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 3, 2019IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: MP MAN GIVEN DEATH PENALTY FOR RAPING, KILLING GIRL
A court in Indore, Madhya Pradesh on 30 September 2019 sentenced a man to death for kidnapping, raping and killing a four-year-old girl.
OCTOBER 2, 2019IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: COURT AWARDS DEATH PENALTY TO THREE FOR KILLING MINOR
Bokaro district court in the Indian state of Jharkhand on 26 September 2019 awarded death sentence to three persons for killing a minor in November 2013. The court also slapped a fine of Rs 1.50 lakh on each of them.
OCTOBER 1, 2019IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: BEANT SINGH ASSASSIN RAJOANA’S DEATH SENTENCE COMMUTED
The Ministry of Home Affairs has decided to commute the death sentence of Balwant Singh Rajoana, who was convicted for the assassination of former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh, to life imprisonment.
- SEPTEMBER 27, 2019IndiaDEATH PENALTY
MAN GETS DEATH SENTENCE FOR ABDUCTING KILLING TWO PEOPLE FOR RANSOM
A court in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, on 26 September 2019 awarded death sentence to a man in a double murder case.
SEPTEMBER 25, 2019IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: SC UPHOLDS DEATH TO MAN FOR RAPING GIRL, KILLING BROTHER
The Supreme Court on 1° August 2019 upheld the death penalty of a Tamil Nadu man convicted of gang raping and murdering a 10-year-old girl and also killing her seven-year-old brother.
SEPTEMBER 23, 2019IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: GIRIDIH COURT AWARDS DEATH SENTENCE TO MAN FOR RAPING AND KILLING FOUR-YEAR-OLD GIRL
A special POCSO court in Giridih on 21 September 2019 awarded death sentence to a man for raping and killing a four-year-old girl while sentencing his father for life in the case.
SEPTEMBER 20, 2019IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: ODISHA COURT AWARDS DEATH PENALTY IN MINOR'S RAPE CASE
A special POCSO court in Odisha's Cuttack on 19 September 2019 awarded the death sentence to Mohammad Mustaq for raping and murdering a six-year-old girl.
SEPTEMBER 12, 2019IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR RAPE, MURDER OF MINOR
A designated fast track court in Odisha on 10 September 2019 awarded death sentence to a 28-year-old man for rape and murder of a nine-year-old girl at Gadharishpur within Erasama police limits in March last year.
SEPTEMBER 4, 2019IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: KERALA HIGH COURT COMMUTES CONTRACTOR’S DEATH PENALTY TO LIFE SENTENCE
The Kerala High Court on 29 August 2019 commuted to life imprisonment the death sentence awarded by the Kasaragod Sessions Court to a civil contractor for the murder of 14-year-old Safiya, a maidservant who was working in his house.
AUGUST 9, 2019IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: YOUTH GETS DEATH SENTENCE FOR RAPE, MURDER OF NINE-MONTH-OLD
A court in Telangana on 8 August 2019 sentenced a man to death for sexual assault and killing of a nine-month-old girl child.
AUGUST 7, 2019IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: HATE CRIME IN RAJASTHAN NOW PUNISHABLE BY DEATH PENALTY
The Rajasthan assembly passed two bills on 5 August 2019 in which death penalty has been proposed for hate crimes against couples in the name of honour and tradition, and life imprisonment for mob lynching.
AUGUST 1, 2019IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: BOMBAY HC COMMUTES DEATH SENTENCE OF TWO CONVICTS
More than two years after their mercy petitions were rejected by the President, the Bombay High Court on 29 July 2019 commuted the death sentence of two convicts - Purushottam Borate and Pradeep Kokade - for the 2007 kidnapping, rape and murder of a BPO e