Government of India

According to the Constitution of the Nation, India is a "sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic", with a Federal type of Government. The Central Government in India wields greater power in relation to its States, and takes after the British Parliamentary System.

The Government exercises its broad administrative powers in the name of the President. The President and Vice President are elected indirectly for 5-year terms by a special electoral college. The Vice President assumes the office of President in case of death or resignation of the incumbent president.

The executive powers are vested in the Council of Ministers (Cabinet), led by the Prime Minister of India. 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 cabinet ministers on the advice of the Prime Minister.

India's bicameral Parliament (also known as the Sansad) consists of the Rajya Sabha (Council of States) and the Lok Sabha (House of the People). The Cabinet Members are 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, specialized in the faculties of science/arts. The elected 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; 543 directly elected to 5-year terms. The other two are appointed by the President if he feels that the Minority Communities are underrepresented.

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 Chief Ministers of the States 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 Yerritories than over the States, although some Territories have gained more power to administer their own affairs. Some States are trying to revitalize the traditional village councils, or panchayats, which aim to promote popular democratic participation at the village level, where much of the population still lives.