Divisional commissioners are responsible for general administration of the division and planned development of the districts under his control and also act as appeal adalat for revenue cases.

After independence, the state governments merely tinkered with traditional revenue set-up and the states of Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Gujarat abolished the posts of divisional commissioners but later revived them except in Gujarat.

Today, district magistrates are quite junior officers, needing the guidance and supervision of a seasoned administrator like the divisional commissioner.

Today a member of the IAS becomes a district collector after putting in five or six years of service.

With his or her insufficient administrative experience, a district collector of today necessarily needs guidance.