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Country Name:
Conventional long form:
Republic of India.
Conventional short form: India.
Data Code: IN
Government
Type: Federal Republic.
National
Capital: New Delhi.
Administrative
Divisions:
28
states and 7 union territories*; Andaman and Nicobar 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:
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 year 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 chosen by parliamentary members of the
majority party following legislative elections; election last held April -
May 2004 (next to be held NA 2009)
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% .
Cabinet:
Council of Ministers
appointed by the President on the recommendation of the Prime Minister.
Elections:
The President is
elected by an electoral college consisting of elected members of both
houses of parliament and the legislatures of the states for a five-years
term. The Vice-President is elected by both houses of parliament. The
Prime Minister is elected by parliamentary members of the majority party
following legislative elections.
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
Elections:
People's Assembly-last
held April-May 2004.
Judicial
Branch:
Supreme Court judges
are appointed by the president and remain in office until they reach the
age of 65.
Flag:
Three equal horizontal bands of
saffron (top), white and green with a blue chakra (24-spoked wheel)
centered in the white band.
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