There are more than 200 sovereign countries in the world, each of which has its own system of legislation, its own authorities and administrations. Despite the limited number of legislative systems, the traditions and historical development of individual countries make it possible to form a special governance model. One of these countries is India, whose state system has its own nuances.
State structure of the country
India is a state that appeared on the world stage as an independent country in the early twentieth century. India is a federal republic with separate self-government entities called “states”. Each of them has its own leader, its own code of laws and restrictions. In addition, there is a common constitution for all, which was adopted by the Constituent Assembly in November 1949.
India is a parliamentary republic where a bicameral parliament is considered the main governing body. There is also a president of the country who has a number of other, more limited powers.
Government system
Legislative power in the country is in the hands of the president and parliament. At the same time, the Indian Parliament (or Sansad) consists of two chambers: the upper and lower. Each of the chambers has a certain number of seats for elected posts and its own nuances of government. The upper house in the official language is called Rajya Sabha, and the lower one is Lok Sabha.
The chambers of the Indian Parliament include members of several parties. The most numerous of them:
- People's Democratic Alliance - 295 seats.
- Indian National Congress - 132 seats.
- Left Alliance - 41st place.
The remaining parties, in general, have another 65 mandates. In addition, two deputies to the state parliament are personally appointed by the President of India.
The creation of new legislative acts comes from the Cabinet of Ministers and is then tested in both houses of parliament. Only after this, the project passes to the approval of the president and is introduced as amendments to existing codes or the Constitution. At the same time, the Lower House specializes in financial laws, while the Upper Chamber specializes in almost all the rest.
The financial laws drafted by the Lok Sabha are reviewed by the Upper House and submitted back for approval as amended within two weeks to the Lower House. At the same time, corrections can be introduced into the project, or can be ignored. The law in this case is still considered adopted.
Executive power in India is exercised by the president and the government. The government is formed from the vast majority of members of parliament, as well as members of regional parties, elected for a limited term. The government is responsible to the People’s Chamber.
Presidential authority
The President of India is elected by electors from among the deputies of both houses of Parliament and the legislatures of the federal entities of each state. Presidential powers last five years with possible subsequent re-election.
The President of the country (currently Ram Nath Kovind) has a veto power to introduce new laws, has the power to restrict the activities of parliament, as well as the introduction of presidential rule. In this case, all power passes into the hands of federal governors.
If the president violates the existing rules or uses these powers for personal purposes, the chambers of parliament have the right to submit a resolution. In this case, the process is considered by the chamber, which did not bring charges. If the allegations are confirmed as a result of the investigation, the President is removed from his post.
In the event of the death of the president, his place is replaced by the vice president, who is also elected by the deputies of both houses. He is also the chairman of the Council of States. At the time of the election, a vice president cannot be a member of the lower or upper house of parliament or the legislative body of any federation.
Parliament Functions
The powers of the Indian Parliament extend to the legislature. Together with the President of the country, the Lower and Upper Chambers have the right to amend the legislation, cancel existing ones and develop new acts. Moreover, Lok Sabha is responsible for improving the financial code of the country, while Rajya Sabha is engaged in improving all other codes of laws.
In addition to the legislature, parliament exercises control over the executive, being the guarantor of the rights and freedoms of the Indian population.
Council of States
The upper house of the Rajya Sabha has about 250 members elected by federal entities. The number of deputies from each state depends on the number of people counted as a result of the census.
The Council of States is a representative of the federal government. The House is not subject to complete dissolution, but its composition is constantly updated. A third of the deputies are re-elected every two years.
The President of the country retains the right to fill 12 mandates of the Upper House of Parliament. The remaining members are appointed only as a result of the election.
People’s Chamber
Up to 550 people can enter the Lower House of Lok Sabha. In this composition, 530 deputies are elected by direct vote according to the number of candidates from each subject of the federation, 20 deputies are also appointed during the elections from the Union countries. In addition, the President of India has the right to include two members in the composition of the People’s Chamber as delegates of the Anglo-Indian organization, if he considers it necessary.
The People’s Chamber has a legislative function in relation to union competence without the right to create new civil societies. Indian law contains clauses under which the Lower House is subject to dissolution. In the event of martial law, the powers of the Lok Sabha are extended for a period not exceeding one year.
Council of Ministers
By law, the government under the president should include the Council of Ministers. This is a body that supports the head of state in the fulfillment of constitutional functions. The Council of Ministers is responsible only to the Lower House of Parliament.
The head of the Council of Ministers, supported by the Indian Parliament, is personally appointed by the president. It may be the leader of one of the leading parties or the chairman of the party coalition, which has the majority of seats in the government. The remaining members are selected by the Prime Minister on the recommendation of members of the lower party of Parliament.
Electoral system in India
In the electoral system of India, a large role is given to campaigning for the election of deputies of the Lower Party of Parliament, as well as bodies that carry out legislative activities of the country. Depending on the composition of these bodies, the main apparatus of the government and its central part are formed. Moreover, a multiparty system that does not allow political monopoly is very important.
According to the article of the Constitution, parliamentary elections in India are held by open vote, in which all citizens of the country have the right to participate. The only exceptions are the mentally ill, as well as criminals who are punished on the territory of organizations for imprisonment. Persons who have reached the age of majority, as well as those who have lived in the territory of the constituency for at least six months, are called for universal suffrage. It is forbidden to deprive a citizen of the right to vote on the basis of racial, gender or religious affiliation.
Candidates for the People’s Chamber and legislative bodies are on the same list of persons. Indian citizens have the right to act as a possible deputy both on behalf of one of the parties and independently. In order to participate in the elections on your own behalf, it is necessary that at least one voter proposes a candidate, and the other supports him. Candidates for Parliament are strictly prohibited on the maximum amount spent on the election campaign. Exceeding its limit threatens to exclude a person from among the elected deputies.
The election is monitored by an independent Electoral Commission. This is a body designated specifically to ensure the transparency of the electoral process.
An election commission consists of a chief election commissioner and two commissioners subordinate to him. Their term of office lasts six years, after which other persons are appointed to this position.
