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
JANUARY 28, 2020IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: CHILD RAPIST SENTENCED TO DEATH
A 23-year-old man in Haryana was on 27 January 2020 sentenced to death for the rape and murder of a five-year-old girl.
JANUARY 24, 2020IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: CONDEMNED PRISONERS CANNOT FIGHT DEATH PENALTY ENDLESSLY (SUPREME COURT)
While hearing a plea to commute the death sentence of two convicts for killing a family of seven, the Supreme Court on 23 January 2020 underlined that the “finality” of death sentence is extremely important and said that condemned prisoners should not be
JANUARY 23, 2020IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: MAN AWARDED DEATH PENALTY FOR RAPING, KILLING OWN MENTALLY UNSOUND DAUGHTER
A special court in Kota (Rajasthan) awarded death penalty to a 45-year-old man for repeatedly raping and impregnating his 17-year-old mentally unsound daughter before killing her, PTI reported on 21 January 2020.
JANUARY 13, 2020IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: TWO SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR RAPE, MURDER OF MINOR IN UP
A special POCSO court in Bareilly, in the indian State of Uttar Pradesh, on 9 January 2020 sentenced to death the two accused of rape and murder of a minor in January 2016.
JANUARY 9, 2020IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: NIRBHAYA CONVICTS TO BE HANGED ON 22 JANUARY
Four men sentenced to death for the gang rape and murder of a woman on a New Delhi bus in an attack that sent shockwaves across the world will be hanged on 22 January in Tihar Jail in the national Capital, an Indian court ruled on 7 January 2020.
- JANUARY 1, 2020IndiaDEATH PENALTY
The death penalty is provided for by the Penal Code and by Art. 21 of the Constitution
The death penalty is provided for by the Penal Code and by Art. 21 of the Constitution
DECEMBER 31, 2019IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: 102 DEATH SENTENCES IN 2019
Trial courts in India delivered 102 death sentences in 2019, over 60% fewer than the 162 death sentences passed in 2018.
DECEMBER 10, 2019IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: HC CONFIRMS DEATH PENALTY FOR FIVE FROM AHMEDNAGAR FOR KILLING THREE DALIT MEN
The Bombay High Court on 2 December 2019 confirmed the death penalty for five upper caste men convicted of the murder of three Dalit men in Sonai village, Ahmednagar, in 2013 because one of them fell in love with a girl from the upper caste family.
- DECEMBER 6, 2019IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: SC STAYS EXECUTION OF DEATH PENALTY OF CONVICT IN RAJASTHAN BOMB BLAST CASE
The Supreme Court on 2 December 2019 stayed the execution of death penalty awarded to a convict in the 23-year-old case of bomb blast in a bus at Samleti in Dausa district, in which 14 persons were killed.
NOVEMBER 14, 2019IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: GOVT COMMUTES DEATH SENTENCE OF BEANT SINGH KILLER TO LIFE
The Union Home Ministry on 12 November 2019 commuted the death sentence of Babbar Khalsa terrorist Balwant Singh Rajoana who was sentenced to death in 2007 for the assassination of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh.
NOVEMBER 13, 2019IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: FOUR GET DEATH PENALTY FOR 2008 RAMPUR ATTACK
Four persons, including two Pakistani nationals were sentenced to death in the Rampur ‘terror’ attack case by Additional District and Sessions Judge Sanjay Kumar Singh on 2nd November 2019.
NOVEMBER 11, 2019IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: BOMBAY HC COMMUTES DEATH PENALTY OF TWO YOUNG MEN IN BHANDARA ROBBERY AND MURDER CASE
The Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court on 5 November 2019 commuted death penalty awarded to two young men convicted for robbery and murder of a woman and for injuring her minor son.