Patwari Job Profile: Village Land Records, Recruitment and Pay

Patwari is one of the oldest posts in Indian administration and one of the most local: the official who knows which plot belongs to whom in a group of villages. It is a state government post, so its name, qualification and recruitment depend on the state. "Patwari" is the name in several northern states. Uttar Pradesh's Revenue Code calls the post the Lekhpal, and in Tamil Nadu the village-level post recruited by the Public Service Commission is the Village Administrative Officer (VAO). Other states use other names.

This profile describes the work from one state's law and the recruitment from one state's current notice. Read your own state's rules for its version.

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What the Law Says the Post Is For

Under section 16(2) of the Uttar Pradesh Revenue Code, 2006, "The Collector may appoint in each tahsil, as many Lekhpals for the preparation, maintenance and correction of the village records, and for such other duties as the State Government may from time to time by general or special order, specify." Each Lekhpal has a "Lekhpal circle" of villages. Above the Lekhpal, the same section provides for Revenue Inspectors "for the proper supervision, maintenance and correction of the village records".

The village records the Code describes are:

• The map and field book (khasra). Under section 30, a map and field book are kept "for each such village", recording "all changes in the boundaries of the village or survey numbers".
• The record of rights (khatauni). Under section 31, this lists "the names of all tenure holders together with survey numbers or plot numbers held by them and their areas", the nature of their interests and shares, and "the rent or revenue, if any, payable by or to any such person".

What the Work Is

The village official's work follows from those records:

• Keeping the records current. Recording changes in the map, field book and record of rights, under the supervision of the Revenue Inspector and the tahsil.
• Reporting. Section 22 makes it the Lekhpal's duty, if a boundary mark in the circle "is destroyed, removed or damaged", to "report the matter to the Naib Tahsildar".
• Supporting mutation. Changes of ownership by inheritance or sale are reported to the tahsil, where the Tahsildar orders the record of rights to be amended. See the Tehsildar profile for that step.
• Other duties the state assigns. The Code leaves room for "such other duties as the State Government may … specify". What those are varies by state.

It is field work in a fixed set of villages, done with landholders, the panchayat and the tahsil office.

Recruitment: Tamil Nadu's VAO as the Worked Example

Tamil Nadu recruits Village Administrative Officers through the Public Service Commission's Combined Civil Services Examination – IV (Group IV Services). Its current notice, Notification No. 11/2026 dated 6 October 2026, is open until 5 November 2026 and has 291 VAO posts.

The written paper has three parts in one three-hour OMR test: a Tamil eligibility-cum-scoring test (100 questions, 150 marks), general studies (75 questions) and aptitude and mental ability (25 questions), for 300 marks. Parts B and C are marked "only if the candidate secures minimum qualifying marks of 40% (i.e., 60 Marks) in Part A". The Tamil part is set "in Tamil only".

After the written test come on-screen and then physical certificate verification and counselling. There is no interview. The VAO minimum age of 21 is higher than the 18 for the other Group IV posts in the same notice.

The pay level is Tamil Nadu's own and is not the same as Level 8 of the central pay matrix. Other states set their own qualification, examination and pay for the post.

Who Suits This Role

The village revenue post suits someone who wants to work in their own state and district, is comfortable with field work, maps and records, and gets on with people in disputes over land. It suits less well someone who wants a desk job or a post that moves between cities. Where the qualification is Class 10, as in Tamil Nadu, it is open to candidates without a degree. For how a state's recruitment is organised, see how state recruitment works and the State PSC guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does a Patwari do?

A Patwari keeps the land records of a group of villages: the map, the field book (khasra) and the record of rights (khatauni). The official records changes, reports boundary damage and supports mutation by the tahsil. Uttar Pradesh's Revenue Code calls the post the Lekhpal.

Is Patwari a state or central government post?

A state government post. Each state sets its own name for the post, its qualification, its recruitment and its pay.

What qualification is needed for Patwari?

It depends on the state. Tamil Nadu's VAO post needs a pass in the state's SSLC (Class 10) examination. Other states ask for more, so read your state's notice.

What is the age limit for Tamil Nadu VAO?

21 to 30 as on 1 July 2026 for "Others", and 21 to 40 for SC, ST, MBC/DC and BC candidates, with further concessions for some groups.

Is there an interview for VAO?

No. TNPSC's Group IV examination is a single written test followed by certificate verification and counselling.

In Summary

A Patwari, called the Lekhpal in Uttar Pradesh and broadly matched by the VAO in Tamil Nadu, keeps a village's land records and reports changes to the tahsil. It is a state post with state-set qualifications and pay. Tamil Nadu's 2026 notice is a typical example: Class 10, age 21 to 30 for general candidates, and a single written test with a qualifying Tamil part. Read your own state's notice before you prepare.

Sources

• Uttar Pradesh Revenue Code, 2006 (U.P. Act 8 of 2012), as updated to 5 March 2021 — sections 16, 22, 30 and 31 (LBSNAA library copy)
• Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission, Notification No. 11/2026 (Advertisement No. 747), 6 October 2026 — Combined Civil Services Examination – IV (Group IV Services)