Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory of Delhi, is the capital territory of India. During the British Raj , Delhi was part of the Punjab Province and is still historically and culturally connected to the Punjab region . It has a population of about 16.3 million, making it the second most populous city and second most populous urban agglomeration in India. Such is the nature of urban expansion in Delhi that its growth has expanded beyond the NCT to incorporate towns in neighbouring states and at its largest extent can count a population of about 25 million residents as of 2014.
Delhi has been continuously inhabited since the 6th century BC. Through most of its history, Delhi has served as a capital of various kingdoms and empires. It has been captured, ransacked and rebuilt several times, particularly during the medieval period, and modern Delhi is a cluster of a number of cities spread across the metropolitan region.
The NCT and its urban region have been given the special status of National Capital Region (NCR) under the Constitution of India 's 69th Amendment Act of 1991. The NCR includes the neighbouring cities of Faridabad , Gurgaon , Noida , Ghaziabad , Neharpar (Greater Faridabad), Greater Noida , Bahadurgarh , Sonepat , Panipat , Karnal , Rohtak , Bhiwani , Rewari , Baghpat , Meerut , Alwar , Bharatpur and other nearby towns. A union territory , the political administration of the NCT of Delhi today more closely resembles that of a state of India, with its own legislature, high court and an executive council of ministers headed by a Chief Minister . New Delhi is jointly administered by the federal government of India and the local government of Delhi , and is the capital of the NCT of Delhi.
