Methodology

Methodology reviewed: 6 September 2026

Village Codes turns published administrative data into a browsable directory without changing the meaning of the source records. The aim is to make an LGD code easier to find while keeping the original administrative relationships visible.

1. Source records are read as published

State, district, sub-district, village, development-block and local-body records are identified from the LGD source files. Headings, repeated report rows and other non-record lines are excluded before pages are created.

2. Codes remain the main identity

The official code is used as the stable identity of an administrative record. Names are shown for readability, but a repeated place name is not treated as proof that two records are the same place.

3. Relationships are preserved

A village may be connected with more than one local body or development block in the source. When that happens, the available mappings are preserved. Village Codes does not choose one relationship merely to make the page simpler.

4. Missing information is left missing

If a Census code, local-language name, PIN code, block mapping or local-body relationship is not available in the source used for the site, that field is omitted or clearly shown as unavailable. Empty and all-zero Census placeholders are not converted into real identifiers. Unknown values are not guessed.

5. Historical and current identifiers stay separate

LGD codes, Census identifiers and postal PIN codes are displayed as different fields. This reduces the risk of a historical Census reference or postal code being mistaken for a current LGD identifier.

6. Supporting fields are used when they add meaning

Village Codes can show the LGD record version, source remark, local-language name, Census references and local-body or block relationships when those values are available and useful. Ward source files include ward codes, numbers, names and coverage information, but the public site uses ward totals for local-body context to help readers understand each local body.

7. Census cross-references are strengthened only from published source fields

Some LGD relationship data also carries district, sub-district and village Census cross-references. When a main entity record is missing a usable Census value, Village Codes may fill that field from the corresponding published cross-reference for the same LGD code. Existing non-empty values are never overwritten by a guess.

8. Pages use the facts available for that entity

Introductions and summaries are assembled from the actual record: its code, administrative level, State, district, sub-district, village count, mappings, status and other available fields. A fact is not added simply to make a page longer.

9. Corrections are source-led

When a possible error is reported, we compare the page with the source record and the related administrative mappings. If the website has interpreted or displayed the source incorrectly, the same correction rule is applied consistently to affected pages.