India

Population: 1,065,070,607 (July 2004 est.)

Capital: New Delhi
[ Select Another Country ]

Backgrounds: India Government

According to its Constitution, India is a "sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic." Like the United States,
India has a federal form of government. However, the central government in India has greater power in relation to its
states, and its central government is patterned after the British parliamentary system.

The government exercises its broad administrative powers in the name of the president, whose duties are largely
ceremonial. A special electoral college elects the president and vice president indirectly for 5-year terms. Their terms
are staggered, and the vice president does not automatically become president following the death or removal from
office of the president.

Real national executive power is centered in the Council of Ministers (cabinet), led by the prime minister. The
president appoints the prime minister, who is designated by legislators of the political party or coalition commanding a
parliamentary majority. The president then appoints subordinate ministers on the advice of the prime minister.

India's bicameral parliament consists of the Rajya Sabha (Council of States) and the Lok Sabha (House of the
People). The Council of Ministers is responsible to the Lok Sabha.

The legislatures of the states and union territories elect 233 members to the Rajya Sabha, and the president appoints
another 12. The members of the Rajya Sabha serve 6-year terms, with one-third up for election every 2 years. The
Lok Sabha consists of 545 members, who serve 5-year terms; 543 are directly elected, and two are appointed.

India's independent judicial system began under the British, and its concepts and procedures resemble those of
Anglo-Saxon countries. The Supreme Court consists of a chief justice and 25 other justices, all appointed by the
president on the advice of the prime minister.

India has 28 states* and 7 union territories. At the state level, some of the legislatures are bicameral, patterned after
the two houses of the national parliament. The states' chief ministers are responsible to the legislatures in the same
way the prime minister is responsible to parliament.

Each state also has a presidentially appointed governor, who may assume certain broad powers when directed by
the central government. The central government exerts greater control over the union territories than over the states,
although some territories have gained more power to administer their own affairs. Local governments in India have
less autonomy than their counterparts in the United States. Some states are trying to revitalize the traditional village
councils, or panchayats, to promote popular democratic participation at the village level, where much of the
population still lives.

India maintains an embassy in the United States at 2107 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 (tel.
202-939-7000 , fax 202-265-4351, email indembwash@indiagov.org) and consulates general in New York,
Chicago, Houston, and San Francisco.

« India Profile Home

« Select Another Country
 India
Population: 1,065,070,607 (July 2004 est.)
Capital: New Delhi
[ Select Another Country ]

Tabular Data - Government of India

Country Name Info : conventional long form: Republic of India

conventional short form: India
Government Type : federal republic
Capital : New Delhi
Administrative 28 states and 7 union territories*; Andaman and Nicobar
Divisions : Islands*, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar,
Chandigarh*, Chhattisgarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli*, Daman
and Diu*, Delhi*, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh,
Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala,
Lakshadweep*, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur,
Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Orissa, Pondicherry*, Punjab,
Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttaranchal, Uttar
Pradesh, West Bengal
Independence : 15 August 1947 (from UK)
National Holiday : Republic Day, 26 January (1950)
Constitution : 26 January 1950
Legal System : based on English common law; limited judicial review of
legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with
reservations
Suffrage : 18 years of age; universal
Executive Branch : chief of state: President Abdul KALAM (since 26 July 2002);
Vice President Bhairon Singh SHEKHAWAT (since 19 August
2002)
head of government: Prime Minister Manmohan SINGH (since
NA May 2004)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the
recommendation of the prime minister
elections: president elected by an electoral college consisting
of elected members of both houses of Parliament and the
legislatures of the states for a five-year term; election last held
NA July 2002 (next to be held 18 July 2007); vice president
elected by both houses of Parliament for a five-year term;
election last held 12 August 2002 (next to be held NA August
2007); prime minister elected by parliamentary members of the
majority party following legislative elections; election last held
3 October 1999 (next to be held NA October 2004)
election results: Abdul KALAM elected president; percent of
electoral college vote - 89.6%; Bhairon Singh SHEKHAWAT
elected vice president; percent of Parliament vote - 59.8%;
Atal Bihari VAJPAYEE elected prime minister; percent of vote
- NA
Legislative Branch : bicameral Parliament or Sansad consists of the Council of
States or Rajya Sabha (a body consisting of not more than
250 members, up to 12 of which are appointed by the
 president, the remainder are chosen by the elected members
of the state and territorial assemblies; members serve six-year
terms) and the People's Assembly or Lok Sabha (545 seats;
543 elected by popular vote, 2 appointed by the president;
members serve five-year terms)
elections: People's Assembly - last held 20 April through 10
May 2004 (next to be held NA 2009)
election results: People's Assembly - percent of vote by party -
NA; seats by party - INC 145, BJP 138, CPI(M) 43, SP 36,
RJD 21, BSP 19, DMK 16, SS 12, BJD 11, CPI 10, NCP 9,
JDU 8, SAD 8, PMK 6, TDP 5, TRS 5, JMM 5, LJSP 4, MDMK
4, independents 5, other 30
Judicial Branch : Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president and
remain in office until they reach the age of 65)
Political Parties and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam or AIADMK [C.
Leaders : Jayalalitha JAYARAM]; All India Forward Bloc or AIFB, [D.
BISWAS, general secretary]; Asom Gana Parishad [Brindaban
GOSWAMI]; Bahujan Samaj Party or BSP [MAYAWATI];
Bharatiya Janata Party or BJP [Venkaiah NAIDU]; Biju Janata
Dal or BJD [Naveen PATNAIK]; Communist Party of India or
CPI [Ardhendu Bhushan BARDHAN]; Communist Party of
India/Marxist-Leninist or CPI/ML [Dipankar BHATTACHARYA];
Congress (I) Party [Sonia GANDHI]; Dravida Munnetra
Kazagham or DMK (a regional party in Tamil Nadu) [M.
KARUNANIDHI]; Indian National Congress or INC [leader NA];
Indian National League [Suliaman SAITH]; Janata Dal
(Secular) [H. D. Deve GOWDA]; Janata Dal (United) or JDU
[Sharad YADAV]; Jharkhand Mukti Morcha or JMM [leader
NA]; Kerala Congress (Mani faction) [K. M. MANI]; Lok Jan
Shakti Party or LSP [leader NA]; Marumalarchi Dravida
Munnetra Kazhagam or MDMK [VAIKO]; Muslim League [G.
M. BANATWALA]; Nationalist Congress Party or NCP [Sharad
PAWAR]; Pattali Makkal Katchi or PMK [leader NA]; Rashtriya
Janata Dal or RJD [Laloo Prasad YADAV]; Revolutionary
Socialist Party or RSP [Abani ROY]; Samajwadi Party or SP
[Mulayam Singh YADAV]; Shiromani Akali Dal or SAD [G. S.
TOHRA]; Shiv Sena or SS [Bal THACKERAY]; Tamil Maanila
Congress [G. K. VASAN]; Telangana Rashtra Samithi or TRS
[leader NA]; Telugu Desam Party or TDP [Chandrababu
NAIDU]; Trinamool Congress [Mamata BANERJEE]
Political Pressure numerous religious or militant/chauvinistic organizations,
Groups and Leaders : including Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal, and Rashtriya
Swayamsevak Sangh; various separatist groups seeking
greater communal and/or regional autonomy, including the All
Parties Hurriyat Conference
International AfDB, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), BIS, C, CP,
Organization FAO, G- 6, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
Participation : ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, MICAH, MONUC,
NAM, OAS (observer), OPCW, PCA, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMEE, UNMIK,
UNMOVIC, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador Ranendra SEN
Representation In The chancery: 2107 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC
US : 20008; note - Embassy located at 2536 Massachusetts
Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1]  (202) 939-7000 
 FAX: [1] (202) 483-3972
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, New York, and San
Francisco
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador David C. Mulford
Representation From embassy: Shantipath, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi 110021
The US : mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [91] (11) 419-8000
FAX: [91] (11) 419-0017
consulate(s) general: Chennai (Madras), Kolkata (Calcutta),
Mumbai (Bombay)

« India Profile Home

« Select Another Country

India
Population: 1,065,070,607 (July 2004 est.)
Capital: New Delhi
[ Select Another Country ]

Tabular Data - Political Leaders of India

Position Held: By Individual:

President Kalam, Abdul
Vice President Shekhawat, Bhairon Singh
Prime Minister Singh, Manmohan
Dep. Prime Min.  
Principal Sec. to the Prime Minister's Office Nair, T. K. A.
National Security Adviser Dixit, J. N. "Mani"
Min. of Agriculture Pawar, Sharad
Mini. of Agro & Rural Industries Prasad, Mahavir
Min. of Chemicals & Fertilizers Paswan, Ram Vilas
Min. of Civil Aviation Patel, Praful
Min. of Coal & Mines  
Min. of Commerce & Industry Nath, Kamal
Min. of Communications & Information Technology Maran, Dayanidhi
Min. of Consumer Affairs, Food, & Public Distribution  
Min. of Culture Reddy, Jaipal
Min. of Defense Mukherjee, Pranab
Min. of Development of North Eastern Region Kyndiah, Paty Ripple
Min. of Disinvestment  
Min. of Environment & Forests Raja, A.
Min. of External Affairs Singh, K. Natwar
Min. of Finance & Company Affairs Chidambaram, P.
Min. of Food Processing Industries  
Min. of Health & Family Welfare Ramadoss, Anbumani
Min. of Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises  
Min. of Home Affairs Patil, Shivraj
Min. of Human Resource Development Singh, Arun
Min. of Information & Broadcasting Reddy, Jaipal
Min. of Information & Technology  
Min. of Labor Ola, Sri Ram
Min. of Law & Justice Bhardwaj, Hans Raj
Min. of Local Government Aiyar, Mani Shankar
Min. of Non-Conventional Energy Sources  
Min. of Ocean Development  
Min. of Parliamentary Affairs Azad, Ghulam Nabi
Min. of Personnel, Public Grievance & Pensions  
Min. of Petroleum & Natural Gas Aiyar Mani Shankar
Min. of Planning  
Min. of Power Sayeed, P. M.
Min. of Railways Yadav, Laloo Prasad
Min. of Road Transport & Highways Baalu, T. R.
Min. of Rural Development Singh, Raghuvansh Prasad
Min. of Science & Technology Sibal, Kapil
Min. of Shipping Baalu, T. R.
Min. of Small-Scale Industries Prasad, Mahavir
Min. of Social Justice & Empowerment Kumar, Meira
Min. of Statistics & Program Implementation  
Min. of Steel Paswan, Ram Vilas
Min. of Textiles Vaghela, Shankersinh
Min. of Tourism & Culture  
Min. of Tribal Affairs Kyndiah, Paty Ripple
Min. of Urban Development Azad, Ghulam Nabi
Min. of Water Resources Dasmunshi, Priyaranjan
Min. of Youth Affairs & Sports Dutt, Sunil
Min. Without Portfolio  
Governor, Reserve Bank Reddy, Y. Venugopal
Ambassador to the US Sen, Ranendra
Permanent Representative to the UN, New York Sen, Nirupam
 
Chiefs of State listings last updated October 28, 2004
« India Profile Home