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India is a federal state with a parliamentary form of
government. It is governed under the 1949 constitution (effective
since Jan., 1950). The president of India is elected for a
five-year term by the elected members of the federal and state
parliaments. Theoretically the president possesses full executive
power, but that power actually is exercised by the prime minister
(head of the majority party in the federal Parliament) and council
of ministers (which includes the cabinet), who are appointed by
the president. |
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The
ministers are responsible to the lower house of Parliament (Lok
Sabha) and must be members of Parliament. According to its
constitution, India is a "sovereign, socialist, secular,
democratic republic." Like the United States, India has a
federal form of government. However, the central government in
India has greater power in relation to its states, and its
central government is patterned after the British parliamentary
system. On several occasions, "the Centre", the national
government, has dismissed state governments and imposed
President's rule on several states. The government exercises its
broad administrative powers in the name of the President, whose
duties are largely ceremonial. 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 the death or resignation of the incumbent president.
The legislatures of the states and union territories elect 233
members to the Rajya Sabha, and the president appoints another
12, who are experts in science or the 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 are directly elected to 5-year terms. The other two are
appointed by the President if he feels that the Anglo-Indian
Community is 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 states' chief ministers are responsible to the
legislatures in the same way the prime minister is responsible
to parliament. |
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Related Sites :-
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Indian
Government
India4world
provides information on Indian government, national flag, national anthem india,National Emblem india,National Song india,National Calendar india,National Animal India,National Bird india,National Flower india.
Website :
www.india4world.com |
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