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India Government
India Government: A summary of information about India Government, from government research data as well as independent research and other sources.
India: Government
Country name
conventional long form: Republic of India conventional short form: India
Data code
IN
Government type
federal republic
Capital
New Delhi
Administrative divisions
25 states and 7 union territories*; Andaman and Nicobar Islands*, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh*, Dadra and Nagar Haveli*, Daman and Diu*, Delhi*, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Lakshadweep*, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Orissa, Pondicherry*, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal
Independence
15 August 1947 (from UK)
National holiday
Anniversary of the Proclamation of the Republic, 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 Kicheril Raman NARAYANAN (since 25 July 1997); Vice President Krishnan KANT (since 21 August 1997) head of government: Prime Minister Atal Behari VAJPAYEE (since 19 March 1998) 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 14 July 1997 (next to be held NA July 2002); vice president elected by both houses of Parliament for a five-year term; election last held 16 August 1997 (next to be held NA August 2002); prime minister elected by parliamentary members of the majority party following legislative elections; election last held NA October 1999 (next to be held NA October 2004) election results: Kicheril Raman NARAYANAN elected president; percent of electoral college vote - NA; Krishnan KANT elected vice president; percent of Parliament vote - NA; Atal Behari 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 5 September through 3 October 1999 (next to be held NA 2004) election results: People's Assembly - percent of vote by party - BJP alliance 40.8%, Congress alliance 33.8%, other 25.4%; seats by party - BJP alliance 304, Congress alliance 134, other 105
Judicial branch
Supreme Court, judges are appointed by the president and remain in office until they reach the age of 65
Political parties and leaders
Akali Dal (representing Sikh religious community in Punjab) ; All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam or AIADMK ; All India Forward Bloc or AIFB [Prem Dutta PALIWAL (chairman), Chitta BASU (general secretary)]; Asom Gana Parishad ; Bahujan Samaj Party or BSP ; Bharatiya Janata Party or BJP ; Bihar Peoples Party ; Biju Janata Dal or BJD [Navin PATNAIK]; Communist Party of India or CPI ; Communist Party of India/Marxist or CPI/M ; Communist Party of India/Marxist-Leninist or CPI/ML ; Congress (I) Party ; Dravida Munnetra Kazagham or DMK (a regional party in Tamil Nadu) ; Indian National League ; Janata Dal (Ajit) ; Janata Dal United Party or JDU ; Kerala Congress (Mani faction) ; Muslim League ; National Conference or NC (a regional party in Jammu and Kashmir) [Farooq ABDULLAH]; Rashtriya Janata Dal or RJD ; Revolutionary Socialist Party or RSP ; Samajwadi Party or SP ; Samata Party or SAP (formerly Janata Dal members) ; Shiv Sena or SHS ; Tamil Maanila Congress ; Telugu Desam (a regional party in Andhra Pradesh) ; Trinamool Congress
Political pressure groups and leaders
numerous religious or militant/chauvinistic organizations, including Vishwa Hindu Parishad, and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh; various separatist groups seeking greater communal and/or regional autonomy
International organization participation
AfDB, AsDB, BIS, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G- 6, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA (observer), IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MIPONUH, MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer), OPCW, PCA, SAARC, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNU, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Naresh CHANDRA chancery: 2107 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; note - Embassy located at 2536 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 939-7000 FAX: (202) 483-3972 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, New York, and San Francisco
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Richard F. CELESTE embassy: Shanti Path, Chanakyapuri 110021, New Delhi mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: (11) 688-9033, 611-3033 FAX: (11) 419-0017 consulate(s) general: Calcutta, Chennai (Madras), Mumbai (Bombay)
Flag description
three equal horizontal bands of orange (top), white, and green with a blue chakra (24-spoked wheel) centered in the white band; similar to the flag of Niger, which has a small orange disk centered in the white band