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 Defence of India
The Indian defence system is mainly divided into three branches - the Army, the Navy and the Air Force. Although the President is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Defence Forces (Article 53) as per the Constitution, the administrative functions related to national security are carried out by the Ministry of Defence. The Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs, headed by the Prime Minister, takes major decisions in defence matters. The Defence Minister is responsible to Parliament in all matters relating to the department. The administrative and operational affairs of the forces are taken by the Ministry of Defence and the three services. The headquarters of all three services is in New Delhi. India is the fourth largest military power in the world in terms of manpower. The Coast Guard, Territorial Army, NCC etc. are the subordinate branches of the defence forces. The Ministry of Defence has five departments - Department of Defence (DOD), Department of Military Affairs (DMA), Department of Defence Production (DDP), Department of Defence Research and Development (DRDO), and Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare (DESW).
■ Department of Home Affairs of India
The Home Department is the department responsible for the maintenance of internal security and domestic policy. The Home Department is also the cadre controlling authority of the Indian Police Service (IPS). The Central Police Forces are special security forces operating under the Union Home Department in connection with the internal security of the country. The Central Police Forces have two components, namely the Central Police Organisation and the Central Armed Police Forces.
■ Department of Cooperation of India
The Ministry of Cooperation is a central ministry under the Government of India formed in 2021. The Ministry provides a specific administrative, legal and policy framework to strengthen the cooperative movement in the country. The vision statement of the Ministry is 'Sahakar se Samriddhi' (Prosperity through Cooperation). Before the formation of the Ministry, the functions of this Ministry were looked after by the Ministry of Agriculture. The Ministry works to strengthen cooperatives at the grassroots level, streamline the 'Ease of Doing Business' processes for cooperatives and facilitate the development of Multi-State Cooperatives (MSCS).
■ Department of Road Transport and Highways of India
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is a ministry of the Government of India. It is the apex body responsible for the formulation and administration of laws and regulations to enhance the mobility and efficiency of the road transport system in India.
■ Department of Finance
The Ministry of Finance is a ministry dealing with the economy of India and acts as the treasury of India. Taxation, financial legislation, financial institutions, capital markets, central and state finance, central budget, etc. come under the purview of this ministry.
■ Department of Corporate Affairs
The ministry is primarily concerned with the administration of laws and regulations framed to regulate the functioning of the corporate sector in accordance with the laws such as the Companies Act 2013, the Companies Act 1956, the Limited Liability Partnership Act 2008 and other related laws.
■ Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare
The Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare is organised into 28 divisions, and has five attached offices and twenty-one subordinate offices spread across the country, which are responsible for coordinating with the state level agencies and implementing the central sector schemes in their respective areas. In addition, one PSU, nine autonomous bodies, ten national level cooperative organizations and two authorities are functioning under the administrative control of the department.
■ Department of Rural Development
As the nodal ministry for most development and welfare activities in the rural sector, the Ministry of Rural Development plays a crucial role in the overall development strategy of the country. The vision and mission of the ministry is to achieve sustainable and inclusive growth of rural India through a multi-pronged strategy for poverty alleviation by enhancing livelihood opportunities, providing social safety nets and developing infrastructure for growth.
■ Department of External Affairs
The Department of External Affairs is responsible for presenting India's interests, both at home and abroad, on various issues. This includes bilateral political and economic cooperation, trade and investment promotion, cultural interaction, press and media relations, and multilateral issues.
■ Department of Health and Family Welfare
The government has introduced and implemented various health schemes and programmes to provide basic health facilities to all citizens. The Department of Health and Family Welfare provides information related to health programmes, policies, schemes, forms, etc. for special beneficiaries including women, children, senior citizens, etc.
■ Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals
The Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals (DCPC) aims to formulate and implement policies and programmes to achieve growth and development of the chemical and petrochemical sectors of the country; and to foster an attitude of public-private partnership for the overall development of the industry.
■ Department of Housing and Urban Affairs
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs is a ministry of the Government of India with executive powers in the formulation and administration of laws and regulations relating to housing and urban development in India.
■ Department of Power
The Ministry of Power is primarily responsible for the development of electric power in the country. The Department of Power is also responsible for planning, policy formulation, processing of projects for investment decision, monitoring of implementation of power projects, training, human resource development, and legislation related to thermal and hydroelectric power generation, transmission and distribution.
■ Department of Heavy Industries
The Ministry of Heavy Industries is responsible for the development of the heavy engineering and machine tools industry, the heavy electrical engineering industry, the automotive industry, and for the supervision of the Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs), their subsidiaries and four autonomous bodies.
■ Department of Steel
It deals with the coordination and planning of the growth and development of the country's iron and steel industry (including re-rolling mills, alloy steel, ferro-alloy industries, and refractories) in both the public and private sectors.
■ Department of Commerce and Industry
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry manages two departments, the Department of Commerce and the Department for Promotion of Industry & Internal Trade. The Ministry is headed by a Cabinet-rank minister.
■ Department of Education
The Department of Education consists of the Department of Higher Education and the Department of School Education. The Department of Higher Education is the department under the Ministry of Education that oversees higher education in India.
■ Department of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
To promote the growth and development of micro, small and medium enterprises, including khadi, village and coir industries, to create new enterprises and more employment opportunities. The long-term objective of the Ministry is to enhance the productive base of the country by improving the performance of MSMEs through skill and entrepreneurship development.
■ Department of Panchayati Raj
The Ministry of Panchayati Raj is a branch of the Government of India. The Ministry of Panchayati Raj looks after all matters related to Panchayati Raj institutions. It was formed in May 2004. The Ministry is headed by a Minister of Cabinet rank. It is responsible for the empowerment and functioning of Panchayati Raj institutions to ensure inclusive development along with social justice and efficient delivery of services.
■ Department of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying
The Department of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying is a government department of India. It is a subsidiary department of the Ministry of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries, which was formed as a new Indian ministry in 2019. It is mandated to conserve animal genetic resources, protect indigenous breeds, protect, strengthen and improve livestock, create employment and livelihood support for women and other marginalized groups, increase production, increase productivity, and add value to livestock and poultry products.
■ Department of Ports, Shipping and Waterways
The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways is the Indian ministry responsible for the formulation and administration of laws and regulations relating to ports, shipping and waterways.
■ Department of Social Justice and Empowerment
The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment is responsible for welfare, social justice and empowerment of the weaker and marginalized sections of the society. This department is responsible for the welfare of Scheduled Castes, Backward Classes, Persons with Disabilities, Senior Citizens, and victims of drug abuse.
■ Department of Civil Aviation
The "Ministry of Civil Aviation" in India is the nodal ministry responsible for formulating national policies and programmes for the development and regulation of civil aviation. The department formulates and implements schemes for the gradual growth and expansion of civil air transport in the country.
■ 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 Health and Family Welfare
■ 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.
India Government and Self Financing Institutions
■ National Security Forces in India
■ Intelligence and Investigative Agencies in India
■ Central Police Organisation in India
■ Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
■ Commissions and Committees in India
■ Public Sector Undertakings in India
■ National Film Development Corporation
■ Arts and Cultural Institutions in India
■ National Organisations in India
■ Science and Technology Research Institutes and Organisations
