Source:

The President of India: The Government [ID 6217]

"The Structure of Government of India

The union government, as India's central government is known, is divided into three distinct but interrelated branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. As in the British parliamentary model, the leadership of the executive is drawn from and responsible to the legislative body. Although Article 50 stipulates the separation of the judiciary from the executive, the executive controls judicial appointments and many of the conditions of work. In addition, one of the more dramatic institutional battles in the Indian polity has been the struggle between elements wanting to assert legislative power to amend the constitution and those favoring the judiciary's efforts to preserve the constitution's basic structure.

The Indian Legislature

Parliament consists of a bicameral legislature, the Lok Sabha (House of the People--the lower house) and the Rajya Sabha (Council of States--the upper house). Parliament's principal function is to pass laws on those matters that the constitution specifies to be within its jurisdiction. Among its constitutional powers are approval and removal of members of the Council of Ministers, amendment of the constitution, approval of central government finances, and delimitation of state and union territory boundaries.

The president of India has a specific authority with respect to the function of the legislative branch . The president is authorized to convene Parliament and must give his assent to all parliamentary bills before they become law. The president is empowered to summon Parliament to meet, to address either house or both houses together, and to require attendance of all of its members. The president also may send messages to either house with respect to a pending bill or any other matter. The president addresses the first session of Parliament each year and must give assent to all provisions in bills passed.

According to its constitution , India is a "sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic." 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.

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. Their terms are staggered, and the vice president does not automatically become president following the death or removal from office of the president.

Real national executive power is centered in the Council of Ministers (cabinet), led by the prime minister. The president appoints the prime minister, who is designated by legislators of the political party or coalition commanding a parliamentary majority. The president then appoints subordinate ministers on the advice of the prime minister.

India's bicameral parliament consists of the Rajya Sabha (Council of States) and the Lok Sabha (House of the People). The Council of Ministers is responsible to the Lok Sabha.

The legislatures of the states and union territories elect 233 members to the Rajya Sabha, and the president appoints another 12. 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.

India's independent judicial system began under the British, and its concepts and procedures resemble those of Anglo-Saxon countries. The Supreme Court consists of a chief justice and 25 other justices, all appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister.

India has 25 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.

Each state also has a presidentially appointed governor who may assume certain broad powers when directed by the central government. The central government exerts greater control over the union territories than over the states, although some territories have gained more power to administer their own affairs. Local governments in India have less autonomy than their counterparts in the United States. Some states are trying to revitalize the traditional village councils, or panchayats, which aim to promote popular democratic participation at the village level, where much of the population still lives."

Document(s): Open document

Source:

Government of India/Cabinet Secretariat: List of Council of Ministers [ID 18623]

List of Cabinet Ministers and Ministers of State

"Dr. Manmohan Singh : Prime Minister and also in-charge of the Ministries/ Departments not specifically allocated to the charge of any Minister

Shri Pranab Mukherjee : Minister of External Affairs. 

Shri Arjun Singh : Minister of Human Resource Development.

Shri Sharad Pawar : Minister of Agriculture and Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution.

Shri Lalu Prasad : Minister of Railways.

Shri A.K. Antony : Minister of Defence

Shri Shivraj V. Patil : Minister of Home Affairs.

Shri A.R. Antulay : Minister of Minority Affairs.

Shri Sushilkumar Shinde : Minister of Power

Shri Ram Vilas Paswan : Minister of Chemicals & Fertilizers and Minister of Steel.

Shri S. Jaipal Reddy : Minister of Urban Development.

Shri Sis Ram Ola : Minister of Mines.

Shri P. Chidambaram : Minister of Finance.

Shri Mahavir Prasad : Minister of Small Scale Industries and Minister of Agro & Rural Industries.

Shri P.R. Kyndiah : Minister of Tribal Affairs.

Shri T.R. Baalu : Minister of Shipping, Road Transport & Highways.

Shri Shankersinh Vaghela : Minister of Textiles.

Shri Vayalar Ravi : Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs.

Shri Kamal Nath : Minister of Commerce & Industry.

Shri H.R. Bhardwaj : Minister of Law & Justice.

Shri Sontosh Mohan Dev : Minister of Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises.

Prof. Saif-ud-din Soz : Minister of Water Resources.

Shri Raghuvansh Prasad Singh : Minister of Rural Development.

Shri Priyaranjan Dasmunsi : Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Minister of Information & Broadcasting. 

Shri Mani Shankar Aiyar : Minister of Panchayati Raj, Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports and Minister of Development of North Eastern Region. .

Smt. Meira Kumar : Minister of Social Justice & Empowerment. 

Shri Murli Deora : Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas.

Smt. Ambika Soni : Minister of Tourism and Minister of Culture.

Shri A. Raja : Minister of Environment & Forests.

Shri Dayanidhi Maran : Minister of Communications & Information Technology.

Dr. Anbumani Ramdoss : Minister of Health & Family Welfare.

Shri Kapil Sibal : Minister of Science & Technology and Minister of Earth Sciences.

Shri Prem Chand Gupta : Minister of Company Affairs."

10.08.2007 - Source: Hanns Seidel Stiftung

Monthly report on recent developments (July 2007); presidential elections ("Indien Monatsbericht Juli 2007") [ID 21013]

"Pratibha Devi Singh Patil gewann die Präsidentschaftswahlen mit großer Mehrheit. Die 72- jährige Kandidatin der regierenden Kongress-Partei, die aus dem westindischen Bundesstaat Maharashtra stammt, erhielt mehr als 638.000 Stimmen des Wahlgremiums. Auf ihren Rivalen, Vizepräsident Bhairon Singh Shekhawat von der Oppositionspartei BJP, entfielen etwa 331.000 Stimmen. Pratibha Patil übernimmt am 25. Juli die Amtsgeschäfte von Präsident Abdul Kalam. In einer ersten Stellungnahme sagte Patil, sie sehe der neuen Aufgabe mit großen Erwartungen entgegen. In vielen Teilen Indiens nahm die Bevölkerung das als "historisch" bewertete Wahlresultat mit Freudentänzen und Feiern im Freien auf. Das Wahlgremium hatte am Donnerstag sein Votum abgegeben. Es setzte sich aus den Abgeordneten beider Häuser des nationalen Parlaments und den Abgeordneten aller gesetzgebenden Versammlungen der Bundesstaaten sowie der beiden Bundesterritorien Delhi und Puducherry zusammen. 89,7 Prozent der Abgeordneten hatten sich an der Wahl beteiligt."

Document(s): Open document

21.07.2007 - Source: BBC News

Pratibha Patil has won the country's presidential election and will become the first female president, officials say ("India elects a female president") [ID 20989]

Document(s): Open document

19.07.2007 - Source: Guardian

Controversial governor Pratibha Patilis poised to take over as the country's first female president ("Governor to become India's first female president") [ID 20985]

Document(s): Open document

30.04.2007 - Source: US Department of State

Elections and Political Participation ("Country Reports on Terrorism 2006") [ID 19860]

"Citizens elected state governments at regular intervals, except in states under president's rule. During the year, relatively peaceful elections took place in the states of Assam, Bihar, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and in the Union Territory of Puducherry, although some election-related violence occurred. According to press reports, 14 people were killed and 36 injured in Bihar, and in April insurgents killed one person and injured 32 in Jammu and Kashmir. The press reported that despite the violence, voter turnout was the highest in 16 years and that the polls were generally free and fair. The Tamil Nadu and Kerala elections led to peaceful transitions of power to opposition parties.
 There were 72 women in the 783-seat national legislature, and 10 in the 34-member cabinet of ministers. Numerous women were represented in all major parties in the national and state legislatures. The Constitution reserves 33 percent of seats for women in elected village councils (Panchayats)."

Document(s): Chapter 2 - Country Reports: South and Central Asia Overview
Full Report

10.06.2006 - Source: Hanns Seidel Stiftung

Sonia Gandhi back in parliament ("Indien Monatsbericht Mai 2006") [ID 17306]

"Eineinhalb Monate nach Niederlegung ihres Parlamentsmandats ist die Chefin der in Indien regierenden Kongresspartei, Sonia Gandhi, wieder in die Volksvertretung gewählt worden. Die Opposition hatte Gandhi bezahlte Nebentätigkeit vorgeworfen, woraufhin die Politikerin, die auch der Regierungskoalition vorsteht, ihr Mandat im März niedergelegt hatte. Dadurch wurden Nachwahlen in ihrem Wahlbezirk nötig. Die italienischstämmige Politikerin konnte bei dieser Nachwahl in ihrem Wahlbezirk ca. 475 Tausend Stimmen auf sich vereinen. Der Zweitplatzierte 57 Tausend Stimmen.

Im ostindischen West-Bengalen und im südindischen Kerala gewannen kommunistische Parteien. Für Assam im Osten und Pondicherry im Süden kündigte Sonia Gandhi an, die Kongresspartei werde dort künftig regieren. Im südindischen Bundesstaat Tamil Nadu gewann die Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), eine Regionalpartei. Insgesamt waren 130 von 670 Millionen wahlberechtigten Indern zur Teilnahme an den Wahlen aufgerufen worden, die sich zum Teil über den ganzen April bis hinein in den Mai hinzogen.

 "

Document(s): Open document

23.05.2006 - Source: Amnesty International

Annual Report 2006 ("Annual Report 2006") [ID 15837]

"Amtliche Bezeichnung: Republik Indien Staatsoberhaupt: A. P. J. Abdul Kalam Regierungschef: Manmohan Singh Todesstrafe: nicht abgeschafft Statut des Internationalen Strafgerichtshofs: nicht unterzeichnet UN-Frauenrechtskonvention: mit Vorbehalten ratifiziert Zusatzprotokoll zur Frauenrechtskonvention: nicht unterzeichnet"

Document(s): Open document

24.06.2005 - Source:

CIA World Factbook 2004: Government [ID 6214]

"[...]
conventional long form: Republic of India
conventional 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
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 TDP [Chandrababu NAIDU]; Trinamool Congress [Mamata BANERJEE]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
numerous religious or militant/chauvinistic organizations, including Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal, and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh; various separatist groups seeking greater communal and/or regional autonomy, including the All Parties Hurriyat Conference in the Kashmir Valley and the National Socialist Council of Nagaland in the Northeast
International organization participation:
AfDB, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), BIS, C, CERN (observer), CP, FAO, G- 6, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer), ONUB, OPCW, PCA, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMEE, UNMIK, UNMOVIC, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
[...]"

Document(s): Open document

10.2004 - Source: UK Home Office

General elections 2004 ("Country Report - October 2004") [#28325],  [ID 6215]

"[...]
4.12 As reported by BBC news on 1 March 2004, and CNN on 20 April 2004 early elections were called by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and voting held over 4 days starting on 20 April and ending on 10 May. Ballots were cast on electronic voting machines for the first time with 675 million eligible to vote. [32ay] [33e] A CNN report of 20 April 2004 and a further BBC report of 29 April 2004 announced that India's autonomous election commission had ordered an inquiry into complaints of widespread vote-rigging and other irregularities in Bihar. Violence and ballot box theft required reballoting in some areas. [32dj] [33e]
4.13 As recorded in the India Today May 2004 issue, in an unexpected turnaround, the Congress-led front emerged victorious, securing 217 (35.19%) with its allies: RJD, NCP, DMK, PMK, MDMK, TRS, JMM, LNJSP, JKPDP. The BJP and allies (Shiv Sena, JD(U), SAD, BJD, Trinamool, ADMK, TDP) secured 185 seats (35.31%), and others 136 seats. [11g](p3-10) As noted in the FCO website, reviewed 27 May 2004, the surprise result saw the former BJP-led coalition government resign. [7i](p2)
4.14 As reflected in the CRS (Congressional Research Service) Report for Congress issued on 12 July 2004 “Investor fears that a new coalition government including communists might curtail or halt India’s economic reform and liberalization process apparently led to huge losses in the country’s stock markets….Market recovery began after Congress Party leaders offered assurances that the new government would be ‘pro-growth, pro-savings, and pro-investment…. Other analysts saw in the results a rejection of the Hindu nationalism associated with the BJP (just days after a December 2002 state election victory in Gujarat, the BJP’s president declared that his party would “duplicate the Gujarat experience everywhere” as it represented a “mandate for the [Hindutva] ideology)”[64](p6)
4.15 The BBC reported on 18 May 2004 that Sonia Gandhi, the leader of the Congress Party, had declined the prime ministership. [32dl] According to the BBC timeline for India and the CRS Report for Congress, Manmohan Singh, a former finance minister, was sworn in as Prime Minister on 22 May 2004, becoming India’s first-ever non-Hindu Prime Minister. He leads a coalition government, called the United Progressive Alliance. [32bf] [64](p2)[7i](p2) As cited in the US State Department Background Note for India, August 2004, Party President Sonia Gandhi was re-elected by the Party National Executive in May 2004. [2f](p6) A BBC report of 1 June 2004 reported that the BJP, the main opposition party elected L.K. Advani, the former Deputy Prime Minister as its new leader. [32dr]
4.16 As noted in the CRS Report for Congress, 12 July 2004, Prime Minister Singh has said that development will be a central priority of the UPA government with reforms aimed at reducing poverty and increasing employment. The foreign policy focus will be on India’s immediate neighbours. "The UPA has indicated that it will make the 1972 Simla Agreement between India and Pakistan the basis of its relationship with Islamabad even as it will abide by all subsequent accords.” The two countries vowed to bolster defence and trade ties, while moving forward to resolve outstanding territorial disputes. [64](p10-11)
For further information please see Annex C: Summary of election results and Annex D: Political make up of government.
[...]"

Document(s): Open document

03.09.2004 - Source:

Government of India/Cabinet Secretariat: List of Council of Ministers [ID 6219]

"CABINET MINISTERS

1 Dr. Manmohan Singh
Prime Minister and also in-charge of the Ministries/ Departments not specifically allocated to the charge of any Minister viz.:
(i) Ministry of Coal & Mines;
(ii) Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions;
(iii) Ministry of Planning;
(iv) Department of Atomic Energy; and
(v) Department of Space.

2 Shri Pranab Mukherjee
Minister of Defence.

3 Shri Arjun Singh
Minister of Human Resource Development.

4 Shri Sharad Pawar
Minister of Agriculture and Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution.

5 Shri Lalu Prasad
Minister of Railways.

6 Shri Shivraj V. Patil
Minister of Home Affairs.

7 Shri Ram Vilas Paswan
Minister of Chemicals & Fertilizers and Minister of Steel.

8 Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad
Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Minister of Urban Development.

9 Shri S. Jaipal Reddy
Minister of Information & Broadcasting and Minister of Culture.

10 Shri Sis Ram Ola
Minister of Labour & Employment.

11 Shri P. Chidambaram
Minister of Finance.

12 Shri Mahavir Prasad
Minister of Small Scale Industries and Minister of Agro & Rural Industries.

13 Shri P.R. Kyndiah
Minister of Tribal Affairs and Minister of Development of North Eastern Region.

14 Shri T.R. Baalu
Minister of Shipping,Road Transport & Highways.

15 Shri Shankarsinh Vaghela
Minister of Textiles.

16 Shri K. Natwar Singh
Minister of External Affairs.

17 Shri Kamal Nath
Minister of Commerce & Industry.

18 Shri H.R. Bhardwaj
Minister of Law & Justice.

19 Shri P.M. Sayeed
Minister of Power.

20 Shri Raghuvansh Prasad Singh
Minister of Rural Development.

21 Shri Priyaranjan Dasmunsi
Minister of Water Resources.

22 Shri Mani Shankar Aiyar
Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas and Minister of Panchayati Raj.

23 Shri Sunil Dutt
Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports.

24 Smt. Meira Kumar
Minister of Social Justice & Empowerment.

25 Shri K. Chandra Shekhar Rao
Minister Without Portfolio.

26 Shri A. Raja
Minister of Environment & Forests.

27 Shri Dayanidhi Maran
Minister of Communications & Information Technology.

28 Dr. Anbumani Ramdoss
Minister of Health & Family Welfare.

MINISTERS OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE)

1 Shri Sontosh Mohan Dev
Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises.

2 Shri Jagdish Tytler
Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs.

3 Shri Oscar Fernandes
Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation.

4 Smt. Renuka Chowdhury
Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Tourism.

5 Shri Subodh Kant Sahay
Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries.

6 Shri Kapil Sibal
Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Science & Technology and Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Department of Ocean Development.

7 Shri Vilas Muttemwar
Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy Sources.

8 Kumari Selja
Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Urban Employment & Poverty Alleviation.

9 Shri Praful Patel
Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

10 Shri Prem Chand Gupta
Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Company Affairs.

MINISTERS OF STATE

1 Shri E. Ahamed
Minister of State in the Ministry of External Affairs.

2 Shri Suresh Pachouri
Minister of State in the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions and Minister of State in the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs.

3 Shri B.K. Handique
Minister of State in the Ministry of Defence and Minister of State in the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs.

4 Smt. Panabaka Lakshmi
Minister of State in the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.

5 Dr. Dasari Narayan Rao
Minister of State in the Ministry of Coal & Mines.

6 Dr. Shakeel Ahmad
Minister of State in the Ministry of Communications & Information Technology.

7 Shri Rao Inderjit Singh
Minister of State in the Ministry of External Affairs.

8 Shri Naranbhai Rathwa
Minister of State in the Ministry of Railways.

9 Shri K.H. Muniappa
Minister of State in the Ministry of Shipping, Road Transport & Highways.

10 Shri M.V. Rajasekharan
Minister of State in the Ministry of Planning.

11 Shri Kantilal Bhuria
Minister of State in the Ministry of Agriculture and Minister of State in the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution.

12 Shri Manikrao Gavit
Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs.

13 Shri Shriprakash Jaiswal
Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs.

14 Shri Prithviraj Chavan
Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office.

15 Shri Taslimuddin
Minister of State in the Ministry of Agriculture and Minister of State in the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution.

16 Smt. Suryakanta Patil
Minister of State in the Ministry of Rural Development and Minister of State in the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs.

17 Shri Md. Ali Ashraf Fatmi
Minister of State in the Ministry of Human Resource Development.

18 Shri A. Narendra
Minister of State in the Ministry of Rural Development.

19 Shri R. Velu
Minister of State in the Ministry of Railways.

20 Shri S.S. Palanimanickam
Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance.

21 Shri S. Regupathy
Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs.

22 Shri K. Venkatapathy
Minister of State in the Ministry of Law & Justice.

23 Smt. Subbulakshmi Jagadeesan
Minister of State in the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment.

24 Shri E.V.K.S. Elangovan
Minister of State in the Ministry of Commerce & Industry.

25 Smt Kanti Singh
Minister of State in the Ministry of Human Resource Development.

26 Shri Namo Narain Meena
Minister of State in the Ministry of Environment & Forests.

27 Shri Jay Prakash Narayan Yadav
Minister of State in the Ministry of Water Resources.

28 Dr. Akhilesh Prasad Singh
Minister of State in the Ministry of Agriculture and Minister of State in the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution."

Document(s): Open document

08.2004 - Source: US Department of State

Background information on people, history, political and economic situation ("Background Note: India") [#25734],  [ID 6216]

"GOVERNMENT

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.

The government exercises its broad administrative powers in the name of the president, whose duties are largely ceremonial. A special electoral college elects the president and vice president indirectly for 5-year terms. Their terms are staggered, and the vice president does not automatically become president following the death or removal from office of the president.

Real national executive power is centered in the Council of Ministers (cabinet), led by the prime minister. The president appoints the prime minister, who is designated by legislators of the political party or coalition commanding a parliamentary majority in the Lok Sabha. The president then appoints subordinate ministers on the advice of the prime minister.

India's bicameral parliament consists of the Rajya Sabha (Council of States) and the Lok Sabha (House of the People). The Council of Ministers is responsible to the Lok Sabha. [...]

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.

Each state also has a presidentially appointed governor, who may assume certain broad powers when directed by the central government. The central government exerts greater control over the union territories than over the states, although some territories have gained more power to administer their own affairs. Local governments in India have less autonomy than their counterparts in the United States. Some states are trying to revitalize the traditional village councils, or panchayats, to promote popular democratic participation at the village level, where much of the population still lives."

Document(s): Open document

08.2004 - Source: US Department of State

Background information on people, history, political and economic situation ("Background Note: India") [#25734],  [ID 6218]

"Principal Government Officials

President – A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
Vice President – Bhairon Singh Shekhawat
Prime Minister – Dr. Manmohan Singh
Home Minister – Shivraj Patil
Minister of External Affairs – Natwar Singh
Minister of State (External Affairs) – E. Ahamed"

Document(s): Open document

08.2002 - Source: European Reintegration Networking

Background information on India (including procedures for entrance, supply and care, health, education, work opportunies,...) ("Background information on India (including procedures for entrance, supply and care, health, education, work opportunies,...)") [#28646],  [ID 6220]

"[...]Verwaltung der Staaten
Die Staaten sind im allgemeinen verwaltungstechnisch in vier Ebenen unterteilt: Division, Distrikt, Subdistrikte (genannt je nachdem Taluka/Tehsil/Block) und Dorf. Die Distrikte sind die wichtigste Einheit der Verwaltung, an ihrer Spitze steht der District Collector. Zur Zeit der Volkszählung 2001 gab es 593 Distrikte (und 5.564 Subdistrikte) im Land. Dabei hatte der Staat Uttar Pradesh die meisten Distrikte (63), während einige Staaten wie Goa, Mizoram oder Tripura nur aus zwei oder drei Distrikten bestehen. Durchschnittlich hat ein

Distrikt eine Fläche von ca. 4.300 Quadratkilometern. Die Subdistrikte umfassen 200 bis 600 Dörfer.

Herrschaft der Räte
In den ländlichen Gebieten ist in den meisten Staaten das von der Verfassung vorgesehene System des Panchayati Raj (Herrschaft der Räte) implementiert worden, nach dem lokale Selbstverwaltungen auf Dorf- (Gram), Block- (Taluka) und Distriktebene existieren.

In den Gram Panchayats sind sieben bis 15 Mitglieder, diese wählen ihren Vorsitzenden, den Sarpanch. In den Taluka Panchayats werden 15 bis 51 Mitglieder gewählt, die wiederum einen Präsidenten und Vize-Präsidenten wählen. In den Distrikt Panchayats gibt es 31 bis 51 Mitglieder, die ebenfalls Präsident und Vize-Präsident wählen. Von den jeweiligen Staatenregierungen werden Beamten ernannt, die auf den drei Ebenen die Verwaltung unterstützen. Dies sind der Secretary auf Dorfebene, ein Taluka Development officer (T.D.O.) auf Taluka-Ebene und den District Development officer (D.D.O) auf Distriktebene.

Zu den Zuständigkeitsbereichen der Panchayats gehören Themen wie Landwirtschaft, Umsetzung von Landreformen, öffentliche Brunnen, Gesundheitsfürsorge, Grundbildung und Kleinindustrie.

Stadträte
Die Selbstverwaltungseinheiten für Städte (15.000 bis 500.000 Einwohner) sind die Municipalities (Stadträte), die für Metropolen (über 500.000 Einwohner) die Municipal Corporations.

Von der jeweiligen Staatenregierungen entsandt sind die Chief Officer (für die Stadträte) und die Municipal Commissioner (für die Municipal Corporations), die die Entscheidungen der Selbstverwaltungsorgane umsetzen sollen. Zu den Kompetenzen der städtischen Selbstverwaltung gehören u. a. ebenfalls Bildung und Gesundheit, zudem Bereiche wie Stadtplanung, kommunale Infrastruktur und Bauaufsicht. [...]"

Document(s): Open document