Kapsi is a large marketplace village in the Kanker district of Chhattisgarh, India. It holds significance as a model village under two ambitious schemes of the Government of India, namely the Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana and the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee National Rurban Mission.^[1] It is also the headquarters of the Kapsi forest range, the East Kapsi forest subdivision and the Kapsi water resource subdivision.^[2][3] Owing to its sizeable tribal population, it is defined as a Scheduled Area under the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution of India.^[4]

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Kapsi
Village
Netaji Chowk, Chhote Kapsi
Interactive map of Kapsi
Kapsi Location in Chhattisgarh, India Show map of Chhattisgarh Kapsi Kapsi (India) Show map of India
Coordinates: 20.0907444°N 80.6770786°E / 20.0907444; 80.6770786
Country	India
State	Chhattisgarh
District	Kanker
Area
• Total	11.93 km2 (4.61 sq mi)
Highest elevation	330 m (1,080 ft)
Lowest elevation	310 m (1,020 ft)
Population  (2011)
• Total	4,179
• Density	350/km2 (910/sq mi)
Languages
• Official	Chhattisgarhi, Hindi, Bangla
Time zone	UTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN	494 771
Telephone code	91 7844
Vehicle registration	CG 19

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Kapsi is located roughly 10 km (6.2 mi) northeast of the tehsil headquarters Pakhanjur and 100 km (62 mi) southwest of the district headquarters Kanker. It is bordered by the Durgukondal tehsil to its northeast. Due to its location at the northernmost boundary of the erstwhile Paralkot jagir, it is also known as the Gateway of Paralkot.^[5] Its proximity to the trijunction of Kanker and Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki districts of Chhattisgarh and the Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra, makes it an important transit hub of the area.

Geographically, it lies in the northern lowlands of the Bastar plateau and is a part of the historical Dandakaranya region.^[6][7] The elevation of the village ranges from 310 m (1,020 ft) to 330 m (1,080 ft) above sea level. The Devda ravine, a tributary of Kotri river, meanders through the heart of the village and serves as its lifeline.^[8][9] The region primarily features fertile lateritic soil, which is well-suited to agriculture due to its fine texture and darker hues.^[7] With its dense green cover, undulating terrain, hillocks, and stream courses, the region harbours habitats for diverse flora and fauna.

According to 2011 Census of India, Kapsi had a total population of 4,179.

Bade Kapsi had a population of 1129 with 14.70% of the population under six years of age. The sex ratio was 1034 females per 1,000 males. Male literacy was 64.63% and female literacy was 51.64%. The effective literacy rate was 58.05%, which was lower than the Chhattisgarh state average of 70.28%.

Chhote Kapsi had a population of 3050 with 11.54% of the population under six years of age. The sex ratio was 992 females per 1,000 males. Male literacy was 88.54% and female literacy was 79.27%. The effective literacy rate was 83.91%, which was higher than the Chhattisgarh state average of 70.28%.

Kherkatta Dam, officially known as Paralkot Reservoir (Devanagari: परलकोट जलाशय) is a popular local tourist spot and the largest dam in the district. It is built across the Kotri River near the village of Kherkatta, 10 km (6.2 mi) northwest of Kapsi. The construction of this medium irrigation project began in 1966 and was completed in 1981 by the Dandakaranya Development Authority, over a period of 15 years.^[26]

During the monsoon rains, it sees a large influx of visitors from all over the district as well as from the neighbouring districts, especially when water spills-over from the 12 m (39 ft) high spillway.^[27] Despite repeated demands by the public for its beautification and development of recreational activities such as boating to attract more tourists round the year, it remains devoid of even the basic amenities.^[28]

For primary and secondary school education, Kapsi has a number of Hindi as well as English medium schools, run by the government and private institutions. The quality of education in these schools is generally good with a fair emphasis on extracurricular activities, though the infrastructure is just about satisfactory given the rural setting. The colleges in the district impart basic post-secondary higher education. For good quality and specialised higher education, people are entirely dependent on the larger cities.

Though instances of human-wildlife conflict in the region have been rare, a rapidly increasing human population contributing to high biodiversity interactions between people and wild animals are becoming more and more prevalent.

In July 2023, an adolescent wild elephant strayed from its group while traversing the forests and entered the residential areas of Kapsi, leading to chaos and panic for two days. Besides causing damage to several houses and crops in the neighbourhood, it trampled a man to death in the Silk Farm premises of Bade Kapsi despite efforts by the forest department officials to prevent conflict.^[38][39]

In June 2023, three persons belonging to Maharashtra were arrested from Matoli village by the Kapsi forest department officials for trying to smuggle a live Pangolin, whose market value was estimated at ₹15 lakh (US$19,000).^[40][41]