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The
Government of the Indian Union constitutes of four pillars -
Legislature, Executive, Judiciary & The Fourth Estate.
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The
Legislature, called the Parliament, consists of two houses - the
House of Elders (Rajya Sabha) and the
House of the People (Lok Sabha). The Lok Sabha consists of 552
members chosen by direct election from territorial constituents: 530
members from States, 20 members from Union Territories, and 2
Presidential nominees from the Anglo-Indian community. The
Rajya Sabha shall consist of not more than 238 elected
representatives of States and Union Territories and 12 Presidential
nominees.
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The
Executive, comprises of the President of India, the
Vice-President, and a Council of Ministers headed by the Prime
Minister. President of India is the Executive Head of State
and the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. The President
is a figure-head of the Republic. The Prime Minister shall be appointed by
the President, and the other Ministers shall be appointed by the
President, on the advice of the Prime Minister. The Ministers
shall hold office during the pleasure of the President.
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The
Judiciary, has the Supreme Court of India as the Apex Court of
the country and High Courts in the States. The Chief Justice
of India, Chief Justices of High Courts and other judges are
appointed by the President of India. The President shall also
appoint an Attorney General (with responsibility to advise the
Government of India on legal matters) as well as a Comptroller &
Auditor General (with responsibility to exercise a general control
over the accounts of the Union and State Governments).
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The
Fourth Estate, has the several independent elements that help in
maintaining the vibrancy of the Indian democracy. These
include the Election Commission, Press, Electronic Media,
Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Semi-Governmental
Organizations (like Securities Exchange Board of India -
SEBI,
Telecom Regulatory Authority - TRAI, National Human
Rights Commission - NHRC, National Commission for Minorities - NCM, etc.), and
other organizations with independent mandates.
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