The Politics of India works within the framework of the country's constitution. India is a parliamentary Democratic Republic in which the President of India is the head of state and the Prime Minister of India is the head of government. It is based on the federal structure of government although the word is not used in the constitution itself. India follows the dual polity system, i.e. a double government (federal in nature) that consists of the central authority at the centre and states at the periphery. The constitution defines the organisational powers and limitations of both central and state governments, and it is well recognised, fluid (Preamble of the constitution being rigid and to dictate further amendments to the constitution) and considered supreme; i.e. the laws of the nation must conform to it.
Politics of India
Emblem of India.svg
National Emblem of India
Polity type
Federal Parliamentary Republic
Constitution
Constitution of India
Legislative branch
Name
Parliament
Type
Bicameral
Meeting place
Sansad Bhavan
Upper house
Name
Rajya Sabha
Presiding officer
Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, Chairman of the Rajya Sabha
Appointer
Electoral College
Lower house
Name
Lok Sabha
Presiding officer
Om Birla, Speaker of the Lok Sabha
Executive branch
Head of State
Title
President
Currently
Ram Nath Kovind
Appointer
Electoral College
Head of Government
Title
Prime Minister
Currently
Narendra Modi
Appointer
President
Cabinet
Name
Union Council of Ministers
Current cabinet
Second Modi ministry
Leader
Prime Minister
Appointer
President
Ministries
52
Judicial branch
Name
Judiciary
Supreme Court
Chief judge
Sharad Arvind Bobde
There is a provision for a bicameral legislature consisting of an upper house, the Rajya Sabha (Council of States), which represents the states of the Indian federation, and a lower house, the Lok Sabha (House of the People), which represents the people of India as a whole. The Indian constitution provides for an independent judiciary, which is headed by the Supreme Court. The court's mandate is to protect the constitution, to settle disputes between the central government and the states, to settle inter-state disputes, to nullify any central or state laws that go against the constitution and to protect the fundamental rights of citizens, issuing writs for their enforcement in cases of violation.[1] There are 543 members in the Lok Sabha, who are elected from the 543 Indian constituencies. There are 245 members in the Rajya Sabha, out of which 233 are elected by indirect elections by single transferable vote by the members of the state legislative assemblies and other 12 members are elected/nominated by the President of India. Governments are formed through elections held every five years (unless otherwise specified), by parties that secure a majority of members in their respective lower houses (Lok Sabha in the central government and Vidhan Sabha in states). India had its first general election in 1951, which was won by the Indian National Congress, a political party that went on to dominate subsequent elections until 1977, when a non-Congress government was formed for the first time in independent India. The 1990s saw the end of single-party domination and the rise of coalition governments. The elections for the 16th Lok Sabha, held from April 2014 to May 2014, once again brought back single-party rule in the country, with the Bharatiya Janata Party being able to claim a majority in the Lok Sabha.[2]
Answers & Comments
The Politics of India works within the framework of the country's constitution. India is a parliamentary Democratic Republic in which the President of India is the head of state and the Prime Minister of India is the head of government. It is based on the federal structure of government although the word is not used in the constitution itself. India follows the dual polity system, i.e. a double government (federal in nature) that consists of the central authority at the centre and states at the periphery. The constitution defines the organisational powers and limitations of both central and state governments, and it is well recognised, fluid (Preamble of the constitution being rigid and to dictate further amendments to the constitution) and considered supreme; i.e. the laws of the nation must conform to it.
Politics of India
Emblem of India.svg
National Emblem of India
Polity type
Federal Parliamentary Republic
Constitution
Constitution of India
Legislative branch
Name
Parliament
Type
Bicameral
Meeting place
Sansad Bhavan
Upper house
Name
Rajya Sabha
Presiding officer
Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, Chairman of the Rajya Sabha
Appointer
Electoral College
Lower house
Name
Lok Sabha
Presiding officer
Om Birla, Speaker of the Lok Sabha
Executive branch
Head of State
Title
President
Currently
Ram Nath Kovind
Appointer
Electoral College
Head of Government
Title
Prime Minister
Currently
Narendra Modi
Appointer
President
Cabinet
Name
Union Council of Ministers
Current cabinet
Second Modi ministry
Leader
Prime Minister
Appointer
President
Ministries
52
Judicial branch
Name
Judiciary
Supreme Court
Chief judge
Sharad Arvind Bobde
There is a provision for a bicameral legislature consisting of an upper house, the Rajya Sabha (Council of States), which represents the states of the Indian federation, and a lower house, the Lok Sabha (House of the People), which represents the people of India as a whole. The Indian constitution provides for an independent judiciary, which is headed by the Supreme Court. The court's mandate is to protect the constitution, to settle disputes between the central government and the states, to settle inter-state disputes, to nullify any central or state laws that go against the constitution and to protect the fundamental rights of citizens, issuing writs for their enforcement in cases of violation.[1] There are 543 members in the Lok Sabha, who are elected from the 543 Indian constituencies. There are 245 members in the Rajya Sabha, out of which 233 are elected by indirect elections by single transferable vote by the members of the state legislative assemblies and other 12 members are elected/nominated by the President of India. Governments are formed through elections held every five years (unless otherwise specified), by parties that secure a majority of members in their respective lower houses (Lok Sabha in the central government and Vidhan Sabha in states). India had its first general election in 1951, which was won by the Indian National Congress, a political party that went on to dominate subsequent elections until 1977, when a non-Congress government was formed for the first time in independent India. The 1990s saw the end of single-party domination and the rise of coalition governments. The elections for the 16th Lok Sabha, held from April 2014 to May 2014, once again brought back single-party rule in the country, with the Bharatiya Janata Party being able to claim a majority in the Lok Sabha.[2]