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
DECEMBER 22, 2016IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR RAPING AND MURDERING MINOR
A Sessions Court in Andhra Pradesh State sentenced a 30-year-old man to death for rape and murder of a three-year-old girl.
DECEMBER 19, 2016IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: YASIN BHATKAL, 4 OTHERS SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR 2013 HYDERABAD BLASTS
An NIA court sentenced to death banned terror outfit Indian Mujahideen founder Yasin Bhatkal and four
DECEMBER 12, 2016IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: TRIO GETS DEATH FOR 2012 TRIPLE MURDER
Three persons including a most-wanted accused in at least 24 cases - including 16 murders - were
DECEMBER 1, 2016IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: MAHATMA GANDHI’S GRANDSON CALLS FOR ABOLITION OF CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
Mahatma Gandhi’s grandson, Gopalkrishna Gandhi, said capital punishment should be removed from the country’s statutes.
- NOVEMBER 18, 2016IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: ANOTHER ACCUSED GETS CAPITAL SENTENCE IN SENARI MASSACRE CASE
A court awarded death sentence to one more accused person in a case related to massacre of 34 people by
NOVEMBER 15, 2016IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: 10 AWARDED DEATH PENALTY IN THE CASE OF SENARI MASSACRE
A court in the Indian state of Bihar awarded death penalty to 10 and sentenced three to life imprisonment in
- NOVEMBER 4, 2016IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING WIFE, FOUR DAUGHTERS
A man was sentenced to death by a local court in Lakhimpur Kheri, Uttar Pradesh for killing his wife and
- OCTOBER 7, 2016IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: 5 OF FAMILY AWARDED DEATH PENALTY FOR KILLING 4 PERSONS
A man and his four sons were awarded capital punishment by a court in Pali district of Rajasthan for killing
SEPTEMBER 19, 2016IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: SUPREME COURT MOVES AWAY FROM DEATH PENALTY
The Supreme Court has moved away from death penalty (capital punishment) after it commuted the death
- SEPTEMBER 8, 2016IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: ANKUR PANWAR SENTENCED TO DEATH IN PREETI RATHI ACID ATTACK AND MURDER CASE
A special women's court sentenced a 25-year-old man to death for murdering a Delhi resident by hurling acid at Bandra Terminus in 2013.
- JULY 6, 2016IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: COURT CONFIRMS DEATH PENALTY FOR FOUR IN TRIPLE MURDER
The High Court of Karnataka in Kalaburagi confirmed capital punishment imposed on four accused in a triple murder case by the District and Sessions Court of Yadgir.
- JUNE 24, 2016IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: PRESIDENT REJECTS TWO DEATH-SENTENCE PLEAS FROM CONVICTS
Indian President Pranab Mukherjee has reportedly rejected mercy pleas from two death-row convicts,