Indian government

Indian government
Government of India · Public domain · source
Name	India
Native name	भारत
Capital	New Delhi
Largest city	Mumbai
Official languages	Hindi English
Government type	Federal parliamentary republic
President	Droupadi Murmu
Prime minister	Narendra Modi
Legislature	Parliament of India
Upper house	Rajya Sabha
Lower house	Lok Sabha
Judiciary	Supreme Court of India

Indian government

The Indian state is administered through a system grounded in the Constitution of India and influenced by institutions such as the Parliament of India, the Supreme Court of India and the Election Commission of India. It evolved from colonial structures established under the Government of India Act 1935 and transitional arrangements at the time of the Indian independence movement and the Partition of India in 1947. Major political actors include national parties like the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Indian National Congress, regional parties such as the Trinamool Congress and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, and civil institutions like the Indian Administrative Service and the Reserve Bank of India.

History and Development

The constitutional project following the Constituent Assembly of India drew on debates involving leaders such as B. R. Ambedkar, interactions with colonial statutes like the Government of India Act 1919 and the Government of India Act 1935, and precedents from the Westminster system and the United States Constitution. Post-independence experiments included the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, responses to crises like the Emergency (India) declared in 1975, and judicial developments in cases such as Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala which affirmed the basic structure doctrine. Federal tensions surfaced in episodes like the Kashmir conflict and linguistic surface in reorganisations of states including Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

Constitution and Legal Framework

The Constitution of India establishes fundamental rights and directive principles and defines the separation of powers among the President of India, the Parliament of India, and the Supreme Court of India. Landmark statutes shaping the legal order include the Indian Penal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure, and the Code of Civil Procedure, supplemented by amendments such as the 42nd Amendment Act, 1976 and the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments. Judicial review exercised by courts including the High Courts of India enforces rights under cases like Maneka Gandhi v. Union of India and interprets federal distribution under the Seventh Schedule.

Structure and Institutions

Central institutions comprise the President of India as head of state, the Vice President of India, the Prime Minister of India as head of government, cabinet ministries such as the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Finance (India), and agencies like the Comptroller and Auditor General of India and the Central Bureau of Investigation. The bicameral legislature—Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha—operates through committees including the Public Accounts Committee and the Estimates Committee. Subnational units include states like Uttar Pradesh and union territories such as Puducherry, each with elected legislatures or administrators appointed under provisions of the Article 356 framework for President’s Rule.

Election and Political Processes

Electoral administration is overseen by the Election Commission of India, implementing laws like the Representation of the People Act, 1951 and managing contests for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies such as the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. Major national contests include general elections won by coalitions like the National Democratic Alliance and the United Progressive Alliance. Political finance and campaign regulation engage institutions such as the Election Commission of India and litigated issues in rulings like Association for Democratic Reforms v. Union of India. Voter mobilisation occurs through parties including the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and movements such as the Anna Hazare anti-corruption movement.

Public Administration and Civil Services

Permanent bureaucracy is staffed by services created under the All India Services Act, 1951 including the Indian Administrative Service, the Indian Police Service, and the Indian Forest Service. Administrative reform commissions such as the Second Administrative Reforms Commission and bodies like the Central Vigilance Commission and the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General oversee ethics, accountability and performance. Training institutions include the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration and the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy.

Policies and Governance

Policy formulation spans social programmes such as Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act and statutory schemes like the Goods and Services Tax reform, economic initiatives from the Make in India campaign to the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, and regulatory regimes including the Securities and Exchange Board of India and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India. Governance challenges surface in addressing issues tied to the NITI Aayog planning process, environmental regulation under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, and public health responses in crises like the COVID-19 pandemic in India.

Finance and Budgeting

Fiscal framework is led by the Ministry of Finance (India)], fiscal instruments include the annual Union Budget presented in the Parliament of India and implemented via institutions like the Reserve Bank of India and the Comptroller and Auditor General of India. Tax architecture combines central levies such as the Income Tax Act, 1961 and the Goods and Services Tax with state fiscal powers under the Fourteenth Finance Commission and Fifteenth Finance Commission recommendations. Debt management, subsidies, and public expenditure priorities are contested in debates involving stakeholders like the Planning Commission (India) legacy, World Bank engagements, and rating agencies including Moody's Investors Service.

Category:Politics of India