*, 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 Abdul KALAM (since 26
July 2002); Vice President (vacant) 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 NA July 2002 (next to be held NA July 2007); 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) head of government: Prime Minister
Atal Bihari VAJPAYEE (since 19 March 1998) cabinet: Council of Ministers
appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister
election results: Kocheril Raman NARAYANAN elected president; percent
of electoral college vote - NA%; Krishnan KANT elected vice president;
percent of Parliament vote - NA%; Atal Bihari 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 250
members, up to 12 of which are appointed by the president, the remainder
are chosen by the elected members of the state and territorial assemblies;
members serve six-year terms) and the People's Assembly or Lok Sabha
(545 seats; 543 elected by popular vote, 2 appointed by the president;
members serve five-year terms) elections: People's Assembly - last held
5 September through 3 October 1999 (next to be held NA 2004) election
results: People's Assembly - percent of vote by party - BJP alliance
40.8%, Congress (I) alliance 33.8%, other 25.4%; seats by party - BJP
alliance 304, Congress (I) alliance 134, other 107