Unlike the American or British political systems which have existed in their current forms for centuries, the Indian political system is a much more recent construct dating from India’s independence from Britain in 1947.

The current constitution came into force on January 26, 1950 and advocates the trinity of justice, liberty, and equality for all citizens. The Constitution of India is the longest written constitution of any sovereign country in the world, containing 444 articles, 12 schedules, and 98 amendments, with almost 120,000 words in its English language version.

The lower house of India’s Bicameral-Parliament, the Lok Sabha (House of the People), is modeled on the British House of Commons, but its federal system of government borrows from the United States, Canada, and Australia. [Read more…]