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
- OCTOBER 12, 2003IndiaDEATH PENALTY
Capital punishment forecloses the chance for reformation...
Capital punishment forecloses the chance for reformation and hence should be repealed as has been done by most civilised nations, former Indian Supreme Court Judge, K
- OCTOBER 10, 2003IndiaDEATH PENALTY
Lahu Dhekane was sentenced to death by an Additional...
Lahu Dhekane was sentenced to death by an Additional and Sessions Court in Pune, India, for the 4 July 2003 abduction, and eventual murder, of Amit Sonawane, 13, from Nira
- OCTOBER 3, 2003IndiaDEATH PENALTY
Singapore prison officials hanged Arunprakash Vaithilingam,...
Singapore prison officials hanged Arunprakash Vaithilingam, 25, an Indian immigrant worker, for the murder of a flat mate on 22 December 2001
- OCTOBER 1, 2003IndiaDEATH PENALTY
An Indian court sentenced to death a man, identified...
An Indian court sentenced to death a man, identified only as Poonaji, who was convicted of burning his wife, four daughters and a neighbour to death in a fit of rage
- SEPTEMBER 22, 2003IndiaDEATH PENALTY
An Indian court sentenced Dara Singh to death and 12...
An Indian court sentenced Dara Singh to death and 12 others to life imprisonment for killing an Australian Christian missionary and his two young sons in a mob attack
- SEPTEMBER 22, 2003IndiaDEATH PENALTY
Chandrajeet Yadav, an ex traffic police constable sentenced...
Chandrajeet Yadav, an ex traffic police constable sentenced to death for murdering his wife Vidya Devi along with his four daughters, Neetu, Kiran, Madhu and Suman, had his conviction upheld by a high court in India but had his punishment reduced to life
- SEPTEMBER 21, 2003IndiaDEATH PENALTY
The Justice Malimath Committee on Reforms of Criminal...
The Justice Malimath Committee on Reforms of Criminal Justice System made a stand against application of the death penalty for rapists and instead recommended life imprisonment for offenders
- AUGUST 30, 2003IndiaDEATH PENALTY
Three people were sentenced to death and one to life...
Three people were sentenced to death and one to life imprisonment by the Kolkata city sessions court, India, for murder
- AUGUST 27, 2003IndiaDEATH PENALTY
The Indian Supreme Court imposed the death penalty...
The Indian Supreme Court imposed the death penalty on Keraj Ram, a man who, having doubts regarding his wife's fidelity, killed "in a cruel and diabolic manner" his wife, children and brother-in-law
- AUGUST 21, 2003IndiaDEATH PENALTY
The Thalassery Additional District and Sessions Court...
The Thalassery Additional District and Sessions Court awarded death sentences to five CPM activists for the murder of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha Vice-president K T Jayakrishnan in 1999
- AUGUST 17, 2003IndiaDEATH PENALTY
Jail authorities in the eastern Indian state of Orissa...
Jail authorities in the eastern Indian state of Orissa suspended their search for a hangman after the death sentence of Dayanidhi Bishnoi, 35, was commuted to life imprisonment
- AUGUST 13, 2003IndiaDEATH PENALTY
A government committee has recommended the death penalty...
A government committee has recommended the death penalty for those who sell or manufacture fake pharmaceutical drugs, Indian Health Minister Sushma Swaraj said