Political System of India - Research Paper Example

POLITICAL SYSTEM OF INDIA by of the of the Introduction With the populationof around 1.25 billion and an electorate of 815 million, India is currently the largest democracy in the world. Despite various flaws and faults, the democratic system of India is going strong unlike the democratic failures of Bangladesh and Pakistan which were parts of India until 1947 (A short guide 2014). Unlike the British political system and the American political system, which are existed in their present structure for centuries, the Indian political system has emerged recently after its independence from British rule in 1947 (A short guide 2014). The purpose of this paper is to discuss Indian political system by analyzing various aspects of it including, political history, social conditions, executive structure, political process, political socialization, the bureaucracy, the federal structure, the articulation of interests, interest groups, major parties and election system, political culture, overall outcomes, and international relations of the country. Political History Arrival of European Traders- History in the Making of Modern Politics After the entry of Portuguese explorer, Vasco da Gama in Calicut, India on 20th May, 1498, European traders began to arrive in India through newly discovered sea route from Europe to India (Padmanabhan 2011, p. 5). During the time, India was divided in various regions which were ruled by the regional emperors. By the end of 16th century, Portuguese and Dutch established their colonies on the western coast of India. In 1601, the East India Company was founded and the British made their entry into the Indian Ocean. Initially, British were mainly focused on the trading of silk, tea, cotton, spices, indigo dye, opium, and saltpetre. In 1610, East India Company conquered Portuguese naval squadron in Surat and marked its own territory in India. This small settlement marked the beginning of a British rule that would last over 250 years and dominate the whole Indian subcontinent (Padmanabhan 2011, p. 10-12). With the beginning of industrial revolution in Europe and growing competition from Dutch, Portuguese, and French, East India Company began to expand and further colonize India. Rule of East India Company lasted till 1858, when, following the Indian Revolt of 1857, and under the Government of India Act 1858, the British government ended the Company rule considering its incapability to control the region and formed direct governing of India under the new British Raj (rule) (Parliament and Empire 2014). With the formation of British Raj in 1858, Indian political system went through massive changes in its structure and formation, marking the beginning of modern politics. The British Raj As the British Crown replaced the Company rule in India in 1858, the British Parliament’s involvement in issues and affairs concerning India significantly increased. The Indian administration was regularly reviewed. Between 1858 and 1947, the British Parliament passed an overall 196 Acts concerning the sub-continental affairs (Parliament and Empire 2014). The government of the British Raj constituted entirely of British officials and was led by the viceroy and the selected council members. After the approval of the Indian Council Act in 1861, the executive council under the leadership of viceroy acted as a cabinet and became a part of an imperial parliamentary council. All eleven provinces of British India had their own governor who was assisted by identical provincial parliamentary councils. In such regional councils, few Indian council members from the local elite groups were also appointed, but only for advisory purposes. The adoption of the Royal Titles Act of 1876 by the British Parliament officially honoured Queen Victoria with the title of ‘Express of India’, reinforcing the British Raj in India (Parliament and Empire 2014). The Independence Movement In 1885, the Indian National Congress Party was founded to provide a platform for political and civic dialogue of educated Indian with the British government. The Indian Council Acts of 1892 and 1909 caused an allocated number of Indians in both the provincial and imperial parliamentary council to be increased from 39 in 1893 to 135 in 1910. Under the 1909 Act, these Indian representatives were elected by small elite groups of Indian electors as representatives of particular social and religious communities, such as landowners or Muslims. These councils remained just consultative and the governor of India was not responsible to these elected members. However, such parliamentary legislations couldn’t contain the growing dissatisfaction with British Raj (Padmanabhan 2011, p. 138-140). Especially, the series of events such as, the Amritsar Massacre of 1919 intensified the nationalist movement for independence of India. The Indian independence movement was executed through non-violent protests and violent acts. Under the leadership of Mohandas K. Gandhi, the Indian National Congress party organized non-violent protests against the British Raj throughout the country, while Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA) under the leadership of Chandrashekahr Aazad and Bhagat Singh, the Ghadar Party, and the Bengal Volunteers opted the path of armed revolution against the British government (Padmanabhan 2011, p. 139-144). The Government of India Act of 1935 with 15 separate schedules and 450 clauses is one of the most complicated and the lengthy laws adopted by the Parliament. The Act increased the number of Indian voters and presented fully-elected regional authorities, who could form their own governments. With the help of this Act, the Indian National Congress party formed provincial ministries in 7 of the 11 provinces (Parliament and Empire 2014). Independence and Partition After the end of World War II in 1945, the economy of the UK was completely collapsed and it was difficult for the British government to bear the cost of maintaining military and governing officials in India (Dhiman 2014). Also, by the time, the independence movement was escalated all over the country and it was merely impossible for the British government to oppress the movement and maintain its rule in India. Therefore, Clement Attlees new Labour government in the Britain granted full independence to India and negotiated with the leaders of two major Indian national parties, namely, the Indian National Congress Party and the Muslim League (Dhiman 2014). Both the parties were bitterly divided on the basis of ideology and religious background, and couldn’t agree on the future of independent India. Muslim League wasn’t sure about the future of Muslim minority in India, hence they stayed firm with their demand for partition and new country for Indian Muslim minority. Eventually, due to growing violence and tensions in the country, under the Act of Independence of India in 1947, Viceroy Mountbatten declared partition of India and Pakistan, and officially acknowledged the independence of India on 15 August, 1947 (Parliament and Empire 2014). Recent Political History After independence, India adopted democratic political system. The present constitution of India was formed on 26 January, 1950. The Indian Constitution is the longest written constitution of any major country in the world, consisting 98 amendments, 12 schedules, and 444 articles that advocates the equality, liberty, and trinity of justice (Dhiman 2014). In 1952, first constitutional elections were held. The National Congress Party won with majority votes, and Jawaharlal Nehru became the first Prime Minister of India, while Dr. Rajendra Prasad was elected as the first President of India. In 1956, State Reorganization Act was passed. According to the Act, new states were created and formed on the basis of ethnic demographics and spoken language (Dhiman 2014). Till 1996, National Congress Party was the only dominant party in India. However, in the national elections of 1996, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged as the single-largest party in the Parliament, i.e., Lok Sabha. During the last decade, various scams such as, the Coal-gate scam, Commonwealth Games scam, and the 2G scam caught many supreme leaders of Congress, including the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh into the troble, leading the end of 10-years rule of the National Congress Party in 2014’s election. In 2014’s election, BJP won with majority votes and formed its 2nd NDA (National Democratic Alliance) government under the leadership of the present Prime Minister Narendra Modi (Dhiman 2014). Structure of the Indian Government The Central Government or the Union Government of India is mainly divided into 3 main sectors, i.e., the legislative branch, the executive branch, and the judiciary branch. Each branch has its own power and responsibilities (A short guide 2014). Legislative Branch or the Parliament Parliament is the main legislative branch of the Indian political structure. It consists of the President and 2 houses, namely, the Lok Sabha (House of the People) and the Rajya Sabha (Council of States). The President has the power to prorogue and summon either House of Parliament or to dismiss the Lok Sabha. After the formation of Constitution in 1950, the first Parliament was established in 1952 (A short guide 2014). This branch of Government is responsible for making laws. Also, financial decisions such as, raising taxes, are executed in the legislative branch. The legislative branch is also responsible for monitoring the executive branch to ensure transparency and proper functioning of the system. All legislation needs the approval of both the houses of Parliament. But, in case of financial or money bills, the ‘Call’ of the Lok Sabha always influences (A short guide 2014). Lok Sabha (House of the People). The Lok Sabha is the lower house of the Parliament. It consists of representatives of the common citizens elected by direct election on the basis of universal adult (+18 years of age) legal right to vote. As of today, the Lok Sabha consists of 552 members and is constituted by upto 530 members that represent the States, upto 20 members that represent the Union Territories, and upto 2 members of the Anglo-Indian Community which are elected by the President (Indian Parliament 2014). The number of overall elective membership in the Lok Sabha is divided among the States on the basis of the population of each state in order to keep the ratio of the number of the allotted seats same for all States. If it is not dismissed under critical situations, the general term of the Lok Sabha is 5 years (Indian Parliament 2014). Rajya Sabha (Council of States). The Rajya Sabha is the upper house of the Parliament. The members of the Rajya Sabha are elected by the process of indirect election. According to the Constitution’s Article 80, the maximum allotted seats in the Rajya Sabha are 250, out of it 238 are the representatives of States and Union Territories, and 12 members are elected by the President. These 12 members are elected as respective figures from the field of social service, literature, art, and science. Unlike the Lok Sabha, the Rajya Sabha isn’t subject to dismiss, instead one third of its members retire after every 2nd year (Indian Parliament 2014). The Executive Branch The executive branch of the Government is responsible for executing the laws that are made by the legislative branch and conducting the daily administration. The execution of laws and administration is carried out through a various departments that are designated with specific functions and responsibilities such as, Income Tax Department, Police Department, Post Department and so on. Every department has a political chief in the form of Minister who administers his ministry and Secretary, who is responsible to make sure the constant functioning of the department (Government of India 2014). The executive branch of the Government consists of the President, Vice-President, and the Council of Ministers under the leadership of the Prime Minister. President. The President of India is the constitutional head of the legislative, executive, and judiciary branch of India. The President performs his functioning in accordance with the advise and assist of the Prime Minister. Prime Minister is further assisted by his Council of Ministers (Government of India 2014). The Constitution authorizes the President to elect a number of crucial officials such as, the Governors of States, the Chief Justice, the Chief of Election Commission, the Cabinet Secretary, for the systematic functioning of the government. The President also has the power to declare emergency in case of critical circumstances in the country. Despite such powers, the role of President is mainly formal and symbolic (Indian Parliament 2014). Vice-President. The Vice-President of India is the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. The Vice-President is the 2nd highest official in the executive branch of the Government as the Constitution has entitled the power to the Vice-President to act on the behalf of the President in his absence or in case of his death (Government of India 2014). Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers. The Prime Minister is the head of the Government and the Council of Ministers. Though the President is the head of the States, most of the executive powers and decisions are executed by the Prime Minister. The President appoints the leader of the alliance or the party that is in majority in Lok Sabha as the Prime Minister of the country (India Political 2014). The Prime Minister either belongs to Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha, and leads the corresponding House of the Parliament. The Prime Minister is the link between the Council of Ministers and the President. Prime Minister mainly represents the country on an international platform and addresses the national issues and important policies to the nation (India Political 2014). The Constitution of India has appointed “Council of Ministers” to advice and assist the Prime Minister in conducting his executive powers. It consists of Junior Ministers of State, Minister of State, and the Cabinet Ministers. Cabinet is the crucial department of that consists of a small number of important ministries and portfolios. All crucial decisions are virtually taken by the Cabinet. Only members of Rajya Sabha or Lok Sabha are authorized to hold the ministries in the Government (Government of India 2014). The Judiciary Branch The main function of the judiciary branch of the Government is to interpret the laws and resolve disputes. In the Indian judiciary, the Supreme Court is at the supreme level, followed by the High Courts in each state (Government of India 2014). Various district courts from the states are rated below the High courts. The judgment of the lower district courts can be challenged in the High Courts and the verdict of the High Court further can be overruled by the Supreme Court (Government of India 2014). The verdict of the Supreme Court is considered as the final order, but in the president has the supreme power to sanction pardon and hold, revise, or reduce the sentence of the person convicted by the Indian judiciary system, especially in cases of death punishment (Indian Parliament 2014). Parties The part system in India is complicated. On the basis of performance in previous elections, parties are characterized as national parties or state parties. Parties are allocated particular symbols and voting ballots consists of these symbols to assist the illiterate voters to identify the parties. The Indian National Congress or simply, the Congress, which was founded in 1885 by the British civil servant Alan Octvian Hume, is the most successful national party in India. Besides the Congress, the Communist Party of India, which is based on the ideology of communism and the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), which is based on the ideology of Hinduism, are the other major national parties in India (A short guide 2014). The Indian National Congress Party The Indian National Congress (INC) Party is the oldest party in India. The party is based on the social democratic and secular ideology of Mahatma Gandhi. The party faced great crisis in 1967, when the former President of Congress, Indira Gandhi, faced opposition and criticism from the majority of party members as under her leadership the party failed to gain success in many states of India (India Political 2014). Due to growing tensions, party was divided between the young members and the older members of the INC. Under the leadership of India Gandhi new Congress party emerged, known as the ‘New Congress’, while kamaraj led the ‘Old Congress’ or original INC. However, in 1978, the Election Commission of India recognized the ‘New Congress’ as the official Congress. Currently, the President of the party is Sonia Gandhi who is the daughter-in-law of Indira Gandhi. The election symbol of the party is the “right hand,” facing from its palm-side with the Indian flag in its center (India Political 2014). After successfully completing the term of 10 years of ledership from 2004 to 2014, the party lost the election of 2014 against the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) (A short guide 2014). Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) Today, the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) is the most dominating political party in India. The party is based on the Hindu-nationalist ideology, promoting Hinduism through social conservatism. The party was officially founded in 1980 under the leadership of 2 most influential leaders, L. K. Advani and Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Orange lotus with green leaves is the symbol of the party. In 1998, the BJP came into the power by forming an alliance of the parties called as, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) (India Political 2014). The NDA remained in the power from 1998 to 2004. In the election of 2014, the party won 282 seats in the Centre, while the NDA won an overall 336 seats. It was the first time since 1984 that any party had won with such a great majority. The BJP leader, Narendra Modi, is the current Prime Minister of India (India Political 2014). The Communist Party of India The Communist Party of India (Marxist), also known as the CPIM, is the major opposition party to the ruling party in India which was founded in 1964. S. Sudhakar Reddy is the present general secretary of the party. The party is based on the ideology of communism and highly influenced by Lenin and Marx (India Political 2014). Hammer and sickle is the election symbol of the party. The CPIM is the dominating party in the Eastern and Southern region of India, i.e., West Bengal, Tripura, and Kerala. The party was in the power in West Bengal for continuous 35 years, till 2011. Currently, the party is ruling in Tripura (India Political 2014). Election and Voting Process In a country with around 1.25 billion population and vast diversity, election is a complicated and difficult process. In the national election of 2014, about 815 million people voted and. The Indian Constitution has mentioned that voters shouldn’t be require to travel more than 2 km for voting, therefore, about 931,000 polling booths were needed to make it happen (A short guide 2014). The election process lasts for several weeks due to its massiveness. The voting for the election of 2014 lasted for 6 weeks from April 7, 2014 to May 12, 2014. In general, voting turnout records around 55%, but in the election of 2014, it broke the record with the voting turnout of 66.40% (A short guide 2014). Election process is conducted under the administration of the Election Commission. Under the universal adult suffrage, every Indian citizen of the age 18 or over is eligible to vote and elect their representatives in the Parliament (The Electoral System of India 2014). The party with the majority of seats forms the government for the 5-years of term. The elected members of the party choose their leader, who is further appointed as the Prime Minister by the President. The identical political structure is found in all states of India which collectively form the Union of India (The Electoral System of India 2014). Conclusion Despite huge diversity, presence of various ethnic, religious groups, and huge population, India has emerged as one of the most powerful democracy in the world. India has adopted parliamentary democracy after the formation of its constitution in 1950. The de facto and de jure head of the country is the Prime Minister and the President respectively. Despite regular accusation of growing corruption and criminalization of politics in India, with the formation of new government and its effective policies, the citizens of India are hopeful about the rise of India as a superpower in the nearest future. Reference List A short guide to the Indian political system 2014, www.rogerdarlington.me.uk, viewed 10 January 2015, . Dhiman 2014, Political History of India after Independence, elections.in, viewed 10 January 2015, . Government of India 2014, Discovered India, viewed 10 January 2015, . Indian Parliament 2014, National Informatics Centre, viewed 10 January 2015, . India Political 2014, elections.in, viewed 10 January 2015, . Padmanabhan, N 2011, ‘Modern Indian History,’ School of Distance Education, p. 1-159, viewed 10 January 2015, . Parliament and Empire 2014, www.parliament.uk, viewed 10 January 2015, . The Electoral System of India 2014, Indian Elections, viewed 10 January 2015, . Read More