P11 · Taxation, Stamp Duty & Registration · All India

Circle Rate, Guideline Value, Jantri and Ready Reckoner: Names by State (2026)

One page that tells you what each state calls its government minimum land value, where to look it up officially, and how it drives stamp duty and income tax on a land deal.

Farmland India Reviewed · Updated November 2026 · Official sources linked below

Every Indian state fixes a minimum value for land, below which a sale deed cannot be stamped, but each calls it something different: circle rate in Uttar Pradesh and Delhi, collector rate in Haryana and Punjab, DLC rate in Rajasthan, guideline value in Tamil Nadu, ready reckoner in Maharashtra, jantri in Gujarat, and so on. Whatever the name, stamp duty is charged on this value or the deed price, whichever is higher, and income tax uses the same figure as the "stamp duty value". Knowing the local name tells you what to search for and which office or portal holds the official figure.

At a glance

Item	Detail	Source
What it is	A government minimum value for land and buildings, by location and land type	State stamp laws and valuation rules
Main use	Floor for stamp duty and registration fee	Section 47-A of the Indian Stamp Act as applied in states, and state stamp acts
Income tax use	Stamp duty value for seller capital gains and, in some cases, buyer income	Section 50C, Income-tax Act, 1961
Tolerance for sellers	No adjustment if stamp duty value is not more than 110% of the price	Section 50C, fourth proviso
Who revises	District or state valuation committees; usually annually or every few years	State rules (varies)
Is it the market price?	No. It is a statutory floor; real prices can be higher or lower	State rules; see below

One idea, many names

A sale deed in India is stamped on the value of the land. To stop parties writing a low price to save duty, each state publishes a schedule of minimum values. The names come from history and from who fixes the rate. In Rajasthan, a District Level Committee sets it, so it is the DLC rate. In Madhya Pradesh and Punjab, the Collector's role gives "collector guideline" and "collector rate". In Gujarat, the schedule is called the jantri. Maharashtra issues an Annual Statement of Rates, known as the ready reckoner.

For a buyer the task is the same everywhere: find the official figure for your village or locality and land category, multiply by the area, and compare it with the price.

Names and official lookups by state

We list only official lookups we could confirm. Where no online lookup was confirmed, use the sub-registrar or district office.

State	Name used	Local term	Official lookup
Uttar Pradesh	Circle rate	सर्किल रेट	IGRS UP uploaded rate lists (igrsup.gov.in); district websites
Delhi	Circle rate	सर्किल रेट	Revenue Department notifications (revenue.delhi.gov.in)
Haryana	Collector rate	कलेक्टर रेट	District websites, for example faridabad.nic.in
Punjab	Collector rate	ਕੁਲੈਕਟਰ ਰੇਟ	Revenue Department (revenue.punjab.gov.in); district websites
Uttarakhand	Circle rate	सर्किल रेट	Department of Stamps and Registration (registration.uk.gov.in), district circle documents
Himachal Pradesh	Circle rate	सर्किल रेट	District websites, for example hpshimla.nic.in
Rajasthan	DLC rate	डीएलसी दर	e-Panjiyan DLC rate search (epanjiyan.rajasthan.gov.in)
Madhya Pradesh	Collector guideline	कलेक्टर गाइडलाइन	Department of Registration and Stamps (mpigr.gov.in) and SAMPADA 2.0
Bihar	Minimum Value Register (MVR)	न्यूनतम मूल्य पंजी	No public online search confirmed; ask the registry office
Maharashtra	Ready reckoner rate (Annual Statement of Rates)	रेडी रेकनर	IGR Maharashtra ASR (igrmaharashtra.gov.in)
Gujarat	Jantri	જંત્રી	GARVI (garvi.gujarat.gov.in); Revenue Department jantri page
Tamil Nadu	Guideline value	வழிகாட்டி மதிப்பு	TNREGINET (tnreginet.gov.in)
Karnataka	Guidance value (often called guideline value)	ಮಾರ್ಗಸೂಚಿ ಮೌಲ್ಯ	Kaveri Online Services valuation search (kaverionline.karnataka.gov.in)
Kerala	Fair value	ന്യായവില	IGR Kerala fair value search (igr.kerala.gov.in)
Andhra Pradesh	Market value (basic value)	మార్కెట్ విలువ	IGRS AP, "Market Value(Basic Rates)" (registration.ap.gov.in)
Telangana	Market value	మార్కెట్ విలువ	Registration and Stamps Department (registration.telangana.gov.in)

Step-by-step guides: UP circle rate, Rajasthan DLC rate, MP collector guideline, Bihar MVR, Maharashtra ready reckoner, Gujarat jantri, Tamil Nadu guideline value, Karnataka guideline value, AP market value and Telangana market value. For Haryana, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, see Haryana, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.

Who sets it and how often

The method differs by state, but most follow the same pattern: a district committee studies registered sale deeds, proposes rates, invites objections and sends the rates for approval. Some examples we confirmed:

Madhya Pradesh: district valuation committees chaired by the Collector propose, and a Central Valuation Board chaired by the Inspector General of Registration approves. Guidelines take effect each 1 April.
Bihar: the 2026 amendment rules raised MVR rates from 19 June 2026, add an automatic 5 per cent increase each financial year, and require a comprehensive revision every three years.
Andhra Pradesh: committees chaired by the Joint Collector (urban) and the Revenue Divisional Officer (rural) under 1998 rules; a statewide rationalisation took effect on 1 February 2025, as reported.
Haryana: districts post draft collector rates and invite objections before the final rates; several districts posted final 2026-27 rates.

Because the cycle and date differ, always check the year or effective date printed on the rate list.

How it is used for stamp duty

The rule is "higher of the two". If the deed price is above the government value, duty is paid on the price. If it is below, duty is paid on the government value. In states that follow section 47-A of the Indian Stamp Act, a deed below the minimum is referred to the Collector, who fixes the value and recovers the shortfall, and in Madhya Pradesh can reopen a registered deed within five years.

A simple illustration: land priced at Rs 40 lakh with a government value of Rs 50 lakh pays duty on Rs 50 lakh. At a 6 per cent duty rate, that is Rs 3,00,000 instead of Rs 2,40,000. Rates differ by state; see stamp duty and registration charges by state.

How it is used for income tax

Seller, section 50C. If the price received for land is less than the value adopted or assessable by the stamp valuation authority, that value is treated as the sale price for capital gains. There is no adjustment where the stamp duty value does not exceed 110 per cent of the price. Where an agreement fixed the price earlier and some payment was made by bank or electronic mode on or before that date, the value on the agreement date can be used.
Buyer, section 56(2)(x). A buyer who pays less than the stamp duty value can be taxed on the difference as income, where the difference exceeds the higher of Rs 50,000 and 10 per cent of the price. We read the 10 per cent condition in secondary sources, not on the Income Tax Department site.
From 1 April 2026. The Income-tax Act, 2025 replaced the 1961 Act for later years, and section 78 of the new Act is reported to carry the section 50C rule. Ask a tax adviser for the provision that applies to your year.

If you believe the government value is higher than the true market value, the seller can ask the assessing officer to refer the valuation to a Valuation Officer. See also circle rate vs market rate and TDS under section 194-IA.

Why it differs from market price

It lags. Rates are revised once a year or less often, while prices move continuously. Bihar's 2026 increase came after rates in many districts were reported unchanged since about 2016.
It averages. One rate covers a whole village, ward or guideline location, so a parcel on a highway and one on a dirt track can share a figure unless the list splits them.
It can be above the market. In slow markets, or where a broad location includes poor land, the government value can exceed what buyers will pay. Andhra Pradesh lowered values in 158 villages and 145 wards in 2025, as reported.
Category matters. Irrigated, unirrigated, residential, commercial and road-facing land often carry different rows.

What to check before you rely on it

The rate list is the current year's and covers your exact village or locality.
The land category matches the land record; check the record using our guide to land records online.
Units match: per hectare, per acre, per square metre or per square yard.
The deed price is not set below the government value to save duty; that risks a deficit demand and income tax adjustments.
For your own case, confirm with a local advocate or tax adviser.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are circle rate and guideline value the same thing?

Yes in purpose. Both are the government minimum value used for stamp duty; the name changes by state.

What is the DLC rate?

It is Rajasthan's minimum land value, fixed by a District Level Committee. It can be searched on e-Panjiyan.

What is jantri?

Jantri is Gujarat's name for the government minimum land value used for stamp duty. It is available through GARVI and the Revenue Department.

What is the ready reckoner rate?

It is Maharashtra's Annual Statement of Rates, the minimum value for stamp duty, issued by IGR Maharashtra.

What is MVR in Bihar?

The Minimum Value Register lists minimum values per mauza or ward and land category. It was raised statewide from 19 June 2026.

What does Kerala call it?

Kerala calls it fair value, and it can be searched on the IGR Kerala fair value page by district, taluk and village.

Is stamp duty always paid on the circle rate?

No. It is paid on the circle rate value or the deed price, whichever is higher.

Does the circle rate affect capital gains tax?

Yes. Under section 50C, if the price is below the stamp duty value by more than the 10 per cent tolerance, the stamp duty value is treated as the sale price.

Can the government value be higher than the market price?

Yes. In some areas it exceeds what buyers will pay, and states sometimes lower rates, as Andhra Pradesh did in some villages in 2025.

How often are these rates revised?

It varies: Madhya Pradesh revises each 1 April, Bihar now adds 5 per cent a year with a full revision every three years, and others revise annually or irregularly.