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
- MARCH 18, 2019IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: AIR FORCE FORMER SERGEANT SENTENCED TO DEATH
MARCH 7, 2019IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: SC CONFIRMS DEATH SENTENCE TO PUNJAB MAN FOR KILLING SIX
The Supreme Court on 5 March 2019 confirmed capital punishment for a man from Punjab, who killed six people by drowning them in a canal.
MARCH 7, 2019IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: SC ACQUITS TWO DEATH ROW CONVICTS
The Supreme Court on 5 March 2019 acquitted two death-row convicts who were sentenced to the gallows by the Chhattisgarh High Court for allegedly committing robbery and killing five women members of a family in 2012.
MARCH 6, 2019IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: SURENDRA KOLI SENTENCED TO DEATH IN 10TH CASE OF NITHARI KILLINGS
Surendra Koli, who has been convicted and sentenced to death in nine cases of rape and murder of women in Noida’s Nithari village, was on 2 March 2019 handed down capital punishment in the 10th case of rape and murder against him.
- MARCH 4, 2019IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: SC COMMUTES DEATH PENALTY TO LIFE TERM CITING MAN'S REFORMATIVE POEMS
The Supreme Court has commuted the death penalty awarded to a man for murdering a child into life imprisonment after his poems indicated that he realised his mistake and wanted to reform himself, PTI reported on 3 March 2019.
FEBRUARY 26, 2019IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: DEATH PENALTY TO MAN WHO RAPED 3-YEAR-OLD GIRL
A court on 20 February 2019 awarded death sentence to a person who was found guilty of raping and killing a three-year-old girl in Jharkhand's Gumla district.
FEBRUARY 21, 2019IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: GUJARAT HIGH COURT SPARES TWO CHILD KILLERS THE GALLOWS
The Gujarat High Court on 18 February 2019 saved two persons—Akshay Patel and Kuldip Panchal—who had brutally murdered a four-and-a-half-year-old kid for ransom, from the gallows.
FEBRUARY 18, 2019IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: COURT AWARDS DEATH PENALTY TO MAN FOR GIRLFRIEND MURDER
In a landmark judgment, sessions judge, Senapati district, A. Noutuneshwari, on 5 February 2019 awarded death penalty to a 29-year old man Yumkhaibam Rohit alias Rajesh, son of late Y. Riyajuddin of Khergao Makha Leikai, for murdering his girlfriend Pukhr
- JANUARY 31, 2019IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: COURT AWARDS DEATH SENTENCE TO FATHER WHO WAS GUILTY OF POISONING TWO CHILDREN
The Kundapur additional sessions court on 19 January 2019 awarded the death penalty for a father who was found guilty in the death of two children by poisoning them at Ganganadu near Byndoor.
- JANUARY 25, 2019IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: SUPREME COURT ACQUITS THREE DEATH PENALTY CONVICTS, COMMUTES SENTENCE OF ONE
The Supreme Court on 23 January 2019 acquitted three persons who had been awarded death penalty in a murder case. The death sentence awarded to a fourth accused was commuted to life imprisonment.
- JANUARY 23, 2019IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: KERALA MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR RAPE, MURDER OF WOMAN, DAUGHTER
The Thodupuzha second additional sessions judge KK Sujatha on 17 January 2019 awarded death penalty to Jomon, of Peruvelipparambil house, Kumily, who raped and killed a woman and her daughter at Vandiperiyar in Idukki 12 years ago.
- JANUARY 11, 2019IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: SC COMMUTES PUNE BUS ACCIDENT CONVICT'S DEATH PENALTY TO LIFE SENTENCE
The Supreme Court on 9 January 2019 commuted to life imprisonment the death sentence awarded to bus driver Santosh Mane, convicted for killing nine people in 2012, by mowing them down in Pune.