India Government Has Three Branches

The India Government was originally formed with the Constitution of India. The constitution of India was approved by India's law making officials, known as the Constituent Assembly, on November 26, 1949. It officially went into effect on January 21, 1950. You may be wondering why it was only established such a short time ago. India was ruled by the British prior to its creation.

The Government of India is officially known as the Union Government, but is also sometimes referred to as the Central Government. Whatever name you prefer; it's the powerful governing authority of the Indian union, which is made up of 28 states and seven union territories. Together these states and union territories are known as the Republic of India.

India Government leaders are located in New Delhi, which is the capital of India. Like the United States, there are three branches of the government: the executive, the legislative and the judiciary branches. The executive branch is led by the President. He is the Head of State and either exercises his powers directly, or through officers that rank beneath him.

The Legislative branch, or Parliament, includes the lower house, called the Lok Sabha, and the upper house, called the Rajya Sabha. The president works with the house to make, change and enforce policies over the Republic of India.

The Judicial branch has the Supreme Court at its apex, 21 High Courts, and numerous civil, criminal and family courts at the district level. The primary civil and criminal laws that govern India are written in important legislation of the Parliament. India's Civil Procedure Code, Indian Penal Code, and the Criminal Procedure Code are examples of these. Each union and individual state government includes its own executive, legislative and judicial branches too.

India's legal system applies to both the federal and individual state governments. It's based on the English Common and Statutory Law, which was influenced by the British Occupation. India does accept International Court of Justice jurisdiction, with several reservations, and is now an independent nation.

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