India File - Government System
India, a union of states, is a Sovereign
Socialist Secular Democratic Republic with a Parliamentary system of
Government. The Republic is governed in terms of the Constitution, which
was adopted by Constituent Assembly on 26 November 1949 and came into
force on 26 November 1950.
Sovereignty is shared between the central government and the states,
but the national government is given greater powers. The President is
the constitutional head of Executive of the Union. Real executive power
vests in a Council of Ministers with the Prime Minister as head. Article
74(1) of the Constitution provides that there shall be a Council of
Ministers headed by the Prime Minister to aid and advise the President
who shall, in exercise of his functions, act in accordance with such
advice. The Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to the Lok
Sabha, the House of the People.
The State government resembles the federal system. In the states, the
Governor is the head of Executive, but real executive power vests with
the Chief Minister who heads the Council of Ministers. The Council of
Ministers of a state is collectively responsible to the elected
legislative assembly of the state.
The governor of each state is appointed by the President. 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.
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