Government of India
The Government of India is the national authority of the Republic of India, located in South Asia, consisting of 36 states and union territories. The government is led by the president of India who largely exercises the executive powers, and selects the prime minister of India and other ministers for aid and advice. Legislative, Executive and Judiciary are the three branches of India Government.
Legislative Branch of India Government
There shall be a Parliament for the Union which shall consist of the President and two houses, the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) and the House of the People (Lok Sabha). Government of India is bicameral. Rajya Sabha is the upper house and Lok Sabha is the lower house. Rajya Sabha, Lok Sabha, Standing committee (India), State legislative assemblies of India are the legislative branch of India Government. The most important function of them is to legislate i.e., make legislations for the development which benefits the society. The second most important function is to exercise control over the Executive.
Lok Sabha
The Lok Sabha or the lower house is the house of representatives directly elected by the people. Its maximum strength cannot exceed 552. Out of these, a maximum of 530 members are from the states and up to 20 members are from the union territories. Two members are Anglo-Indian representatives nominated by the President. This is in case the Anglo-Indian representatives are not elected. The term of the Lok Sabha is for five years from the first session. However, the President can extend the term once for a year during a state of emergency. Moreover, if the state of emergency is lifted, it cannot be extended for more than six months. Our Constitution has also prescribed the grounds for disqualification for membership of the House. A member can contest from anywhere in India and contest from more than one seat, but if he wins, he must retain one seat and withdraw from the others. Similarly, a member can be a member of only one of the state legislatures or both houses of Parliament at a time. Otherwise, if elected, he will have to retain only one seat and resign from the others. Failure to participate in the proceedings of the House for more than sixty days without the permission of the House will result in loss of membership. Other circumstances that may result in loss of membership include: becoming bankrupt, becoming mentally unstable, engaging in gainful employment, being convicted of a crime, acquiring foreign citizenship, establishing ties with foreign countries, etc. Any Indian citizen who has completed the age of 25 and whose name is on the electoral roll can contest for the Lok Sabha.
Rajya Sabha
Rajya Sabha or the Upper House. It is a 250-member permanent body consisting of 238 representatives from various states and union territories and 12 members chosen by the President from among the talents who have proven their expertise in various fields. One member is elected for a term of six years. Every two years, one-third of the members are re-elected for the post. Any Indian citizen who has completed the age of 30 and whose name is on the electoral roll can contest for the Rajya Sabha.
Executive Branch of India Government
Part V of the constitution deals with the Union Executive. President of India, Vice President of India, Prime Minister of India, Union Council of Ministers, Attorney General, Comptroller and Auditor General, Secretary to the Government of India, Cabinet Secretary of India and Civil Services of India are some of the prominent heads in the Executive Branch of India Government. One branch of government makes decisions related to laws and policies, while another branch implements these laws. The executive branch is the part of government that carries out administrative tasks to implement policies. The executive branch is divided into two as Political Executive and Permanent Executive. The non-official branch that heads the executive branch is called the Political Executive Branch. The Political Executives are elected through elections. The Executive is also elected traditionally. The President of India, Vice President of India, Prime Minister of India, and Union Council of Ministers are Political Executives. The officials who assist the Political Executives are called the Permanent Executives. They remain in office until they reach the age of retirement. The Permanent Executive Branch is selected through competitive examinations. The employees of permanent executive branch range from the last grade employee to the highest serving IAS and IPS.
President of India
The executive power of the Union shall be vested in the President and shall be exercised by him either directly or through officers subordinate to him in accordance with this constitution (Article 53). The president of india is the head of the state of the republic of india. The president of india is also the constitutional head of state of republic of india. He is the commander in chief of the Indian Armed Forces. Executive powers, Legislative powers, Financial powers, Judicial powers, Diplomatic Powers, Military Powers, Emergency powers are vested in President. The office and residence of indian president is located in Rashtrapati Bhavan. The Rashtrapati Bhavan is one of the largest presidential palaces in the world, located on Raisina Hill in Delhi. The first citizen of India lives here. The Presidential Secretariat, the official office of the President, is located in Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Vice President of India
The vice president of india is the second highest ranking government official after the president. Vice President is the ex-officio chairman of the Rajya Sabha. Article 63 of the constitution of india provides for a Vice President. The office of the Vice President is located in Vice-President’s secretariat. The Vice-President’s secretariat commenced functioning in the year 1952. The Secretary to the Vice-President is the head of the Vice-President's Secretariat. This post has been generally held by an officer of the rank of Additional Secretary /Secretary, Government of India.
Prime Minister of India
The most important position in India, which operates under the parliamentary system, is the Prime Minister and his office. Although the executive authority is the President, he acts on the advice of the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers. According to Article 74 of the Constitution, the President appoints the Prime Minister and appoints other ministers on the advice of the Prime Minister. The characteristic of the cabinet system of government is that the ministers holding high positions in the field of administration are also members of Parliament. The Prime Minister leads the country as the leader of the party with the majority in Parliament and as the head of the Council of Ministers. Our Union Council of Ministers consists of Cabinet Ministers, Ministers of State and Deputy Ministers. The President is advised only by the Prime Minister and the Cabinet. The Prime Minister is elected either by the leader of the elected largest party, the leader of a front or the leader of one of the largest parties. The term of the Council of Ministers is five years. The Prime Minister can continue as long as he has the support of the House. If he loses the confidence of the Lok Sabha, he must resign.
Union Council of Ministers (Cabinet Ministers, Ministers of State and Deputy Ministers)
There shall be a council of ministers headed by the Prime Minister to aid and advise the president in the exercise of his functions. Ministers are appointed by the president on the advice of Prime Minister. The council of ministers is collectively responsible to the House of the People. The Council of Ministers consists of Cabinet Ministers, Ministers of State and Deputy Ministers. Cabinet Ministers are at the top of hierarchy of the Ministers included in the council of Ministers. Ministers of State are given independent charge of the ministries. Deputy Ministers assist their respective Cabinet Ministers in performance of their duties and responsibilities.
Attorney General
Article 76 provides for the officer of the Attorney General of India. He give advice to the Government on legal matter when referred to him by the President. He appear in the Supreme Court on behalf of the Government of India. He is the highest law officer of India. He is appointed by the President. He must be qualified to be appointed as judge of the Supreme Court. He has the power to speak and take part in the proceedings of the parliament, without the right to vote.
Comptroller and Auditor General
The Comptroller and Auditor General is responsible for examining the financial affairs of the central and state governments. The CAG's duties include overseeing the accounts of income and expenditure of the central and state governments, auditing the accounts, bringing to light cases of misuse of funds, and reporting cases related to the government to the legislature. In a sense, he is the "guardian of the public treasury". The report related to central and state has to be submitted to the President of Country and to the respective Governors for the States respectively. The CAG is appointed by the President. He can continue in this post for six years or till the age of 65. The CAG can be removed only in the manner of removal of a Supreme Court judge.
Cabinet Secretary of India
The Cabinet Secretariat is responsible for the administration of the Indian Government. Cabinet Secretariat provides secretarial assistance to the Cabinet of India and facilitates smooth transaction of business between Ministries and Departments of the Government. Cabinet Secretary is the head of the Cabinet Secretariat. The Cabinet Secretary is the top executive official and senior civil servant of the Government of India. The Cabinet Secretary is the ex-officio head of Civil Services Board, Cabinet Secretariat, Indian Administrative Service (IAS), and all Civil Services of India work under the rules of business of the government. The term of office of Cabinet Secretary is five years. The Cabinet Secretary is the most senior cadre post as per the Indian Administrative Service. Cabinet Secretary ranks eleventh on the Indian order of precedence.
Civil Services of India
In India, the civil service is a group of civil servants in the government, the permanent executive branch of the country. It includes employees of the All India Services and Central Civil Services.
Secretaries
A secretary to the Government of India, a civil servant, generally an IAS officer is the administrative head of the ministry or department, and is the principal adviser to the minister. Secretaries to the Government of India rank 23rd on Indian order of precedence. Secretaries at the higher level are assisted by one or many additional secretaries, who are further assisted by joint secretaries. At the middle level, they are assisted by directors/deputy secretaries and under secretaries. At the lower level, there are section officers, assistant section officers, upper division clerks, lower division clerks and other secretarial staffs.
India Government Departments
■ Department of Home Affairs of India
■ Department of Defence of India
■ Department of Cooperation of India
■ Department of Road Transport and Highways of India
■ Department of Finance
■ Department of Corporate Affairs
■ Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare
■ Department of Rural Development
■ Department of External Affairs
■ Department of Health and Family Welfare
■ Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals
■ Department of Housing and Urban Affairs
■ Department of Power
■ Department of Heavy Industries
■ Department of Steel
■ Department of Commerce and Industry
■ Department of Education
■ Department of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
■ Department of Panchayati Raj
■ Department of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying
■ Department of Ports, Shipping and Waterways
■ Department of Social Justice and Empowerment
■ Department of Civil Aviation
■ Department of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution
■ Department of New and Renewable Energy
■ Department of Tribal Affairs
■ Department of Textiles
■ Department of Railways
■ Department of Information and Broadcasting
■ Department of Electronics and Information Technology
■ Department of Communications
■ Department of Development of North Eastern Region
■ Department of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
■ Department of Culture
■ Department of Tourism
■ Department of Women and Child Development
■ Department of Parliamentary Affairs
■ Department of Minority Affairs
■ Department of Petroleum and Natural Gas
■ Department of Labour and Employment
■ Department of Youth Affairs and Sports
■ Department of Coal
■ Department of Mines
■ Department of Food Processing Industries
■ Department of Jal Shakti
■ Department of Statistics and Programme Implementation
■ Department of Planning
■ Department of Science and Technology
■ Department of Earth Sciences
■ Department of Prime Minister’s Office
■ Department of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions
■ Department of Atomic Energy
■ Department of Space
■ Department of of Law and Justice
■ Department of Ayush
■ Department of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship
Judicial Branch of India Government
India has a unitary judicial system. The judicial system in India has a pyramidal structure with the Supreme Court (SC) at the top. Below the Supreme Court are the High Courts, which are followed by the District Courts and Subordinate Courts. The lower courts operate under the direct supervision of the higher courts. Supreme Court operates as the judicial branch of India Government.
Supreme Court
The Supreme Court is the apex court of the Indian judicial system. The Supreme Court is an essential element of the federal system followed by India. It is the highest court with criminal and civil powers. The main powers of the Supreme Court are classified into four: original (disputes between union and states, violation of fundamental rights), appellate (it takes appeal petition against the decisions of lower courts), advisory (it gives legal advice to the president) and review (reviews and reconsiders their own judgement). Supreme court is Court of record, Federal Court, Court of appeal and Guardian of the constitution. Supreme Court is located in Delhi without any benches in any part of the nation and is presided by the Chief Justice of India. The supreme court has the power to transfer the cases from one High Court to another and even from one District Court of a particular state to another District Court of the other state. The Supreme court of India possesses the power of constitutional review.
Other India Government Offices
■ Arts and Cultural Institutions in India
■ Prasar Bharati
■ News Agencies in India
■ National Organisations in India
■ Science and Technology Research Institutes and Organisations
■ Indian Olympic Association
■ Central Board of Direct Taxes
■ Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs
■ Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI)
■ Railway Board
■ National Disaster Management Authority
■ National Dairy Development Board
■ National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM)
■ Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited
■ Indian Council of Historical Reserach (ICHR)
■ Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)
■ Central Board of Film Certification
The Central Board of Film Certification (Censor Board) was established under the Cinematograph Act, 1952. It functions under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. The Censor Board consists of non-official members and a Chairman (all appointed by the Central Government). The Board, headquartered in Mumbai, has 9 regional offices. The regional office for Kerala is at Thiruvananthapuram. Other regional offices are at Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, New Delhi, Cuttack and Guwahati. The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFS) grants permission for public screening of films. Films can be screened publicly in India only after certification by the Central Board of Film Certification.
■ National Film Development Corporation
The National Film Development Corporation is a central agency established to promote the good film movement in the country. Established in 1975, the structure of the National Film Development Corporation was restructured in 1980. The main mission of the corporation is to provide financial assistance for the production of quality films. The primary objective of the National Film Development Corporation is to plan, promote, organize and promote the comprehensive and efficient development of the Indian film industry and to foster excellence in cinema. Over the years, the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) has provided many services necessary for the growth of Indian cinema. NDFC merged four film media units in 2022 as per Bimal Julka led expert committee’s (2020) report on the rationalisation, closure and merger of film media units. The four film media units are as follows.
Directorate of Film Festivals
The Directorate of Film Festivals was established in 1973 by Indian Government under Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Its main goal is to promote Indian cinema. Through film based cultural exchanges, it also aims to enhance intercultural understanding.
Children’s Film Society of India
The Children’s Film Society is a nodal organization of the Government of India that produces children’s films and various TV programs in various Indian languages. The Children’s Film Society was established in 1955 to provide valuable entertainment to children. Its headquarters was in Mumbai. The institution, which operated under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, was merged with the National Film Development Corporation in March 2022.
National Film Archive of India
The National Film Archive, headquartered in Pune, was established in February 1964. The National Film Archive of India was established as the media unit of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. The National Film Archive was a member of the International Federation of Film Archives. Its main mission is to preserve the heritage of Indian cinema. In March 2022, the National Film Archive was merged with the National Film Development Corporation.
Films Division of India
The Films Division of India is the premier film medium organization of the Government of India. The Films Division of India was established in January 1948. It is headquartered in Mumbai. For over seven decades, the organization has been tirelessly working to maintain a record of the country's social, political and cultural imaginations and realities through cinema. The Films Division of India has also been actively working to promote a filmmaking culture in India that respects individual perspective and social commitment. The Mumbai International Film Festival for Documentaries - Animations - Short Films is organized by the Films Division.
■ Prasar Bharati
Prasar Bharati is the public service broadcaster of India. Prasar Bharati is a statutory self-governing body in India, incorporated on 23 November 1997. All India Radio and Doordarshan operate under Prasar Bharati. The stated objectives of Prasar Bharati are to promote national integration, strengthen the unity of the country, support the right of citizens to know, give special emphasis to the rural, agricultural and educational sectors, and promote social justice. Prasar Bharati is headquartered in New Delhi.
All India Radio
Doordarshan
Tribunals in India
■ Central Administrative Tribunal
■ State Administrative Tribunal
■ National Green Tribunal
The National Green Tribunal was established in New Delhi in 2010 under the National Green Tribunal Act. The National Green Tribunal is a specialized judicial body with expertise exclusively for the disposal of environmental cases in the country. The National Green Tribunal is tasked with providing effective and expeditious redress in cases related to environmental protection, conservation of forests and other natural resources, and enforcement of any legal right relating to the environment.
■ National Company Law Appellate Tribunal
■ Water Disputes Tribunal
■ Armed Forces Tribunal
■ Income Tax Appellate Tribunal
■ Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal
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