The Lion Capital of Ashoka, which depicts four Asiatic lions standing back to back mounted on a circular abacus, is the official emblem; Bengal tiger; lotus flower; national colors: saffron, white, green.
Title | "Jana-Gana-Mana" (Thou Art the Ruler of the Minds of All People) |
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Lyric/music | Rabindranath TAGORE |
Date of Independence | 15 August 1947 (from the UK) |
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National holiday | Republic Day, 26 January (1950) |
Legal system | common law system based on the English model; separate personal law codes apply to Muslims, Christians, and Hindus; judicial review of legislative acts |
International law organization participation | accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; non-party state to the ICCt |
Constitution | |
History | Previous 1935 (preindependence); latest draft completed 4 November 1949, adopted 26 November 1949, effective 26 January 1950 |
Amendments | Proposed by either the Council of States or the House of the People; passage requires majority participation of the total membership in each house and at least two-thirds majority of voting members of each house, followed by assent of the president of India; proposed amendments to the constitutional amendment procedures also must be ratified by at least one half of the India state legislatures before presidential assent; amended many times, last in 2023 |
Citizenship | |
Citizenship by birth | no |
Citizenship by descent only | at least one parent must be a citizen of India |
Dual citizenship recognized | no |
Residency requirement for naturalization | 5 years |
Executive Branch | |
Chief of state | President Droupadi MURMU (since 25 July 2022) |
Head of government | Prime Minister Narendra MODI (since 26 May 2014) |
Cabinet | Union Council of Ministers recommended by the prime minister, appointed by the president |
Elections/appointments | president indirectly elected by an electoral college consisting of elected members of both houses of Parliament for a 5-year term (no term limits); election last held on 18 July 2022 (next to be held in July 2027); vice president indirectly elected by an electoral college consisting of elected members of both houses of Parliament for a 5-year term (no term limits); election last held on 5 August 2022 (next to be held in August 2027); following legislative elections, the prime minister is elected by Lok Sabha members of the majority party |
Election results | 2022: Droupadi MURMU elected president; percent of electoral college vote - Droupadi MURMU (BJP) 64%, Yashwant SINHA (AITC) 35.9%; Jagdeep DHANKHAR elected vice president; percent of electoral college vote - Jagdeep DHANKHAR (BJP) 74.4%, Margaret ALVA (INC) 25.6% 2017: Ram Nath KOVIND elected president; percent of electoral college vote - Ram Nath KOVIND (BJP) 65.6%, Meira KUMAR (INC) 34.4%; Venkaiah NAIDU elected vice president; percent of electoral college vote - Venkaiah NAIDU (BJP) 67.9%, Gopal-krishna GANDHI 32.1% |
Legislative branch | |
Legislature name | Parliament (Sansad) |
Legislative structure | Bicameral |
Judicial branch | |
Highest court(s) | Supreme Court (consists of 28 judges, including the chief justice) |
Judge selection and term of office | Justices appointed by the president to serve until age 65 |
Subordinate courts | High Courts; District Courts; Labour Court |
Diplomatic representation in the US | |
Chief of mission | Ambassador Vinay Mohan KWATRA (since 18 September 2024) |
Chancery | 2107 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 |
Telephone | [1] (202) 939-7000 |
FAX | [1] (202) 265-4351 |
Email address and website | [email protected] https://www.indianembassyusa.gov.in/ |
Consulate(s) general | Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, New York, San Francisco, Seattle |
Diplomatic representation from the US | |
Chief of mission | Ambassador Eric M. GARCETTI (since 11 May 2023) |
Embassy | Shantipath, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi - 110021 |
Mailing address | 9000 New Delhi Place, Washington DC 20521-9000 |
Telephone | [91] (11) 2419-8000 |
FAX | [91] (11) 2419-0017 |
Email address and website | [email protected] https://in.usembassy.gov/ |
Consulate(s) general | Chennai (Madras), Hyderabad, Kolkata (Calcutta), Mumbai (Bombay) |
National heritage | |
Total World Heritage Sites | 43 (35 cultural, 7 natural, 1 mixed) |
Selected World Heritage Site locales | Taj Mahal (c); Red Fort Complex (c); Elphanta Caves (c); Hill Forts of Rajasthan (c); Sundarbans National Park (n); Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka (c); Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park (c); Dholavira: A Harappan City (c); Jaipur (c); Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya (c); Manas Wildlife Sanctuary (n); Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks (n); Khangchendzonga National Park (m); Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram (c); Sun Temple, Konârak (c); Kaziranga National Park (n); Keoladeo National Park (n); Churches and Convents of Goa (c); Fatehpur Sikri (c); Group of Monuments at Hampi (c); Khajuraho Group of Monuments (c); Great Living Chola Temples (c); Group of Monuments at Pattadakal (c); Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi (c); Humayun's Tomb, Delhi (c); Qutb Minar and its Monuments, Delhi (c); Mountain Railways of India (c); Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus) (c); The Jantar Mantar, Jaipur (c); Western Ghats (n); Great Himalayan National Park Conservation Area (n); Rani-ki-Vav (the Queen’s Stepwell) at Patan, Gujarat (c); Archaeological Site of Nalanda Mahavihara at Nalanda, Bihar (c); The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier, an Outstanding Contribution to the Modern Movement (c); Historic City of Ahmadabad (c); Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai (c); Jaipur City, Rajasthan (c); Kakatiya Rudreshwara (Ramappa) Temple, Telangana (c); Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas (c); Santiniketan (c); Moidams – the Mound-Burial System of the Ahom Dynasty (c) |
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