conventional long form: Republic of Indiaconventional short form: India
Government type:
federal republic
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:
Republic Day, 26 January (1950)
Constitution:
26 January 1950; amended many times
Legal system:
based on English common law; limited judicial review of legislative
acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations;
separate personal law codes apply to Muslims, Christians, and Hindus
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President A.P.J. 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 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 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 May
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%
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 whom 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 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 24,
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
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president and remain in
office until they reach the age of 65)
Political parties and leaders:
All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam or AIADMK [C. Jayalalitha
JAYARAM]; All India Forward Bloc or AIFB, [Debabrata BISWAS]; Asom
Gana Parishad [Brindaban GOSWAMI]; Bahujan Samaj Party or BSP
[MAYAWATI]; Bharatiya Janata Party or BJP [Lal Krishna ADVANI]; Biju
Janata Dal or BJD [Naveen PATNAIK]; Communist Party of India or CPI
[Ardhendu Bhushan BARDHAN]; Communist Party of India (Marxist) or
CPI (M) Hakishan Singh SURJEET]; Congress (I) Party [Sonia GANDHI];
Dravida Munnetra Kazagham or DMK (a regional party in Tamil Nadu)
[M. KARUNANIDHI]; Indian National Congress or INC [Sonia GANDHI];
Indian National League [Suliaman SAITH]; Janata Dal (Secular) [H. D.
Deve GOWDA]; Janata Dal (United) or JDU [Sharad YADAV]; Jharkhand
Mukti Morcha or JMM [leader NA]; Kerala Congress (Mani faction) [K.
M. MANI]; Lok Jan Shakti Party or LJSP [leader NA]; Marumalarchi
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam or MDMK [VAIKO]; Muslim League [G. M.
BANATWALA]; Nationalist Congress Party or NCP [Sharad PAWAR];
Pattali Makkal Katchi or PMK [leader NA]; Rashtriya Janata Dal or
RJD [Laloo Prasad YADAV]; Revolutionary Socialist Party or RSP
[Abani ROY]; Samajwadi Party or SP [Mulayam Singh YADAV]; Shiromani
Akali Dal or SAD [G. S. TOHRA]; Shiv Sena or SS [Bal THACKERAY];
Tamil Maanila Congress [G. K. VASAN]; Telangana Rashtra Samithi or
TRS [leader NA]; Telugu Desam Party or
