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
MARCH 19, 2025IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: UTTAR PRADESH COURT GIVES DEATH PENALTY TO 3 MEN FOR KILLING 24 DALITS IN 1981
A Uttar Pradesh court on March 18, 2025 ordered death penalty to three men linked to the killings of 24 Dalits in Dehuli in 1981.
MARCH 13, 2025IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: DEATH PENALTY FOR ‘FORCED’ RELIGIOUS CONVERSION CRITICISED BY CHURCH
The Chief Minister of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh has said his government would make a provision for the death penalty to punish what it describes as “forced” religious conversion of females, a move that has drawn consternation from the Church in I
MARCH 12, 2025IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH, 6 OTHERS LIFE TERM IN TELANGANA DALIT MAN’S ‘HONOUR KILLING’ IN 2018
A Telangana court on March 10, 2025 pronounced the sentence in the 2018 Miryalaguda honour killing case. The hired killer, Subhash Sharma, was given the death penalty, while all others accused were sentenced to life imprisonment.
MARCH 11, 2025IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: MADHYA PRADESH PLANS TO IMPOSE DEATH PENALTY FOR THE RELIGIOUS CONVERSION OF GIRLS
Madhya Pradesh chief minister Mohan Yadav said on March 8, 2025 that his govt would amend the law to provide for death penalty for forced religious conversion of girls.
- MARCH 5, 2025IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: SUPREME COURT COMMUTES DEATH SENTENCE OF MAN CONVICTED FOR KILLING HIS TWO MINOR CHILDREN TO LIFE WITHOUT REMISSION
The Supreme Court of India commuted the death sentence of Ramesh A. Naika, convicted for the murder of his two minor children, to life imprisonment without the possibility of remission, Law Trend reported on March 3, 2025.
- FEBRUARY 18, 2025IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: BENGAL MAN GETS DEATH PENALTY FOR KIDNAPPING, RAPING 7-MONTH-OLD CHILD
A special POCSO court in Kolkata on February 18, 2025 sentenced a man guilty of rape and attempted murder of a seven-month-old child in north Kolkata to death by hanging.
FEBRUARY 13, 2025IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: FIVE SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR GANG RAPE AND MURDER
A court in India has sentenced five men to death for the gang rape and murder of a teenager as well as the killing of her father and toddler-aged niece
FEBRUARY 10, 2025IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: SC RAPS COPS FOR ‘FAULTY PROBE’, ACQUITS MAN ON DEATH ROW
The Supreme Court of India has set aside death penalty awarded to an Agra man who was earlier convicted for murder of his brother, sister-in-law and four children in a property dispute case in 2012, Times of India reported on February 10, 2025.
- FEBRUARY 5, 2025IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: SUPREME COURT ACQUITS MUMBAI RAPE-MURDER CASE CONVICT ON DEATH ROW SINCE 2015
The Supreme Court of India has acquitted a man who had been sentenced to death for the rape and murder of a 23-year-old woman in 2014.
- JANUARY 22, 2025IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: 5 MEN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR RAPE-MURDER OF CHHATTISGARH GIRL
A fast-track court in Korba district of Chhattisgarh has sentenced five men to death for gang-raping and killing a 16-year-old girl and murdering her two family members in 2021.
- JANUARY 15, 2025IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: ORISSA HC COMMUTES DEATH PENALTY OF 9 TO LIFE SENTENCE
The Orissa High Court on January 15, 2025 commuted the death sentences of nine individuals to life imprisonment in connection with a 2016 triple murder case.