Written by Karan Sharma August 18, 2025
Most confuse Delhi, New Delhi, NCT & NCR as same! Here's the truth: Delhi is UT, New Delhi is just 1 district, NCT is official name & NCR includes 24 nearby districts.
Delhi is both a historic city and a Union Territory, officially called National Capital Territory (NCT) since 1993, covering 11 districts.
New Delhi is just 1 district within Delhi, designed by British architects, housing landmarks like India Gate and Parliament.
NCT-Delhi includes all 11 districts, villages, and towns under dual governance (Centre + Delhi Govt).
Delhi is both a historic city and a Union Territory, officially called National Capital Territory (NCT) since 1993, covering 11 districts.
NCR (National Capital Region) is much larger—it spans Delhi + 24 neighboring districts across 3 states.
Haryana contributes 14 NCR districts like Gurugram and Faridabad, key for jobs and infrastructure.
UP adds 8 districts including Noida (Gautam Buddh Nagar) and Ghaziabad—major residential hubs.
Rajasthan’s Alwar & Bharatpur are also part of NCR, boosting tourism and logistics.
NCR was created to decongest Delhi by spreading population and economic growth to nearby areas.
Key difference: Delhi/NCT = political boundary; NCR = economic zone with shared resources.
Fun fact: New Delhi is just 3% of Delhi’s area but hosts all central govt offices.
Now you know why saying "Delhi-NCR" matters—it’s about the mega-region, not just the capital