 October 2026.

What it means for a candidate: until a final ruling and a notified roster, assume that a recruitment may carry either the 14% OBC quota, with 13% of posts held, or a changed figure. The vacancy table of the notification you apply under is the only reliable number. Search the court's and the commission's notices for orders issued after the as-on date above.

Age relaxation

Reported relaxations for the State Service, counted on 1 January of the advertisement year, include five years for MP-domiciled SC, ST and OBC candidates, five years for permanent state employees, up to ten years for candidates with disabilities and relaxation for women. One source reports an upper limit of 45 years for reserved-category domiciled candidates. Another reports the same five-year relaxations for women, so sources differ; the base limits are 40 (non-uniformed) and 33 (uniformed). Confirm all of these in the current notification.

Selection stages and vacancy cycles

State Service and officer-level exams use Prelims, Mains and Interview. Class III recruitment, such as police constable, uses a written CBT and then physical, document and medical stages. Teacher recruitment uses an eligibility test followed by a selection test. Vacancies do not follow a fixed calendar, so plan around the syllabus rather than a date, and check the latest notification for each stage.

For exam preparation

• Reserved-category benefits and age relaxation apply to Madhya Pradesh domicile candidates; others compete as unreserved.
• Reported base quotas are SC 16%, ST 20%, OBC 14% in effect, and EWS 10%.
• The 2019 law raised OBC to 27%; the 87:13 formula keeps 13% of posts on hold.
• The Supreme Court remanded the OBC case to the High Court on 19 February 2026.
• Women's reservation in state services is reported at 35%.

How to use this guide for exam preparation

Madhya Pradesh GK appears in the MPPSC Prelims, the police exams, teacher selection and many Class III papers, so the same facts pay off across exams. Use the section map below to decide where to spend your time, then follow the four-week plan.

Which sections to prioritise

Section of this page	Why it matters	Typical question type
History	Dynasties, Gond, Bundela and Maratha rule, 1956 reorganisation	Match the ruler to the place or period
Geography	Narmada system, plateaus, soils, forests, minerals	Which river, park or mineral belongs where
Administration and districts	55 districts, 10 divisions, newest districts	Counting and naming
Demography	Census 2011 figures	Literacy, sex ratio, tribal share
Government and politics	Offices, elections, past chief ministers	Who held an office and when
Economy and agriculture	Soybean, wheat, minerals, energy	First, only and rank questions
Culture and tribes	Bhil, Gond, Baiga, folk art, festivals	Match the art or fair to the region
Tourism	Sanchi, Khajuraho, Bhimbetka, tiger reserves	Match the monument or park to the district
Rapid-fire facts and FAQs	Compressed revision	Quick recall before a mock

For the MPPSC Prelims, Paper I decides the shortlist, so general studies and Madhya Pradesh GK are where your marks are earned. Paper II is qualifying, so give it steady practice rather than late panic. For police and Class III papers, take the GK from the history, geography and schemes sections and spend the rest of your time on reasoning, arithmetic and language.

A four-week revision plan

Week 1: land and people. Read History, Geography, Administration and Demography once with a map open. After each section, write ten facts from memory. By the end of the week you should name all ten divisions, the main rivers and the tiger reserves without looking.

Week 2: government and economy. Read the government, legislature, election and past-office-holder sections, then Economy and Agriculture. Build one page of institutions with the as-on dates, because current office-holders are the facts that go out of date first.

Week 3: culture, tourism and schemes. Read Culture, Tourism, Education and Schemes. Make flash cards for tribes, festivals and places. Take a topic-wise test from our online test series and keep a mistake log.

Week 4: recall and tests. Read the Rapid-fire table daily, take two full-length mocks, revise only the mistake log and the dated facts, and do not start new sources.

Common traps

• Vyapam and the Employees Selection Board. Same body, new name. Read the issuing authority on the notification.
• Districts. The state has 55 districts as on October 2026; older books may show fewer, so check the date of the source.
• OBC percentage. 14% is in effect, 27% is the 2019 law under litigation. Know both and the 13% held posts.
• Census years. Census 2011 is still the latest published census. Name the source when you quote a figure.
• Tiger reserves. The list has grown over time to nine; an older book may show fewer.
• Mixing neighbours. Chhattisgarh was separated from Madhya Pradesh in November 2000; check our Chhattisgarh guide to keep the two straight.

For exam preparation

• Madhya Pradesh GK repeats across State Service, police, teacher and Class III exams.
• The state has 55 districts and 10 divisions.
• Census 2011 remains the latest published census.
• Learn every office-holder with an as-on date, or ask whether the post is current at all.

Rapid-fire facts

Each row below comes from a source we opened. Rows with a date are as on 4 October 2026. Facts we could not confirm are listed in the verification section instead.

Fact	Answer
Date of formation of the present state	1 November 1956
Capital	Bhopal
Largest city	Indore
Area	308,252 sq km
Rank by area	2nd
Population, Census 2011	About 7.26 crore
Rank by population, Census 2011	5th
Scheduled Tribes share, Census 2011	21.1%
Scheduled Castes share, Census 2011	15.6%
Official language	Hindi
Bordering states	Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Gujarat
Units merged in 1956	Madhya Bharat, Vindhya Pradesh, Bhopal State
State separated in November 2000	Chhattisgarh
Districts (as on October 2026)	55
Divisions	10
Newest districts	Mauganj, Pandhurna, Maihar
Largest district by area	Sagar
Smallest district by area	Niwari
Vidhan Sabha seats	230
Seats reserved for SC	35
Seats reserved for ST	47
Majority mark in the Vidhan Sabha	116
Lok Sabha seats	29
Lok Sabha seats reserved for SC	4
Lok Sabha seats reserved for ST	6
Rajya Sabha seats	11
2023 Assembly polling date	17 November 2023
2023 counting date	3 December 2023
2023 result, BJP	163 seats
2023 result, Congress	66 seats
2023 vote share, BJP	48.62%
2023 vote share, Congress	40.45%
2023 turnout	77.74%
2024 Lok Sabha result, BJP	All 29 seats
2024 BJP vote share	60.13%
2019 Lok Sabha result, BJP	28 seats
2024 Lok Sabha polling	4 phases
First Chief Minister after reorganisation	Ravi Shankar Shukla
High Court, principal seat	Jabalpur
High Court benches	Indore and Gwalior
High Court originated as	Nagpur High Court, 2 January 1936
High Court sanctioned strength	53 judges
MPPSC headquarters	Indore
MPPSC established	1 November 1956
Constitutional basis of a PSC	Article 315
MPPSC State Service stages	Prelims, Mains, Interview
Prelims Paper II	Qualifying
Mains papers	Six
Prelims papers	Two
2026 State Service posts (reported)	155
2026 State Service notification date (reported)	31 December 2025
State Service age, non-uniformed (reported)	21 to 40 years
State Service age, uniformed (reported)	21 to 33 years
Employees Selection Board headquarters	Bhopal
Vyapam began in 1970 as	Pre-Medical Test Board
Merged into Professional Examination Board	1982
Vyapam scam surfaced	2013
Board's website	esb.mp.gov.in
MPPSC website	mppsc.mp.gov.in
High Court website	mphc.gov.in
Police Constable 2025 posts (reported)	7,500
Police Constable qualification (reported)	Class 10
Police Constable written exam (reported)	CBT, 100 questions, 2 hours
Police Constable exam date (reported)	30 October 2025
Subedar and ASI 2025 posts (reported)	About 500
Subedar and ASI qualification (reported)	Graduate
MP TET levels	Varg 3, Varg 2, Varg 1
Varg 3 classes	1 to 5
Varg 2 classes	6 to 8
Varg 1 classes	9 and 10
TET qualifying marks (reported)	60% general, 50% reserved
Civil Judge (Junior Division) posts, 2021 cycle	123
Civil Judge (Junior Division) posts, 2022 cycle	191
SC reservation in state services (reported)	16%
ST reservation in state services (reported)	20%
OBC reservation before 2019	14%
OBC reservation in the 2019 law	27%
EWS reservation	10%
Total if OBC were 27% with EWS	73%
Ordinance raising OBC quota	8 March 2019
Formula that holds 13% of posts	87:13
Supreme Court order remanding the OBC case	19 February 2026
Women's reservation in state services (reported)	35%
Women's quota rules	Civil Services (Special Provisions for Appointment of Women) Rules, 1997
Tiger reserves	9
Ninth tiger reserve	Madhav (2025)
Eighth tiger reserve	Ratapani (2024)
Seventh tiger reserve	Veerangana Durgavati (2023)
Tiger reserves, early list	Kanha, Pench, Bandhavgarh, Satpura, Panna, Sanjay-Dubri
State animal	Barasingha
State bird	Indian paradise flycatcher
State tree	Banyan
State flower	White lily
Longest river	Narmada
UNESCO World Heritage Sites	Khajuraho, Sanchi, Bhimbetka
Ruling that struck domicile-based age limits	Madhya Pradesh High Court, 12 March 2018

Frequently asked questions

When was Madhya Pradesh formed and what is its capital?

The present state was formed on 1 November 1956 by merging Madhya Bharat, Vindhya Pradesh, Bhopal State and other areas. The capital is Bhopal and the largest city is Indore.

How many districts does Madhya Pradesh have?

55 districts in 10 divisions, as on October 2026. Mauganj, Pandhurna and Maihar are the newest. Proposals for more districts have been announced, so check the state portal if you are asked for a current count.

How many seats are there in the Madhya Pradesh Vidhan Sabha and Lok Sabha?

230 Vidhan Sabha seats (35 reserved for SC and 47 for ST) and 29 Lok Sabha seats (4 SC and 6 ST). The state also has 11 Rajya Sabha seats.

What was the result of the 2023 Assembly election?

Polling was on 17 November 2023 and counting on 3 December. The BJP won 163 seats with 48.62% of the vote and the Congress won 66 with 40.45%. Turnout was 77.74%.

What is the exam pattern of MPPSC?

Three stages: Prelims (two objective papers, 100 questions each, Paper I counting and Paper II qualifying), Mains (six descriptive papers) and an Interview. Marks are reported differently across sources, so use the notification.

Is there negative marking in the MPPSC Prelims?

One source reports a deduction of 1 mark per wrong answer for 2026, with 3 marks per correct answer; an older description of the scheme says one-third. Check the current rules.

What is the age limit for MPPSC State Service?

Reported as 21 to 40 years for non-uniformed posts and 21 to 33 for uniformed posts, with relaxations that can raise the limit to 45 for reserved-category MP domiciles. Confirm in the notification.

Is Vyapam still running?

The name changed. The body is now the Madhya Pradesh Employees Selection Board (esb.mp.gov.in). Older materials still say Vyapam or MPPEB, and they refer to the same board.

Who conducts the MP Police Constable exam?

The Employees Selection Board runs the written exam and the Police Headquarters runs the physical stages. The 2025 cycle was reported with 7,500 posts and a Class 10 qualification.

What is the qualification for MP Police Subedar and ASI?

A graduate degree was reported for the 2025 cycle, with a written test, a physical test and an interview.

What are the levels of MP TET?

Varg 3 for classes 1 to 5, Varg 2 for classes 6 to 8, and Varg 1 for classes 9 and 10. The reported qualifying marks are 60% for general candidates and 50% for reserved categories.

Can candidates from other states apply for Madhya Pradesh government jobs?

Open exams such as the State Service are reported to accept candidates from other states, but those candidates compete as unreserved and do not get state reservation or age relaxation. A 2020 announcement of jobs only for locals has not been confirmed as an operative rule. See the notification.

What is the reservation in Madhya Pradesh?

Reported shares are SC 16%, ST 20%, OBC 14% in effect and EWS 10%. The 27% OBC law of 2019 is under litigation, and 13% of posts are held under the 87:13 formula. Women have a reported 35%.

What is the 87:13 formula?

In recruitment the state fills 87% of posts and keeps 13% on hold until the OBC 27% case is decided.

What is the current status of the OBC 27% case?

On 19 February 2026 the Supreme Court remanded the appeals to the Madhya Pradesh High Court, asking for a decision in three months. Regular hearings were fixed from April 2026 and final hearings were reported for July 2026. We could not find a final judgment as on 4 October 2026.

How many tiger reserves does Madhya Pradesh have?

Nine. Madhav (2025) is the latest, after Ratapani (2024) and Veerangana Durgavati (2023).

Where is the Madhya Pradesh High Court?

Its principal seat is at Jabalpur, with benches at Indore and Gwalior. It began as the Nagpur High Court on 2 January 1936.

Is the High Court civil judge exam open to non-lawyers?

No. The Civil Judge (Junior Division) exam is for law graduates and has Prelims, Mains and Interview. Our reference for age (21 to 35) is a secondary source.

Where can I practise Madhya Pradesh GK?

Use our online test series for timed mocks and the Madhya Pradesh jobs listing to see what is open. For the neighbouring state, see the Chhattisgarh guide.

Sources and verification

Time-sensitive facts (budget, district count, exam rules) were checked on 4 October 2026. Where sources disagreed or a figure came from a single secondary source, the text says so. Official portals were often unavailable to the research tools, so Wikipedia reproductions of Election Commission data were used for election figures; cross-check against the Election Commission of India results before quoting a number in an answer. Census 2011 is the latest published census.

Facts verified on 4 October 2026. The commission, board and High Court sites were reachable only in part (the board's page showed its name; the High Court's exam page did not load). Many exam figures come from secondary exam-preparation sites and are marked "reported".

• Wikipedia (cross-check only): pages on the Madhya Pradesh Employees Selection Board, Madhya Pradesh, List of districts of Madhya Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh High Court, Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission, Elections in Madhya Pradesh, the 2023 Madhya Pradesh Assembly election and the 2024 Lok Sabha election in Madhya Pradesh.
• Official sites, opened in part: mppsc.mp.gov.in (navigation and recent notices), esb.mp.gov.in (site heading), mphc.gov.in (home page).
• LiveLaw, report on the Supreme Court order of 19 February 2026, and report on the March 2018 High Court ruling on domicile-based age limits; DT Next report of October 2023.
• Free Press Journal, reports on the Supreme Court hearing of 12 August 2025 and on the High Court hearing schedule of 23 March 2026.
• The Mooknayak, report on the state's OBC reservation case and women's reservation.
• Patrika (Hindi), report of April 2025 on the Supreme Court and the transferred petitions; Navbharat (Hindi) on the July 2026 hearings.
• Careers360 news report on the 35% women's reservation; The Leaflet analysis of the 2020 domicile announcement.
• Scroll, announcements on the 2025 Police Constable and Subedar/ASI recruitments.
• Several exam-preparation websites, for the MPPSC pattern and 2026 notification, MP TET and the High Court Civil Judge exam. Their numbers conflict in places, and the text says so.
• A web search listing for the tiger reserves, for the nine-reserve list.