Udham Singh Nagar is a district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. Located in the Kumaon division, it lies in the Tarai region along the foothills of the Himalayas, sharing a border with Uttar Pradesh to the south. The district is named after the Indian revolutionary Udham Singh, who assassinated Michael O'Dwyer in London in 1940 in retaliation for the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.
| Key facts | |
|---|---|
| State | Uttarakhand |
| Division | Kumaon |
| Headquarters | Rudrapur |
| Region | Tarai (Bhabar–Tarai belt) |
| Named after | Shaheed Udham Singh |
| Formed | 1995 (carved out of Nainital district) |
| Neighbouring districts | Nainital, Champawat, Pauri Garhwal; Uttar Pradesh districts to the south |
Geography
Udham Singh Nagar occupies the plains and lower foothills of the Kumaon, distinguishing it from the largely hilly character of most other districts of Uttarakhand. The terrain is predominantly flat and fertile, drained by rivers and seasonal streams flowing south from the Himalayas. The Tarai belt was historically marshy and forested, and was reclaimed for large-scale agriculture in the decades following Independence, particularly through resettlement of refugees from West Punjab.
Administration
The district headquarters is at Rudrapur. Major towns include Kashipur, Khatima, Sitarganj, Bazpur, Jaspur, Kichha and Gadarpur. The district is administratively divided into several tehsils and development blocks, and is part of the Kumaon division.
History
The area now forming Udham Singh Nagar was historically part of the larger Nainital district. After India's independence, the Tarai region was systematically opened up for agriculture, and many Sikh and other Punjabi families displaced by Partition were resettled here, transforming the region into a productive farming belt.
The district was created on 30 September 1995 by separating the plains tracts from Nainital district. When Uttarakhand (originally Uttaranchal) was formed as a separate state on 9 November 2000, Udham Singh Nagar became one of its constituent districts.
Economy
Udham Singh Nagar is among the most economically significant districts of Uttarakhand. Its economy rests on two main pillars:
- Agriculture: The fertile Tarai soil supports rice, wheat, sugarcane and pulses. The district is one of the principal grain-producing areas of the state.
- Industry: Following the Special Industrial Package granted to Uttarakhand in the early 2000s, large industrial estates developed at Pantnagar (SIDCUL), Rudrapur, Sitarganj and Kashipur. These host automobile, auto-component, FMCG, pharmaceutical, paper and engineering units operated by major Indian and multinational companies.
Education
The district is home to Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology at Pantnagar, established in 1960 as India's first agricultural university and a key institution of the Green Revolution. Other institutions include the Indian Institute of Management Kashipur (IIM Kashipur), established in 2011.
Demographics and culture
The district has a diverse population including Kumaoni residents, Tharu and Buksa tribal communities indigenous to the Tarai, Punjabi settlers, Bengali refugees resettled in the post-Partition decades, and migrants from the adjoining plains of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. This mix gives Udham Singh Nagar a more pluralistic linguistic and cultural profile than the predominantly hill districts of Uttarakhand. Hindi, Kumaoni, Punjabi and Bengali are commonly spoken, alongside Tharu in tribal pockets.
Transport
The district is well connected by road and rail. National highways link Rudrapur with Delhi, Bareilly, Haldwani and Nainital. Rudrapur, Kashipur, Lalkuan and Kichha are important railway points on the North Eastern Railway and Northern Railway networks. Pantnagar Airport provides limited civil aviation services.
Significance
Udham Singh Nagar plays a disproportionately large role in Uttarakhand's economy relative to its area, contributing substantially to industrial output, agricultural production and state tax revenue. It also functions as the principal gateway between the Kumaon hills and the plains of northern India.