Legislative branch

India’s bicameral parliament (also known as the Sansad) consists of the Rajya Sabha (Council of States) and the Lok Sabha (House of the People). The Union Council of Ministers is responsible to the Lok Sabha. In India’s parliamentary system, the executive is subordinate to the legislature. There are 543 members in the Lok Sabha that are elected from the various states on the basis of proportional representation. There are 2 Anglo-Indian members nominated by the President. The Rajya Sabha has 250 members.

Executive branch

The executive arm consists of the President, Vice-President, the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers. Any minister holding a portfolio must be a member of either house of parliament

President of India

The government exercises its broad administrative powers in the name of the President of India, who is the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, the Head of State and chief guardian of the Constitution of the Republic.

The President’s true role is mainly ceremonial. He is the Supreme Commander, has the authority to dissolve Parliament and call elections, declare a state of emergency and dismiss governments in the states, but all upon the counsel of the Prime Minister and the elected government.

Historically, the President of the Republic has been a man revered by the people for his position aloof and above ordinary politics, leaving him as a source of comfort for peoples disenchanted by the ills of politics and national problems.

The President and Vice President are elected indirectly for 5-year terms by a special electoral college, composed of delegates from the Union Parliament and state legislatures.

Union Cabinet

Real national executive power is centered in the Council of Ministers, the Union Cabinet, led by the Prime Minister of India, the head of government. The President appoints the Prime Minister, who is the designated leader of the political party or coalition commanding parliamentary majority. All Central Government decisions are nominally taken in the name of the President.

The Ministers can be of 3 types: Cabinet Minister, Minister of State (Independent Charge) and Minister of State, in the order of seniority. Cabinet Minister and M of State (Indp Charge) usually attend Cabinet meetings. Accordingly to policy issues at discussion, the Cabinet meets as the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, Cabinet Committee on Defence etc.

The Union Ministries

The day-to-day enforcement and administration of national laws is in the hands of the various federal Union Ministries and Departments, created by the Indian Parliament to deal with specific areas of national and international affairs. In matters delegated to the States, Ministries act in advisory and fundng capacity.