Varanasi Cantonment Board is an autonomous body under the control of Govt. of India, Ministry of Defence and discharges obligatory and discretionary functions as per the provisions of Cantonment Act, 2006. The Cantonment Act lays down both the mandatory and discretionary functions of the Board such as education, public health, sanitation, roads, street lighting, water supply and birth and death registration. For the purpose of administration and civil representation the cantonment board is divided into seven wards. There are various other rules such as the Cantonment Board Account Rules , Cantonment Fund Servant Rules, Cantonment Land Administration Rules and Cantonment Property Rules which emanate from the Cantonments Act.
Presently, the Cantonment is governed by the Cantonments Act, 2006 and various policy letters and instructions of the Ministry of Defence (MoD), Government of India issued from time to time. Though the Board functions as a local municipal body, yet it is under the administrative control of Directorate General Defence Estates (DGDE), New Delhi and Principal Director, Defence Estates, Central Command, Lucknow.

The Cantonment Board consists of seven elected Members, two nominated Military Members, two Ex-officio Members (Assistant Garrison Engineer and Senior Executive Medical Officer), one representative of the District Magistrate. An officer of the Indian Defence Estates Service which is a central civil service is posted as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) as well as the member secretary of the Board. The board is headed by the President Cantonment Board (PCB) who is the Station Commander and also presides over the meetings of the cantonment board. The term of the elected Members is of 5 years. The Vice President is elected from amongst the elected member.
Water supply, public health, street lighting, birth & death registration, horticulture, primary education and sanitation are the prime departments of Varanasi Cantonment Board. The various departments of Varanasi Cantonment Board collectively operate to strengthen the civic infrastructure of the city.