The Union

The Union of India, also known as the Government of India, is the governing body of the Republic of India. It is a federal parliamentary democratic republic, meaning that it is a federation of states with a parliamentary system of government and a president as the head of state. The Union of India is responsible for the administration and governance of the country and its 29 states and 9 union territories.

The Constitution of India sets out the powers and responsibilities of the Union of India and the distribution of powers between the federal government and the states. According to the Constitution, the Union of India has exclusive powers in certain areas, such as defense, foreign affairs, and telecommunications, while the states have exclusive powers in areas such as law and order and public health. The Union of India also has concurrent powers with the states in areas such as education and environment.

The Union of India is divided into three branches: the executive, the legislature, and the judiciary.

Executive:-

The executive branch is responsible for the administration of the country and is headed by the President, who is the head of state and is elected by an electoral college. The Union executive consists of the President, the Vice-President, and the Council of Ministers with the Prime Minister as the head to aid and advise the President.

President:-

The President is elected by members of an electoral college consisting of elected members of both Houses of Parliament and Legislative Assemblies of the states in accordance with the system of proportional representation, by means of single transferable vote. he President is assisted by the Vice President and the Prime Minister, who is the head of government and is appointed by the President.

Vice-President:-

The Vice-President is elected by members of an electoral college consisting of members of both Houses of Parliament in accordance with the system of proportional representation by means of single transferable vote.

Council of Ministers:-

The Prime Minister is assisted by a Council of Ministers, who are responsible for running the various departments of the government.

The legislature of the Union of India is the Parliament, which is made up of the President, the Rajya Sabha (Council of States), and the Lok Sabha (House of the People).

Rajya Sabha:-

The Rajya Sabha is the upper house of Parliament and is composed of members nominated by the President and elected by the state and territorial legislatures.

Lok Sabha:-

The Lok Sabha is the lower house of Parliament and is composed of members elected by the people through universal adult suffrage.

Qualification of Membership of Parliament:-

In order to be chosen a member of Parliament, a person must be a citizen of India and not less than 30 years of age in the case of Rajya Sabha and not less than 25 years of age in the case of Lok Sabha.

Functions & Powers of Parliament:-

As in other parliamentary democracies, the Parliament in India has the cardinal functions of legislation, overseeing of administration, passing of the Budget, ventilation of public grievances and discussing various subjects like development plans, national policies and international relations.

The judiciary of the Union of India is the system of courts that interprets and applies the laws of the country. It is an independent branch of government and is headed by the Supreme Court, which is the highest court of appeal in the country.

The Supreme Court:-

The Supreme Court is composed of a Chief Justice and other judges, who are appointed by the President on the advice of the Chief Justice. The Supreme Court has original jurisdiction in cases involving disputes between the Union and the states and has the power to interpret the Constitution and to declare laws unconstitutional.