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
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 PENALTY
INDIA: 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
- JULY 14, 2014IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: SC BLOCKS DEATH OF TWO IN DEC 16 GANG-RAPE
The Supreme Court of India suspended the death sentence of Vinay Sharma and Akshay Thakur, the two
JULY 3, 2014IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: SUPREME COURT COMMUTES DEATH SENTENCE OF 26-YEAR-OLD YOUTH
the Supreme Court commuted the death sentence of a 26-year-old youth to life term for killing a woman
- JULY 2, 2014IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: SUPREME COURT COMMUTES DEATH SENTENCE OF POLICE CONSTABLE
the Supreme Court commuted the death sentence awarded to a police constable for murdering his wife and
JUNE 25, 2014IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: 24-YR-OLD PALI MAN GETS DEATH FOR RAPING & MURDERING MINOR GIRL IN 2012
In a speedy, decisive judgment, the Mangaon court in Raigad district awarded the death sentence to a 24-
- JUNE 24, 2014IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: COP GETS DEATH PENALTY FOR KILLING 3 BIHAR STUDENTS IN FAKE ENCOUNTER
Finally delivering justice for the three teenage students who were killed in a fake gun-battle 12 years ago in
- JUNE 13, 2014IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: MAN GETS DEATH SENTENCE FOR RAPING, MURDERING GIRL
A man, accused of raping and killing a minor, was awarded death sentence by the Barabanki court.
- JUNE 11, 2014IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA TO IMPOSE DEATH PENALTY ON HIJACKERS
India will introduce a new anti-hijacking law to impose death penalty on hijackers, Xinhua news agency
MAY 30, 2014IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: 3 RAPISTS SENTENCED TO DEATH
An Indian court sentenced to death three men who raped a photojournalist inside an abandoned textile mill