India
2026
- GOVERNMENT
- federal parliamentary republic
- CONSTITUTION
- January 26, 1950; amended several times
- LEGAL SYSTEM
- based on English common law; partial review of legislative acts by the judiciary
- LEGISLATIVE SYSTEM
- bicameral, Council of States (Rajya Sabha) and People's Assembly (Lok Sabha)
- JUDICIAL SYSTEM
- Supreme Court, judges appointed by the President and serve until 65 years of age
RELIGIONS
80% Hindu; 11% Muslims; 2% Christians; 2% Sikhs; Buddhist minorities and others
From the country
- NOVEMBER 18, 2006IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA. DEATH PENALTY FOR KILLING COUPLE ON SORCERY CHARGE
Niranjan Khakhlary, 30, was sentenced to death by the Darrang district Sessions Court, India, for murdering a couple he believed to be practicing witchcraft.
- NOVEMBER 14, 2006IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA. SUPREME COURT STAYS DEATH VERDICT
India’s Supreme Court stayed the operation of a Kerala High Court judgment confirming the death sentence awarded to M.A. Antony of Aluva.
- NOVEMBER 11, 2006IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA. SUPREME COURT COMMUTES DEATH SENTENCE INTO LIFE TERM
India’s Supreme Court reduced to life imprisonment the death penalty awarded to Amrit Singh, a Punjab man found guilty of the rape and murder of a minor girl, saying it could have been a result of a momentary lapse on the part of the convict.
- NOVEMBER 10, 2006IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA. KASHMIRI MILITANT ON DEATH ROW ASKS PRESIDENT FOR MERCY
Mohammed Afzal Guru, a Kashmiri militant sentenced to death for his role in an attack...
- NOVEMBER 5, 2006IraqDEATH PENALTY
INDIA REACTS GUARDEDLY TO SADDAM'S HANGING
India reacted guardedly to the hanging of former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein, saying the death sentence required the "credible due process of law."
- OCTOBER 30, 2006IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIAN COURT GIVES POLICEMAN'S SON DEATH SENTENCE FOR MURDER
an Indian court sentenced the son of a former top policeman to death after convicting him for the 1996 rape and murder of a law student. Santosh Kumar Singh was sentenced seven years after he was initially acquitted of raping and murdering Priyadarshni Ma
- OCTOBER 26, 2006IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA. FORMER CONSTABLE SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR RAPE, MURDER
the No.7 Fast Track court in Bangalore, India, sentenced former police constable Umesh Reddy to death for raping and murdering a woman identified as Jayashree, 37, on February 28, 1998.
- OCTOBER 24, 2006IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA. SC COMMUTES DEATH SENTENCE, CITES ENMITY
India’s Supreme Court found two brothers guilty of beheading their brother-in-law, suspecting him to have murdered their sister.
- OCTOBER 19, 2006IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA DELAYS EXECUTION OF CONVICTED KASHMIRI
the execution of Mohammed Afzal Guru, a Kashmiri man sentenced to death for his role in the 2001 Indian parliament attack, had been delayed until the president answered his call for clemency, officials said.
- OCTOBER 18, 2006IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA. LAW MINISTRY OPPOSES CLEMENCY FOR KASHMIRI ON DEATH ROW
India's Law Ministry said there was no "compelling reason" to stop the hanging of Mohammed Afzal Guru, a Kashmiri Muslim found guilty plotting a 2001 attack on parliament.
OCTOBER 11, 2006IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA. SUPREME COURT CLIPS PRESIDENT’S POWERS OF PARDON
India’s Supreme Court clipped the president’s power to pardon convicts on death row.
- OCTOBER 4, 2006IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA. HANGING OF INDIAN MILITANT DEFERRED AFTER MERCY PETITION
the wife of Mohammed Afzal, who has been slapped with a death sentence for a terror attack on the Indian Parliament in 2001, has filed a mercy petition before President APJ Abdul Kalam, news reports said.