other languages and dialects, for the most part mutually
unintelligible

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 52%

male: 65.5%

female: 37.7% (1995 est.)

India Government

Country name: conventional long form: Republic of India

conventional short form: India

Government type: federal republic

Capital: New Delhi

Administrative divisions: 28 states and 7 union territories*;
Andaman and Nicobar Islands*, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh,
Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh*, Chhattisgarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli*,
Daman and Diu*, Delhi*, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh,
Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Lakshadweep*,
Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland,
Orissa, Pondicherry*, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu,
Tripura, Uttaranchal, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal

Independence: 15 August 1947 (from UK)

National holiday: Republic Day, 26 January (1950)

Constitution: 26 January 1950

Legal system: based on English common law; limited judicial review
of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with
reservations

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: President Kicheril Raman
NARAYANAN (since 25 July 1997); Vice President Krishnan KANT (since
21 August 1997)

head of government: Prime Minister Atal Behari VAJPAYEE (since 19
March 1998)

cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the
recommendation of the prime minister

elections: president elected by an electoral college consisting of
elected members of both houses of Parliament and the legislatures of
the states for a five-year term; election last held 14 July 1997
(next to be held NA July 2002); vice president elected by both
houses of Parliament for a five-year term; election last held 16
August 1997 (next to be held NA August 2002); prime minister elected
by parliamentary members of the majority party following legislative
elections; election last held NA October 1999 (next to be held NA
October 2004)

election results: Kicheril Raman NARAYANAN elected president;
percent of electoral college vote - NA%; Krishnan KANT elected vice
president; percent of Parliament vote - NA%; Atal Behari VAJPAYEE
elected prime minister; percent of vote - NA%

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament or Sansad consists of the
Council of States or Rajya Sabha (a body consisting of not more than
2