Government of India and Constitution Overview

Government of India

• Country Name: Republic of India (Bharat Ganrajya).
• Government Type: Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic with a parliamentary system.
• Capital: New Delhi.
• Administrative Divisions: 28 States and 8 Union Territories.
• Independence Date: August 15, 1947 (from British Colonial Rule).
• Constitution Effective Date: January 26, 1950.
• Legal System Source: The Indian Constitution.
• Executive Branch: President of India (Head of State); Prime Minister (Head of Government), and Council of Ministers.
• Legislative Branch: Lok Sabha (House of the People) and Rajya Sabha (Council of States).
• Judicial Branch: Supreme Court of India, followed by other High Courts and subordinate courts.
• Flag Description: Horizontal tricolor: deep saffron (top), white (middle), and dark green (bottom). A navy blue Ashoka Chakra at the center of the white band.

Evolution of Indian Constitution

• Constitution Adoption: Constituent Assembly adopted the Constitution on November 26, 1949.
• Full Operation: The Constitution came into full operation on January 26, 1950.
• Original Structure: Initially adopted with 22 parts, 395 articles, and 8 schedules.

The Parliament of India

• Composition: Consists of the President, Lok Sabha, and Rajya Sabha.
• Functions: Providing the cabinet, controlling the cabinet, criticizing cabinet members, securing information authoritatively, establishing laws, and financial control.

Composition of Rajya Sabha (Council of States)

• Membership: Not more than 250 members, 12 nominated by the president, and 238 elected by state and union territory representatives.
• Dissolution: The Rajya Sabha cannot be dissolved.
• Minimum Age: 30 years.

Composition of Lok Sabha (House of the People)

• Membership Limits: Not exceeding 530 representatives from states and 20 from union territories; currently 543 members.
• Direct Election: 530 members directly elected from the states and 13 from union territories.
• Minimum Age: 25 years.
• Disqualification: Certain disqualifications are possible and a citizen who is 18 years or older, and not otherwise disqualified, is eligible to vote.
• Dissolution: Lok Sabha is subject to dissolution

The Prime Minister and the Union Council of Ministers

• Appointment/Dismissal: Appointed by the President, on the advice of the Prime Minister.
• Criteria: Must be the leader of the party holding a majority in Lok Sabha or a person who can win the confidence of the majority in the House.
• Council of Ministers: Consists of the Prime Minister and Cabinet Ministers.

The President (Article 52)

• Qualifications: A citizen of India, 35 years of age or older; and qualified to be a member of the Lok Sabha.
• Term of Office: Five years, from the date of assuming office.
• Election: Elected indirectly by means of a single transferable vote.

The Supreme Court

• Establishment: Established under Article 124 of the Constitution.
• Qualifications for Judges: Citizen of India, high court judge for at least 5 years, advocate of a high court or two or more courts in succession for at least 10 years.
• Minimum Age/Term: Not specified.
• Removal: Resignation or attaining age 65.

The High Court

• Role: Heads the state's judiciary
• Jurisdiction: 24 high courts, some which have jurisdiction across multiple states.
• Appointment: Appointed by the President
• Qualifications: Citizen of India, not above 62 years of age.

The Election Commission

• Nature: Permanent and independent body.
• Establishment Clause: Article 324 of the Constitution.
• Responsibilities: Responsible for conducting elections to Parliament, State Legislatures, and the offices of the president and vice-president..

Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)

• Role: Central recruiting agency for the country.
• Scope: Articles 315 to 323 in Part XIV of the Constitution.
• Perception: Watched over the merit in government service.

Finance Commission (FC)

• Formation: Every five years, or sooner as the President deems necessary.
• Composition: Headed by a chairman and 4 other members appointed by the president.
• Role: Balancing mechanism for fiscal federalism.

NITI Aayog

• Establishment: January 1, 2015; National institution for transforming India.

Chief of the Armed Forces

• Chief of Defence Staff:
• Army, Air Force and Naval Chiefs: