STATE STRUCTURE
General Information
Official name – Republic of India.
Form of government – federal parliamentary republic.
President (2025) – Droupadi Murmu.
State language – Hindi, English.
Capital – New Delhi.
Foundation Period
Until 1947, modern India was part of British possessions, consisting of 16 provinces and more than 500 Indian princely states. The country gained independence on August 15, 1947. The country's constitution came into force on January 26, 1950. According to the Constitution, India is a federal parliamentary republic. In 1954, the territory of the former French possessions was annexed to the country, and in 1961 – the former Portuguese possessions in India.
Heads of State
Rajendra Prasad – held the position of president from January 26, 1950 to May 13, 1962. The first President of India, a fighter for the country's independence. Established the tradition, still maintained today, of the president's independence from party affiliation. Member of the Indian National Congress – a party adhering to the views of progressivism, social liberalism, democracy, and socialism.
Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan – held the position of president from May 13, 1962 to May 13, 1967. Indian philosopher, member of the Indian National Congress.
Zakir Hussain – held the position of president from May 13, 1967 to May 3, 1969. The first Muslim to hold the post of President of India, promoted the policy of secularism.
Varahagiri Venkata Giri – served as acting president from May 3, 1969 to July 20, 1969. Considered a president who was subordinate to the prime minister. Member of the Indian National Congress. Held the post of president again from August 24, 1969 to August 24, 1974.
Muhammad Hidayatullah – served as acting president from July 20, 1969 to August 24, 1969. The second Muslim to hold the post of President of India. Held democratic views.
Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed – held the position of president from August 24, 1974 to February 11, 1977. Responsible for some radical taxation measures. Member of the Indian National Congress.
Basappa Danappa Jatti – served as acting president from February 11, 1977 to July 25, 1977. Member of the Indian National Congress.
Neelam Sanjiva Reddy – held the position of president from July 25, 1977 to July 25, 1982. In the presidential elections, he was presented as a member of the Indian National Congress, later switched to the socialist Janata Party.
Zail Singh – held the position of president from July 25, 1982 to July 25, 1987. Held liberal views, a supporter of secularism. Member of the Indian National Congress.
Ramaswamy Venkataraman – held the position of president from July 25, 1987 to July 25, 1992. Was a member of the Constituent Assembly that drafted the constitution of independent India, member of the Indian National Congress.
Shankar Dayal Sharma – held the position of president from July 25, 1992 to July 25, 1997. Actively performed representative functions, appointed and dismissed governors. In the last year of his term, he swore in three prime ministers. Member of the Indian National Congress.
Kocheril Raman Narayanan – held the position of president from July 25, 1997 to July 25, 2002. As president, he repeatedly addressed the nation and parliament, critically assessed the country's socio-economic development, and expressed dissatisfaction with the growing violence in society. Member of the Indian National Congress, the first President of India from the lower castes of Indian society.
Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam – held the position of president from July 25, 2002 to July 25, 2007. One of the initiators of the creation of the Russian-Indian joint venture "BrahMos" for the production of cruise missiles. Known for his strategic vision for India's development and its place in the world. Member of the Indian National Congress.
Pratibha Devisingh Patil – held the position of president from July 25, 2007 to July 25, 2012. The first female President of India. Member of the Indian National Congress.
Pranab Kumar Mukherjee – held the position of president from July 25, 2012 to July 25, 2017. Focused primarily on the development of education, technology, and healthcare, and repeatedly spoke at events dedicated to these issues. Member of the Indian National Congress.
Ram Nath Kovind – held the position of president from July 25, 2017 to July 25, 2022. Representative of the Bharatiya Janata Party, which adheres to the ideology of Hindu nationalism. The second president from the lower castes of Indian society.
Droupadi Murmu – has held the position of President of India from July 25, 2022 to the present. Representative of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.
Administrative Division
According to the Constitution, India is a union of states. Currently, it comprises 28 states and 7 union territories (Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Delhi, Lakshadweep, Puducherry, Chandigarh).
The powers of the states include: maintaining public order, police measures, administration of justice, local government, development of education, healthcare, social services, and agriculture. The center and the states are jointly responsible for other areas of activity. Executive power in the states is exercised by the governor and the government.
If the president, together with the Indian parliament during its session, declares a state of emergency in a state, the head of state issues legislative acts for that state. The country's parliament must approve the decision of the head of state within two months and then reaffirm its previous position every six months. A state of emergency can be imposed for a period not exceeding three years.
The union territories are not formally subjects of the Republic of India. In a number of union territories, legislative and executive bodies have been established, which essentially means granting them autonomy.