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 19, 2014Sri LankaDEATH PENALTYSRI LANKA PARDONS INDIAN FISHERMEN ON DEATH ROW
Five Indian fishermen condemned to death for smuggling drugs into Sri Lanka will walk free after President
NOVEMBER 4, 2014IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: 56-YEAR-OLD'S DEATH PENALTY COMMUTED TO LIFE TERM FOR CHILD RAPE, MURDER
A 56-year-old man, facing gallows for raping and murdering a three-year-old girl, has been spared death
OCTOBER 30, 2014Sri LankaDEATH PENALTYSRI LANKA: DEATH FOR FIVE INDIAN FISHERMEN
The Colombo High Court awarded the death sentence to five Tamil Nadu fishermen arrested by the Sri
OCTOBER 16, 2014IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: WOMAN'S FATHER, UNCLE GET DEATH SENTENCE IN HONOUR KILLING CASE
In a 2012 case of honour killing, a court in Punjab awarded death sentence to the victim woman's father,
SEPTEMBER 30, 2014MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: 'CURRY MURDER' CASE ENDS IN DEATH SENTENCE FOR COUSINS
A housewife and her cousin had their murder conviction upheld and were sentenced to death in Malaysia, in
SEPTEMBER 29, 2014IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: HC CONFIRMS DEATH SENTENCE GIVEN TO 25-YR-OLD GIRL, TWO OTHERS
The Madhya Pradesh High Court confirmed the death sentence awarded to three people, including a 25-
SEPTEMBER 26, 2014IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: DEATH WITHOUT THE RIGHT TO APPEAL
In its report, “India: Death Without the Right to Appeal”, Asian Centre for Human Rights (ACHR) stated
SEPTEMBER 2, 2014IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: REVIEW PLEA OF DEATH ROW CONVICTS TO BE HEARD IN OPEN COURT BY THREE-JUDGE BENCH
The Supreme Court of India ruled that review petitions against verdicts upholding death sentences will now
SEPTEMBER 1, 2014IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: PRESIDENT MUKHERJEE REJECTED 97% OF MERCY PETITIONS, BUT HE FAILED TO CURB CRIME
President Pranab Mukherjee of India has rejected 97% of the mercy petitions in his two-year tenure, as of
AUGUST 14, 2014IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: TWO SISTERS MAY BECOME FIRST EVER WOMEN TO BE HANGED IN THE COUNTRY
the Mumbai Mirror said two sisters from Kolhapur in Maharashtra State, who were sentenced to death in 2001 for kidnapping 13 children and killing nine of them, are likely to become the first ever women in India to be hanged after President Pranab Mukherje
JULY 24, 2014IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR ACID ATTACK IN MADHYA PRADESH
In a landmark decision, a court in Madhya Pradesh sentenced a man to death for hurling acid on a 28-year-
- JULY 18, 2014IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: PRESIDENT REJECTS MERCY PLEAS OF SIX DEATH ROW CONVICTS
President Pranab Mukherjee of India rejected the mercy petitions of Nithari serial killer Surinder Koli and