India is a parliamentary democratic republic with a federal system. India has both a central government, called the Union government and state governments for its various state divisions, similar to the USA.
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India’s parliament is composed of two houses, the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.
The Lok Sabha, or House of the People, is the lower house of the Indian parliament. It is currently composed of 543 members, although the Indian constitution allows for a total membership of 552. Members are elected by the broader Indian populace in a first past the post system for 5 year terms. The boundaries of the electoral constituencies are redrawn every decade when a census is carried out. The Lok Sabha is able to remove the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers if it is able to pass a vote-of-no-confidence, a power which the Rajya Sabha lacks. The Lok Sabha is legally the stronger of the two houses, due to its ability to remove the country’s executive branch, but the President – in times of emergency – can dissolve the Lok Sabha.
The Rajya Sabha, or Council of States, is the upper house of the Indian parliament. It is composed of 245 members with up to 250 allowed by the constitution. 12 of the seats are appointed by the President for their contributions to art, literature, science and social services. The remaining members are elected by single transferable vote by the members of the state legislatives. The President cannot dissolve the Rajya Sabha, even in times of emergency.
If a bill that passes through one house is rejected by the other the President can call a joint session of both chambers of parliament. The bill will then be voted on by all members of both houses, with the outcome being determined by a simple majority.
India is composed of 36 territories akin to states, however only 28 of these are actual states. The remaining 8 are administered directly by the Union government and are known as “Union Territories”.
The states have a certain degree of freedom in the manner of administration; how many representatives there are, and whether the administration is bicameral or unicameral, varies state by state.
The majority of India’s states have adopted a unicameral system; an administration through a single house called a “Legislative Assembly”. Those that have adopted bicameral system have an additional, smaller house called the “Legislative Council”. The terms of those elected to these state bodies last 5 and 6 years, respectively.
A Governor is appointed by India’s President and is the official head of the state government, but they must act upon the decisions of the Chief Minister and State Council of Ministers. The Chief Minister and Ministers of the Council are selected by the Governors from the elected members of the Legislative Assembly.
India has both a Prime Minister and a President, whose roles somewhat mirror those of the Governors and Chief Minister but at the national level.
The President of India is elected for a 5 year term by an electoral college composed of the Lok Sabha, the Rajya Sabha, and the Legislative Assemblies of the 28 states. The President appoints the Prime Minister from the party or coalition which holds the majority of seats in the Lok Sabha, and, upon the Prime Minister’s recommendation, appoints members of the national parliament to the Union Council of Ministers. While bills can only be passed with the President’s assent, and while the President has the ability to appoint many officials such as judges, the President’s role is a largely ceremonial one, with the real executive power residing with the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers.
The Council of Ministers is divided into different departments and administrative spheres, and is led by the Union Cabinet, composed of various senior ministers. The Prime Minister leads, and is part of, the Union Cabinet. The cabinet co-ordinates all domestic and foreign policy throughout the county and exercises great power over all aspects of its administration.
Indian Political Parties
India has a large number of political parties, although parties often fail to acquire a majority alone and therefore coalitions have formed around the two largest parties. Some parties exist only at the national level, while others exist only at the state level.
The biggest party in India, at time of publishing, is the Bharatiya Janata Party, a right-wing nationalist party which leads the National Democratic Alliance coalition. The second biggest party in India is the centre-left Indian National Congress, which leads the United Progressive Alliance.
Political parties in India are sometimes accused of nepotism, with party leadership often remaining within familial dynasties. The parties are also sometimes accused of corruption and elitism, as parties allegedly often select candidates based upon their ability to fund their own campaigns and their level of educational achievement.
