Karnal is one of the oldest district of Haryana State, since the inception of Haryana as a State on 1st November 1966, Kurukshetra, Kaithal & Panipat were part of Karnal District before getting status of separate districts. It was also a district in the erstwhile Punjab State. During the First War of Independence Deputy Superintendent Thanesar shifted his headquarter to Karnal. In its heydays the district boundaries extended across Tehsils of Karnal, Thanesar, Kaithal and Panipat. In the year 1973 Tehsil Thanesar was made a separate district Kurukshetra in which Tehsil Kaithal was included. In the year 1989 Tehsil Panipat was made a separate district.
The Karnal District now comprises of four subdivisions (Karnal, Assandh, Indri & Gharaunda) and five Tehsils (Karnal, Nilokheri, Indri, Gharaunda, Assandh) and three sub Tehsils (Nissing, Nigdhu, Ballah). The total population is 15,05,324, which is about 6% of the total population of Haryana. The Karnal District is surrounded by Kurukshetra District on its north-west, Jind & Kaithal Distt. on its west, Panipat Distt. on its south and Utter Pradesh on east. Karnal district is represented by 5 Assembly Constituencies and 1 Lok Sabha Constituency.
The District Police is presently headed by Shri Mohit Handa, IPS, Superintendent of Police. District Police Headquarters is located in Mini Secretariat, 3rd Floor, Sector 12, Karnal. There are Nineteen Police Stations including one Cyber Police Station and two Women Police Station, Karnal & Assandh, and fourteen Police Posts in District Karnal. For timely assistance to the victims of road accidents to ensure a smooth flow of traffic on the Highway and to keep strict vigilance on the road against highway crime a Police Station Highway, Karnal is established in this district on National Highway No.44 at Sector-6, Karnal.
DSP HQ is the Supervisory officer of PS Sadar, PS Sector 32/33, PS Cyber Crime. DSP City is the Supervisory officer of PS Civil Line, PS City Karnal. DSP Indri is the Supervisory officer of PS Indri, PS Kunjpura . DSP Women Safety (WS) is the Supervisory officer of PS Women Karnal & PS Ram Nagar. DSP Karnal is the Supervisory officer of PS Butana, PS Taraori & PS Nigdhu. DSP Gharaunda is the Supervisory officer of PS Gharaunda, PS Madhuban & PS Highway & Traffic. DSP Assandh is the Supervisory officer of PS Assandh, PS Nissing, PS Munak & PS Women Assandh.
Karnal has well connected networks of road and electricity. All the villages of the District are connected by metal led roads and all the villages have been supplied electricity since 1970. Karnal is well connected with other parts of the country by Rail and Road. The broad gauge railway line of Northern Railway passes through the District and most of the trains going to South and North of India passes through the District.
Karnal district is known all over the world for production of Rice, wheat and Milk. It is also known for agriculture research Institutions like National Dairy Research Institute, CSSRI, Wheat Research Directorate, National Bureau of Animal Genetics Resources, Sugarcane Breeding Institute etc.