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✶ Structure · Constitution of India, 1950

Who governs,
and who chose them.

India splits power three ways: between a ceremonial President and a Prime Minister answerable to Parliament; between the Union and 28 states; and, since 1992, with more than two and a half lakh elected village and town governments.

I

Part V, Chapter I · Arts. 52–78

The Union Executive

India is a parliamentary republic. The President is head of state and acts on the advice of the Council of Ministers; real executive power lies with the Prime Minister, who governs only while holding the confidence of the Lok Sabha.

President

Droupadi Murmu, since 25 July 2022

Term
5 years; may be re-elected (Art. 56–57)
Chosen by
An electoral college of elected MPs and MLAs
How
Single transferable vote by secret ballot, with each vote weighted (Art. 55). Nominated MPs and members of legislative councils do not vote. In 2022 the college held 4,033 MLAs and 776 MPs, worth 10,86,431 in all. Removal only by impeachment (Art. 61).

Vice President

C. P. Radhakrishnan, since 12 September 2025

Term
5 years (Art. 67)
Chosen by
All members of both houses of Parliament
How
Elected by an electoral college of every MP, nominated members included, by single transferable vote with equal-value votes (Art. 66). The Vice President chairs the Rajya Sabha. In the September 2025 election Radhakrishnan received 452 votes to B. Sudershan Reddy's 300.

Prime Minister & Council of Ministers

Narendra Modi (BJP, NDA), third term from 9 June 2024

Term
As long as the government keeps the Lok Sabha's confidence; at most 5 years per Lok Sabha
Chosen by
Appointed by the President — the leader who can command a Lok Sabha majority
How
The President appoints the Prime Minister, and other ministers on the PM's advice (Art. 75). Ministers must be or become MPs within six months. The Council is collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha; the 91st Amendment (2003) caps it at 15% of the Lok Sabha's strength, so at most 81 ministers.

The Union Council of Ministers

69 ministers, as listed on Wikipedia's Union Council of Ministers page when this snapshot was taken.

  • Cabinet minister Narendra Modi Prime Minister · Minister of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions
  • Cabinet minister Rajnath Singh Minister of Defence
  • Cabinet minister Amit Shah Minister of Home Affairs · Minister of Co-operation
  • Cabinet minister Nitin Gadkari Minister of Road Transport and Highways
  • Cabinet minister Jagat Prakash Nadda Minister of Health and Family Welfare · Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers
  • Cabinet minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare · Minister of Rural Development
  • Cabinet minister Nirmala Sitharaman Minister of Finance · Minister of Corporate Affairs
  • Cabinet minister Manohar Lal Khattar Minister of Power · Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs
  • Cabinet minister H. D. Kumaraswamy Minister of Heavy Industries · Minister of Steel
  • Cabinet minister Piyush Goyal Minister of Commerce and Industry
  • Cabinet minister Jitan Ram Manjhi Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
  • Cabinet minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh Minister of Panchayati Raj
  • Cabinet minister Sarbananda Sonowal Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways
  • Cabinet minister Virendra Kumar Khatik Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment
  • Cabinet minister Rammohan Naidu Kinjarapu Minister of Civil Aviation
  • Cabinet minister Pralhad Joshi Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution · Minister of New and Renewable Energy
  • Cabinet minister Jual Oram Minister of Tribal Affairs
  • Cabinet minister Giriraj Singh Minister of Textiles
  • Cabinet minister Ashwini Vaishnaw Minister of Information and Broadcasting · Minister of Railways
  • Cabinet minister Jyotiraditya Scindia Minister of Development of North Eastern Region · Minister of Communications
  • Cabinet minister Bhupender Yadav Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
  • Cabinet minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat Minister of Culture · Minister of Tourism
  • Cabinet minister Annapurna Devi Yadav Minister of Women and Child Development
  • Cabinet minister Kiren Rijiju Minister of Parliamentary Affairs · Minister of Minority Affairs
  • Cabinet minister Hardeep Singh Puri Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas
  • Cabinet minister Mansukh L. Mandaviya Minister of Labour and Employment · Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports
  • Cabinet minister G. Kishan Reddy Minister of Coal · Minister of Mines
  • Cabinet minister Chirag Paswan Minister of Food Processing Industries
  • Cabinet minister Chandrakant Raghunath Patil Minister of Jal Shakti
  • Minister of State (Independent Charge) Rao Inderjit Singh Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Statistics and Programme Implementation · Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Planning
  • Minister of State (Independent Charge) Jitendra Singh Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Science and Technology · Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Earth Sciences
  • Minister of State (Independent Charge) Arjun Ram Meghwal Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Law and Justice · Minister of State in the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs
  • Minister of State (Independent Charge) Prataprao Ganpatrao Jadhav Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Ayush · Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
  • Minister of State (Independent Charge) Jayant Chaudhary Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship · Minister of State in the Ministry of Education
  • Minister of State L. Murugan Minister of State in the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs · Minister of State in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting
  • Minister of State Anupriya Patel Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare · Minister of State in the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers
  • Minister of State Sukanta Majumdar Minister of State in the Ministry of Education · Minister of State in the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region
  • Minister of State Jitin Prasada Minister of State in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry · Minister of State in the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
  • Minister of State Shripad Yasso Naik Minister of State in the Ministry of Power · Minister of State in the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
  • Minister of State Pankaj Choudhary Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance
  • Minister of State Krishan Pal Minister of State in the Ministry of Co-operation
  • Minister of State Murlidhar Mohol Minister of State in the Ministry of Co-operation · Minister of State in the Ministry of Civil Aviation
  • Minister of State Athawale Ramdas Bandu Minister of State in the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
  • Minister of State B. L. Verma Minister of State in the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment · Minister of State in the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution
  • Minister of State Ram Nath Thakur Minister of State in the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
  • Minister of State Bhagirath Choudhary Minister of State in the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
  • Minister of State Nityanand Rai Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs
  • Minister of State Bandi Sanjay Kumar Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs
  • Minister of State V. Somanna Minister of State in the Ministry of Jal Shakti · Minister of State in the Ministry of Railways
  • Minister of State Raj Bhushan Choudhary Minister of State in the Ministry of Jal Shakti
  • Minister of State Ravneet Singh Minister of State in the Ministry of Railways · Minister of State in the Ministry of Food Processing Industries
  • Minister of State Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani Minister of State in the Ministry of Rural Development · Minister of State in the Ministry of Communications
  • Minister of State Kamlesh Paswan Minister of State in the Ministry of Rural Development
  • Minister of State George Kurien Minister of State in the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying · Minister of State in the Ministry of Minority Affairs
  • Minister of State Shobha Karandlaje Minister of State in the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises · Minister of State in the Ministry of Labour and Employment
  • Minister of State Kirti Vardhan Singh Minister of State in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change · Minister of State in the Ministry of External Affairs
  • Minister of State Pabitra Margherita Minister of State in the Ministry of External Affairs · Minister of State in the Ministry of Textiles
  • Minister of State Nimuben Bambhaniya Minister of State in the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution
  • Minister of State Shantanu Thakur Minister of State in the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways
  • Minister of State Suresh Gopi Minister of State in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas · Minister of State in the Ministry of Tourism
  • Minister of State Ajay Tamta Minister of State in the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways
  • Minister of State Harsh Malhotra Minister of State in the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways · Minister of State in the Ministry of Corporate Affairs
  • Minister of State Satish Chandra Dubey Minister of State in the Ministry of Coal · Minister of State in the Ministry of Mines
  • Minister of State Sanjay Seth Minister of State in the Ministry of Defence
  • Minister of State Durga Das Uikey Minister of State in the Ministry of Tribal Affairs
  • Minister of State Raksha Khadase Minister of State in the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports
  • Minister of State Savitri Thakur Minister of State in the Ministry of Women and Child Development
  • Minister of State Tokhan Sahu Minister of State in the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs
  • Minister of State Bhupathi Raju Srinivasa Varma Minister of State in the Ministry of Heavy Industries · Minister of State in the Ministry of Steel
Photo credits · 69 of 69 pictured, from Wikimedia Commons

Narendra Modi — Prime Minister's Office, GODL-India · Rajnath Singh — U.S. Secretary of War, Public domain · Amit Shah — Ministry of Home Affairs, GODL-India · Nitin Gadkari — Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, GODL-India · Jagat Prakash Nadda — President's Secretariat, GODL-India · Shivraj Singh Chouhan — Ministry of Home Affairs, GODL-India · Nirmala Sitharaman — Bundesministerium für europäische und internationale Angelegenheiten, CC BY 2.0 · Manohar Lal Khattar — Maryland GovPics, CC BY 2.0 · H. D. Kumaraswamy — Prime Minister's Office, GODL-India · Piyush Goyal — U.S. Department of State from United States, Public domain · Jitan Ram Manjhi — Prime Minister's Office, Government of India, GODL-India · Rajiv Ranjan Singh — Vice President's Secretariat, GODL-India · Sarbananda Sonowal — Vice President Office, Government of India, GODL-India · Virendra Kumar Khatik — Ministry of Women and Child Development, GODL-India · Rammohan Naidu Kinjarapu — Ministry of Civil Aviation, GODL-India · Pralhad Joshi — Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, GODL-India · Jual Oram — Ministry of Tribal Affairs, GODL-India · Giriraj Singh — Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises, GODL-India · Ashwini Vaishnaw — Ministry of Railways, GODL-India · Jyotiraditya Scindia — Ministry of Civil Aviation, GODL-India · Bhupender Yadav — Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, GODL-India · Gajendra Singh Shekhawat — Ministry of Tourism, GODL-India · Annapurna Devi Yadav — Prime Minister's Office, GODL-India · Kiren Rijiju — Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, GODL-India · Hardeep Singh Puri — Andrew Scheer, CC0 · Mansukh L. Mandaviya — Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, GODL-India · G. Kishan Reddy — Ministry of Labour and Employment, GODL-India · Chirag Paswan — Ministry of Food Processing Industries, GODL-India · Chandrakant Raghunath Patil — Prime Minister's Office, GODL-India · Rao Inderjit Singh — Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, GODL-India · Jitendra Singh — Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, GODL-India · Arjun Ram Meghwal — Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, GODL-India · Prataprao Ganpatrao Jadhav — Ministry of Ayush, GODL-India · Jayant Chaudhary — President's Secretariat, GODL-India · L. Murugan — Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, GODL-India · Anupriya Patel — Prime Minister's Office, GODL-India · Sukanta Majumdar — Biswarup Ganguly, CC BY 3.0 · Jitin Prasada — Ministry of Textiles, GODL-India · Shripad Yasso Naik — Biswarup Ganguly, CC BY 3.0 · Pankaj Choudhary — Prime Minister's Office, GODL-India · Krishan Pal — Nivisharma845, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Murlidhar Mohol — Vijaykz1784, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Athawale Ramdas Bandu — Prime Minister's Office, GODL-India · B. L. Verma — Prime Minister's Office, GODL-India · Ram Nath Thakur — President's Secretariat, GODL-India · Bhagirath Choudhary — Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare, GODL-India · Nityanand Rai — Ministry of Home Affairs, GODL-India · Bandi Sanjay Kumar — https://www.youtube.com/@mangonews, CC BY 3.0 · V. Somanna — Ministry of Jal Shakti, GODL-India · Raj Bhushan Choudhary — President's Secretariat, GODL-India · Ravneet Singh — Ministry of Food Processing Industries, GODL-India · Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani — Mango News, CC BY 3.0 · Kamlesh Paswan — Ministry of Rural Development, GODL-India · George Kurien — George Kurian ncm, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Shobha Karandlaje — User:Divyabandodkar, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Kirti Vardhan Singh — Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, GODL-India · Pabitra Margherita — Ministry of Textiles, GODL-India · Nimuben Bambhaniya — Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, GODL-India · Shantanu Thakur — Prime Minister's Office, GODL-India · Suresh Gopi — Challiyan at Malayalam Wikipedia, CC BY 3.0 · Ajay Tamta — Ministry of Textiles, GODL-India · Harsh Malhotra — Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, GODL-India · Satish Chandra Dubey — Ministry of Mines, GODL-India · Sanjay Seth — Lok Sabha Secretariat, Government of India, CC BY 4.0 · Durga Das Uikey — Ministry of Tribal Affairs, GODL-India · Raksha Khadase — GSkoli, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Savitri Thakur — Ministry of Women and Child Development, GODL-India · Tokhan Sahu — President's Secretariat, GODL-India · Bhupathi Raju Srinivasa Varma — President's Secretariat, GODL-India

Try it · Electing the President

Cross 5,43,216.

Every elected MLA and MP votes, but their votes are weighted. An MLA's vote is worth the state's 1971 population ÷ (MLAs × 1,000); every MP's vote is worth the same, so that the 4,033 MLAs and 776 MPs carry roughly equal halves. Decide how many in each state back your candidate.

0 value for your candidate
0% needs 5,43,216

MLAsMPsQuota 5,43,216 of 10,86,431

MLAs voting for your candidate, by state
State Value / MLA MLAs for your candidate Value
Uttar Pradesh 403 MLAs · pop. 8,38,49,905 208 0
Maharashtra 288 MLAs · pop. 5,04,12,235 175 0
West Bengal 294 MLAs · pop. 4,43,12,011 151 0
Bihar 243 MLAs · pop. 4,21,26,236 173 0
Tamil Nadu 234 MLAs · pop. 4,11,99,168 176 0
Madhya Pradesh 230 MLAs · pop. 3,00,16,625 131 0
Karnataka 224 MLAs · pop. 2,92,99,014 131 0
Andhra Pradesh 175 MLAs · pop. 2,78,00,586 159 0
Gujarat 182 MLAs · pop. 2,66,97,475 147 0
Rajasthan 200 MLAs · pop. 2,57,65,806 129 0
Odisha 147 MLAs · pop. 2,19,44,615 149 0
Kerala 140 MLAs · pop. 2,13,47,375 152 0
Telangana 119 MLAs · pop. 1,57,02,122 132 0
Assam 126 MLAs · pop. 1,46,25,152 116 0
Jharkhand 81 MLAs · pop. 1,42,27,133 176 0
Punjab 117 MLAs · pop. 1,35,51,060 116 0
Chhattisgarh 90 MLAs · pop. 1,16,37,494 129 0
Haryana 90 MLAs · pop. 1,00,36,808 112 0
Uttarakhand 70 MLAs · pop. 44,91,239 64 0
Delhi (NCT) 70 MLAs · pop. 40,65,698 58 0
Himachal Pradesh 68 MLAs · pop. 34,60,434 51 0
Tripura 60 MLAs · pop. 15,56,342 26 0
Manipur 60 MLAs · pop. 10,72,753 18 0
Meghalaya 60 MLAs · pop. 10,11,699 17 0
Goa 40 MLAs · pop. 7,95,120 20 0
Nagaland 60 MLAs · pop. 5,16,449 9 0
Arunachal Pradesh 60 MLAs · pop. 4,67,511 8 0
Puducherry 30 MLAs · pop. 4,71,707 16 0
Mizoram 40 MLAs · pop. 3,32,390 8 0
Sikkim 32 MLAs · pop. 2,09,843 7 0

Assumes every elector votes and every ballot is valid; the real quota is set on valid votes cast. With one candidate per side, first preferences decide. In 2022 Droupadi Murmu won with a value of 6,76,803 against Yashwant Sinha's 3,80,177. Jammu and Kashmir's restored 90-seat assembly is expected to join the college in 2027; its vote value has not been published, so it is left out here (unverified).

II

Part V, Chapter II · Arts. 79–122

Parliament

Parliament is the President plus two houses. The Lok Sabha is directly elected and makes and unmakes governments; the Rajya Sabha represents the states and is elected by their legislatures.

Lok Sabha (House of the People)

Speaker Om Birla · Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi

Seats
543 elected seats; 84 reserved for Scheduled Castes, 47 for Scheduled Tribes
Term
5 years unless dissolved earlier (Art. 83)
Chosen by
Voters, in single-member constituencies
How
First past the post. Seats per state are fixed on the 1971 census until the first census after 2026 (Art. 82, 84th Amendment). The two nominated Anglo-Indian seats ended in 2020 (104th Amendment). A majority is 272.

Rajya Sabha (Council of States)

Chaired by the Vice President

Seats
245 seats: 233 elected, 12 nominated (constitutional maximum 250)
Term
6 years; one-third retire every two years; never dissolved
Chosen by
Elected members of each state's legislative assembly
How
Single transferable vote by open ballot — party MLAs must show their ballot to the party's agent. A candidate needs ⌊votes ÷ (seats + 1)⌋ + 1, counted with each vote worth 100. The President nominates 12 members for art, literature, science and social service (Art. 80).

The 18th Lok Sabha · elected June 2024

NDA 293 · INDIA 234 · others 16

Seats by party at the declaration of results. 272 make a majority. Build your own coalition →

Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Bharatiya Janata Party · 240 Telugu Desam Party · 16 Telugu Desam Party · 16 Telugu Desam Party · 16 Telugu Desam Party · 16 Telugu Desam Party · 16 Telugu Desam Party · 16 Telugu Desam Party · 16 Telugu Desam Party · 16 Telugu Desam Party · 16 Telugu Desam Party · 16 Telugu Desam Party · 16 Telugu Desam Party · 16 Telugu Desam Party · 16 Telugu Desam Party · 16 Telugu Desam Party · 16 Telugu Desam Party · 16 Janata Dal (United) · 12 Janata Dal (United) · 12 Janata Dal (United) · 12 Janata Dal (United) · 12 Janata Dal (United) · 12 Janata Dal (United) · 12 Janata Dal (United) · 12 Janata Dal (United) · 12 Janata Dal (United) · 12 Janata Dal (United) · 12 Janata Dal (United) · 12 Janata Dal (United) · 12 Shiv Sena · 7 Shiv Sena · 7 Shiv Sena · 7 Shiv Sena · 7 Shiv Sena · 7 Shiv Sena · 7 Shiv Sena · 7 Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) · 5 Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) · 5 Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) · 5 Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) · 5 Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) · 5 Janata Dal (Secular) · 2 Janata Dal (Secular) · 2 Jana Sena Party · 2 Jana Sena Party · 2 Rashtriya Lok Dal · 2 Rashtriya Lok Dal · 2 Apna Dal (Soneylal) · 1 Asom Gana Parishad · 1 AJSU Party · 1 Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) · 1 Nationalist Congress Party · 1 Sikkim Krantikari Morcha · 1 United People's Party Liberal · 1 Independents · 7 Independents · 7 Independents · 7 Independents · 7 Independents · 7 Independents · 7 Independents · 7 YSR Congress Party · 4 YSR Congress Party · 4 YSR Congress Party · 4 YSR Congress Party · 4 All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen · 1 Aazad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) · 1 Shiromani Akali Dal · 1 Voice of the People Party · 1 Zoram People's Movement · 1 Bharat Adivasi Party · 1 Kerala Congress · 1 Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam · 1 Rashtriya Loktantrik Party · 1 Revolutionary Socialist Party · 1 Communist Party of India · 2 Communist Party of India · 2 Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Liberation · 2 Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Liberation · 2 Jammu & Kashmir National Conference · 2 Jammu & Kashmir National Conference · 2 Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi · 2 Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi · 2 Aam Aadmi Party · 3 Aam Aadmi Party · 3 Aam Aadmi Party · 3 Indian Union Muslim League · 3 Indian Union Muslim League · 3 Indian Union Muslim League · 3 Jharkhand Mukti Morcha · 3 Jharkhand Mukti Morcha · 3 Jharkhand Mukti Morcha · 3 Communist Party of India (Marxist) · 4 Communist Party of India (Marxist) · 4 Communist Party of India (Marxist) · 4 Communist Party of India (Marxist) · 4 Rashtriya Janata Dal · 4 Rashtriya Janata Dal · 4 Rashtriya Janata Dal · 4 Rashtriya Janata Dal · 4 Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) · 8 Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) · 8 Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) · 8 Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) · 8 Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) · 8 Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) · 8 Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) · 8 Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) · 8 Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) · 9 Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) · 9 Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) · 9 Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) · 9 Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) · 9 Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) · 9 Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) · 9 Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) · 9 Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) · 9 Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam · 22 Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam · 22 Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam · 22 Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam · 22 Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam · 22 Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam · 22 Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam · 22 Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam · 22 Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam · 22 Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam · 22 Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam · 22 Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam · 22 Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam · 22 Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam · 22 Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam · 22 Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam · 22 Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam · 22 Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam · 22 Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam · 22 Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam · 22 Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam · 22 Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam · 22 All India Trinamool Congress · 29 All India Trinamool Congress · 29 All India Trinamool Congress · 29 All India Trinamool Congress · 29 All India Trinamool Congress · 29 All India Trinamool Congress · 29 All India Trinamool Congress · 29 All India Trinamool Congress · 29 All India Trinamool Congress · 29 All India Trinamool Congress · 29 All India Trinamool Congress · 29 All India Trinamool Congress · 29 All India Trinamool Congress · 29 All India Trinamool Congress · 29 All India Trinamool Congress · 29 All India Trinamool Congress · 29 All India Trinamool Congress · 29 All India Trinamool Congress · 29 All India Trinamool Congress · 29 All India Trinamool Congress · 29 All India Trinamool Congress · 29 All India Trinamool Congress · 29 All India Trinamool Congress · 29 All India Trinamool Congress · 29 All India Trinamool Congress · 29 All India Trinamool Congress · 29 All India Trinamool Congress · 29 All India Trinamool Congress · 29 All India Trinamool Congress · 29 Samajwadi Party · 37 Samajwadi Party · 37 Samajwadi Party · 37 Samajwadi Party · 37 Samajwadi Party · 37 Samajwadi Party · 37 Samajwadi Party · 37 Samajwadi Party · 37 Samajwadi Party · 37 Samajwadi Party · 37 Samajwadi Party · 37 Samajwadi Party · 37 Samajwadi Party · 37 Samajwadi Party · 37 Samajwadi Party · 37 Samajwadi Party · 37 Samajwadi Party · 37 Samajwadi Party · 37 Samajwadi Party · 37 Samajwadi Party · 37 Samajwadi Party · 37 Samajwadi Party · 37 Samajwadi Party · 37 Samajwadi Party · 37 Samajwadi Party · 37 Samajwadi Party · 37 Samajwadi Party · 37 Samajwadi Party · 37 Samajwadi Party · 37 Samajwadi Party · 37 Samajwadi Party · 37 Samajwadi Party · 37 Samajwadi Party · 37 Samajwadi Party · 37 Samajwadi Party · 37 Samajwadi Party · 37 Samajwadi Party · 37 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99 Indian National Congress · 99
272 needed for a majority
  • BJP 240
  • INC 99
  • SP 37
  • AITC 29
  • DMK 22
  • TDP 16
  • JD(U) 12
  • SHS(UBT) 9
  • NCP(SP) 8
  • IND 7
  • 32 others 64

Try it · How a bill becomes law in India

Pass a bill through Parliament.

Pick the kind of bill, set attendance and votes in each house, then the President's response. Thresholds follow the Constitution.

Lok Sabha · 300 yes of 543 present
Rajya Sabha · 130 yes of 245 present

    Try it · Rajya Sabha elections

    How the states choose their MPs.

    Rajya Sabha members are elected by MLAs, not by voters. Step through a biennial election.

    Step 1 of 5 · Rajya Sabha

    Seats fall vacant

    A third of members retire every two years. ECI announces a biennial election about four weeks before terms end.

    Try it · Anti-defection law

    Switch sides, lose the seat?

    The Tenth Schedule (added in 1985, tightened in 2003) disqualifies legislators who defect. Pick a member and what they do.

    The member was

    And then

    ⅓ (old “split”)⅔ needed

    III

    Part V, Chapter IV · Part VI, Chapter V

    The Courts

    A single, integrated judiciary: the Supreme Court at the top, 25 High Courts below it, and district courts under them. Judges are never elected.

    Supreme Court of India

    Chief Justice Surya Kant, since 24 November 2025

    Seats
    Up to 34 judges, including the Chief Justice
    Term
    Until age 65 (Art. 124)
    Chosen by
    The President, on the collegium's recommendation
    How
    The collegium — the Chief Justice and the four senior-most judges — recommends names; the government may return a name once. The 2014 National Judicial Appointments Commission was struck down in 2015 (Fourth Judges case). Removal only by a special majority of both houses for proved misbehaviour or incapacity.

    High Courts

    Seats
    25 High Courts, some serving several states or UTs
    Term
    Until age 62 (Art. 217)
    Chosen by
    The President, on the collegium's recommendation
    How
    A High Court collegium proposes; the state government and Governor comment; the Supreme Court collegium decides what to recommend. High Courts hear writ petitions (Art. 226), including election petitions challenging a result.

    Try it · From vacancy to the bench

    How a judge is appointed.

    Since the Second Judges case (1993) judges have, in effect, chosen judges.

    Step 1 of 5 · Supreme Court or High Court

    Vacancy

    A judge reaches retirement age (65 in the Supreme Court, 62 in High Courts), resigns, dies or is elevated.

    Part VI · The States

    Twenty-eight
    governments more.

    Each state copies the Union's design: an appointed Governor as formal head, a Chief Minister who needs the assembly's confidence, and an elected Vidhan Sabha. Of the eight union territories, Delhi, Puducherry and Jammu & Kashmir have elected legislatures; the rest are run by the Union.

    Governor

    One per state (a Lieutenant Governor or Administrator in union territories)

    Term Holds office 'during the pleasure of the President'; normally 5 years (Art. 156)

    Chosen by Appointed by the President on the Union government's advice

    The formal head of the state. Appoints the Chief Minister, summons the assembly, gives or withholds assent to state bills or reserves them for the President (Art. 200). How long a Governor may sit on a bill was litigated in State of Tamil Nadu v. Governor of Tamil Nadu (2025) and a presidential reference to the Supreme Court later that year.

    Chief Minister & state Council of Ministers

    One per state, plus Delhi, Puducherry and Jammu & Kashmir

    Term While holding the assembly's confidence; at most 5 years per assembly

    Chosen by Appointed by the Governor — the leader who commands an assembly majority

    Mirrors the Union: collectively responsible to the Vidhan Sabha, capped at 15% of its strength (minimum 12). A disputed majority is settled by a floor test in the assembly, not at Raj Bhavan (S. R. Bommai, 1994).

    Legislative Assembly (Vidhan Sabha)

    4,123 seats across 28 states and 3 union territories

    Term 5 years unless dissolved

    Chosen by Voters, in single-member assembly constituencies

    First past the post, with seats reserved for SC and ST. Six states also have an indirectly chosen upper house (Legislative Council): Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh.

    President's Rule

    Article 356

    Term Up to 6 months at a time, at most 3 years

    Chosen by The President, on the Union Cabinet's advice, approved by both houses within two months

    If the constitutional machinery in a state fails, the Union takes over and the assembly is suspended or dissolved. Used more than 130 times; S. R. Bommai (1994) made the decision reviewable by courts. Manipur was under President's Rule from February 2025 to February 2026.

    Who holds office in each state

    Chief Ministers and Governors (Lieutenant Governors or Administrators in union territories), from Wikidata and Wikipedia's current-holder tables.

    • Andhra Pradesh Nara Chandrababu Naidu Chief Minister
    • Andhra Pradesh S. Abdul Nazeer Governor
    • Arunachal Pradesh Pema Khandu Chief Minister
    • Arunachal Pradesh Kaiwalya Trivikram Parnaik Governor
    • Assam Himanta Biswa Sarma Chief Minister
    • Assam Lakshman Acharya Governor
    • Bihar Samrat Choudhary Chief Minister
    • Bihar Syed Ata Hasnain Governor
    • Chhattisgarh Vishnu Deo Sai Chief Minister
    • Chhattisgarh Ramen Deka Governor
    • Goa Pramod Sawant Chief Minister
    • Goa Pusapati Ashok Gajapati Raju Governor
    • Gujarat Bhupendrabhai Patel Chief Minister
    • Gujarat Acharya Devvrat Governor
    • Haryana Nayab Singh Saini Chief Minister
    • Haryana Ashim Kumar Ghosh Governor
    • Himachal Pradesh Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu Chief Minister
    • Himachal Pradesh Kavinder Gupta Governor
    • Jharkhand Hemant Soren Chief Minister
    • Jharkhand Santosh Gangwar Governor
    • Karnataka D. K. Shivakumar Chief Minister
    • Karnataka Sudha Yadav Governor
    • Kerala V. D. Satheesan Chief Minister
    • Kerala Om Prakash Mathur Governor
    • Madhya Pradesh Mohan Yadav Chief Minister
    • Madhya Pradesh Mangubhai C. Patel Governor
    • Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis Chief Minister
    • Maharashtra Jishnu Dev Varma Governor
    • Manipur Y. Khemchand Singh Chief Minister
    • Manipur Ajay Kumar Bhalla Governor
    • Meghalaya Conrad Sangma Chief Minister
    • Meghalaya C. H. Vijayashankar Governor
    • Mizoram Lalduhoma Chief Minister
    • Mizoram Vijay Kumar Singh Governor
    • Nagaland Neiphiu Rio Chief Minister
    • Nagaland Nand Kishore Yadav Governor
    • Odisha Mohan Charan Majhi Chief Minister
    • Odisha Braj Mohan Ram Governor
    • Punjab Bhagwant Mann Chief Minister
    • Punjab Gulab Chand Jain Kataria Governor
    • Rajasthan Bhajan Lal Sharma Chief Minister
    • Rajasthan Haribhau Bagade Governor
    • Sikkim Prem Singh Tamang Chief Minister
    • Sikkim Dushyant Kumar Gautam Governor
    • Tamil Nadu C. Joseph Vijay Chief Minister
    • Tamil Nadu Rajendra Arlekar Governor
    • Telangana Revanth Reddy Chief Minister
    • Telangana Shiv Pratap Shukla Governor
    • Tripura Manik Saha Chief Minister
    • Tripura Indrasena Reddy Governor
    • Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath Chief Minister
    • Uttar Pradesh Anandiben Patel Governor
    • Uttarakhand Pushkar Singh Dhami Chief Minister
    • Uttarakhand Dhal Singh Bisen Governor
    • West Bengal Suvendu Adhikari Chief Minister
    • West Bengal R. N. Ravi Governor
    • Andaman and Nicobar Islands Dinesh Sharma Lieutenant Governor
    • Chandigarh Gulab Chand Jain Kataria Governor
    • Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu Praful Khoda Patel Administrator
    • Delhi Rekha Gupta Chief Minister
    • Delhi Taranjit Singh Sandhu Lieutenant Governor
    • Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah Chief Minister
    • Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha Governor
    • Ladakh Vinai Kumar Saxena Governor
    • Lakshadweep Praful Khoda Patel Administrator
    • Puducherry N. Rangasamy Chief Minister
    • Puducherry Kuniyil Kailashnathan Lieutenant Governor
    Photo credits · 64 of 67 pictured, from Wikimedia Commons

    Nara Chandrababu Naidu — Prime Minister's Office, GODL-India · S. Abdul Nazeer — Supreme Court of India, GODL-India · Pema Khandu — Ministry of Home Affairs, GODL-India · Kaiwalya Trivikram Parnaik — Government of India, GODL-India · Himanta Biswa Sarma — Prime Minister's Office, GODL-India · Lakshman Acharya — Government of India, GODL-India · Samrat Choudhary — Samratudhd, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Vishnu Deo Sai — Prime Minister's Office, GODL-India · Ramen Deka — President's Secretariat, GODL-India · Pramod Sawant — Ministry of Home Affairs, GODL-India · Pusapati Ashok Gajapati Raju — Ministry of Civil Aviation, GODL-India · Bhupendrabhai Patel — NehalDaveND, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Acharya Devvrat — Ministry of Home Affairs, GODL-India · Nayab Singh Saini — Ministry of Labour and Employment, GODL-India · Ashim Kumar Ghosh — President's Secretariat, GODL-India · Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu — Prime Minister's Office (India), GODL-India · Kavinder Gupta — JK Update, CC BY 3.0 · Hemant Soren — Prime Minister's Office, India, GODL-India · Santosh Gangwar — Ministry of Textiles, GODL-India · D. K. Shivakumar — News World India, CC BY 3.0 · Sudha Yadav — Indic Scholar, CC BY-SA 4.0 · V. D. Satheesan — Fotokannan, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Om Prakash Mathur — Raj Bhavan Sikkim, CC BY 4.0 · Mohan Yadav — Ministry of Defence, GODL-India · Mangubhai C. Patel — President's Secretariat, GODL-India · Devendra Fadnavis — Correctinfo86, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Jishnu Dev Varma — Ministry of Home Affairs, GODL-India · Y. Khemchand Singh — assembly.mn.gov, CC0 · Ajay Kumar Bhalla — Ministry of Power, GODL-India · Conrad Sangma — Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, GODL-India · C. H. Vijayashankar — Governor Secretariat, Meghalaya, CC BY 4.0 · Lalduhoma — Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, GODL-India · Vijay Kumar Singh — Indian Army, GODL-India · Neiphiu Rio — Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, GODL-India · Nand Kishore Yadav — Manav2406, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Mohan Charan Majhi — Odisha State Legislative Assembly, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Bhagwant Mann — News18 Punjab/Haryana/Himachal, CC BY 3.0 · Gulab Chand Jain Kataria — Ministry of Defence, GODL-India · Bhajan Lal Sharma — Ministry of Defence, GODL-India · Haribhau Bagade — Prime Minister's Office, GODL-India · Prem Singh Tamang — Ministry of Power, GODL-India · Dushyant Kumar Gautam — Nlengay, CC BY-SA 4.0 · C. Joseph Vijay — Prime Minister's Office, GODL-India · Rajendra Arlekar — Government of India, GODL-India · Revanth Reddy — Prime Minister's Office, GODL-India · Shiv Pratap Shukla — Ranvet, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Manik Saha — Government of Odisha, CC BY 4.0 · Indrasena Reddy — Prime Minister's Office, GODL-India · Yogi Adityanath — Prime Minister's Office, GODL-India · Anandiben Patel — President's Secretariat, GODL-India · Pushkar Singh Dhami — Prime Minister's Office, GODL-India · Suvendu Adhikari — Vice President's Secretariat, GODL-India · R. N. Ravi — Prime Minister's Office, GODL-India · Dinesh Sharma — Vice President's Secretariat, GODL-India · Gulab Chand Jain Kataria — Ministry of Defence, GODL-India · Praful Khoda Patel — Prime Minister's Office, GODL-India · Rekha Gupta — Prime Minister's Office, GODL-India · Taranjit Singh Sandhu — Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, CC BY 2.0 · Omar Abdullah — Joel's Goa Pics, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Manoj Sinha — Press Information Bureau, GODL-India · Vinai Kumar Saxena — Ministry of Micro,Small & Medium Enterprises, Government of India, GODL-India · Praful Khoda Patel — Prime Minister's Office, GODL-India · N. Rangasamy — Prime Minister's Office, GODL-India · Kuniyil Kailashnathan — Prime Minister's Office, GODL-India

    Parts IX & IXA · 73rd and 74th Amendments, 1992

    Democracy
    in the village.

    Panchayats existed long before 1992, but elections were irregular and state governments often suspended them. The 73rd (rural) and 74th (urban) Amendments made elected local bodies, regular polls and reserved seats for women a constitutional requirement.

    Try it · Local self-government

    Three tiers in the village, three kinds of town.

    Since 1992 the Constitution has required elected local governments everywhere. Tap a layer.

    Rural · 73rd Amendment · Part IX

    Urban · 74th Amendment · Part IXA

    Gram Panchayat Village panchayat

    over 2.5 lakh (approximate)

    Ward members are elected directly. The sarpanch / pradhan is elected directly in most states, indirectly in some — the Constitution leaves this to state law. Runs water, sanitation, local roads and welfare delivery.

    • Five-year terms. Elections before the term ends, or within six months of a dissolution (Arts. 243E, 243U).
    • Reservations. Seats and chairpersons' posts for SC and ST in proportion to population; at least one-third for women (Arts. 243D, 243T). Most states have raised women's reservation to 50%.
    • Run by the states. Each state's own State Election Commission conducts these polls, not the ECI (Arts. 243K, 243ZA); a State Finance Commission reviews their funding every five years (Art. 243I).
    • Exceptions. Nagaland, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Sixth Schedule hill areas are outside Part IX; PESA (1996) adapts it for Fifth Schedule tribal areas.

    Counts are approximate and change as states redraw units. Source: Local Government Directory (Ministry of Panchayati Raj) ↗