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Attorney General of India

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Attorney General of India

The Attorney General for India plays the role of the chief legal advisor to the Indian government. They are also the government's main lawyer in the Supreme Court and are referred to as the advocate from the government's side. The President appoints the Attorney General with guidance from the Union Cabinet under Article 76(1) of the Constitution.

To be eligible for the position of the Attorney General, one must be a citizen of India and must qualify to be appointed as a Supreme Court judge. Additionally, they must either have been a High Court judge for 5 years or a High Court advocate for 10 years. 

Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG)

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Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG)

Established under Article 148 of the Constitution, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India is a constitutional body. Its key role is to audit all the receipts and expenditures of the central government, state governments, and those bodies or authorities which are heavily financed by the government. Additionally, the CAG also plays the role of an external auditor to government-owned corporations. It conducts audits of any non-banking company in which the Union Government has a share of 51% or more.

The CAG's reports are presented to the Parliament of India. These reports are a source of key consideration for special committees in the Union and State Legislatures such as the Public Accounts Committees (PACs) and Committees on Public Undertakings (COPUs).

Constitutional Bodies

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Constitutional Bodies

An autonomous body or institution established by the Constitution of India is referred to as a Constitutional Body. These are independent bodies which derive their powers and authority from the Constitution, and not from the government. Since they acquire their power from the Constitution, they can only be established or altered by successfully passing a constitutional amendment bill. They can neither be created nor changed through passing a regular, government or private bill.

Member of Parliament (MP)

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Member of Parliament (MP)

Members of Parliament (MPs) are elected differently across Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabhya, and have a different tenure based on the house they are a part of. The role of an MP can be divided into three categories: Legislative, Deliberative, and Developmental. Each of these is explained briefly below:

  1. Legislative Role: An MPs primary role is that of a legislator who is responsible for the passing of laws.
  2. Deliberative Role: MPs ensure that the Executive performs its duties satisfactorily. To achieve this, the MPs ask questions to the government ministers and Prime Minister in Parliament. There are provisions such as a Question Hour and a Zero Hour during which MPs can voice written as well as oral questions. The questions can be linked to the specific state or the constituency to which the MP belongs.
  3. Developmental Role: Apart from their role in Parliament, an MP also plays an additional developmental role in their state or constituency. There are responsible for the growth, well-being, and progress of their state or constituency.

An MP in Lok Sabha is chosen through direct elections where the adult citizens of the country cast their vote. A Lok Sabha MP serves for a term of 5 years. The law allows for the extension of this term in case of a state of emergency for a maximum of one year. Once the state of emergency ends, then the extension can prevail for a maximum of 6 months.

Qualifications required to become an MP of the Lok Sabha:

  • Must be a citizen of India.
  • Must not be less than 25 years of age.
  • Must be a voter for any parliamentary constituency in India.
  • Must be a candidate of a recognized political party and have one proposer from their constituency for their nomination.
  • An independent candidate needs ten proposers.
  • Candidates are required to make a security deposit of INR 25,000

An MP in Rajya Sabha is elected by the members of the State Assembly through a system of proportional representation of states by a single transferable vote. There are lesser members in Rajya Sabha as compared to the Lok Sabha. Membership to Rajya Sabha, unlike Lok Sabha, can not be dissolved at any time because of the permanent nature of the body. Though every second year, one-third of its members retire making space for new members to be appointed through fresh elections and nominations made by the President.

At present, there are 245 MPs in the Rajya Sabha. Of this, 233 members are elected through the votes of the legislatures of states and union territories. The President can appoint the remaining 12 members for their contributions to art, literature, science, and social services.

Qualifications required to become an MP of the Rajya Sabha:

  • Must be a citizen of India
  • Must be at least 30 years of age

Lok Sabha

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Lok Sabha

The lower house of the Indian Parliament is called the Lok Sabha (House of People). The Lok Sabha is authorized to enact laws on matters which are a part of the Union and the Concurrent list. Additionally, unlike Rajya Sabha which can not enact money bills, Lok Sabha has the power to introduce and approve both, money and non-money bills. It is responsible for giving approval to proposals on budgets and taxation. Lok Sabha establishes committees and commissions to perform and oversee certain tasks and considers their reports for decision making.

The Constitution of India mandates that the Lok Sabha can have a maximum strength of 552 members. Its members are elected by people through an election and represent the constituency they won the election from. They serve for a term of 5 years or till the house is dissolved by the President with the advice of the Council of Ministers.

Rajya Sabha

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Rajya Sabha

The upper house of the Parliament is called the Rajya Sabha (Council of States). In India, the Rajya Sabha represents the states and thus, it is given the power to protect the states and their rights against the Union. The Rajya Sabha is also involved in approving all proposed constitutional amendments. It debates and approves non-money bills and can suggest amendments to money bills. 

The Rajya Sabha comprises a maximum of 250 members. Of this, 238 are members who represent states and union territories, and the remainder of the 12 are those nominated by the President. The President can appoint these 12 members for their contributions to art, literature, science, and social services. It is a permanent body and can not be dissolved.  Every alternate year, one-third of Rajya Sabha members retire and space is made for new members to join. Every member serves a term of 6 years. The ex-officio Chairman of Rajya Sabha is the Vice President of the country. A Deputy Chairman is elected by the house members from amongst themselves. The most senior minister who serves as the leader of the house is appointed by the Prime Minister.

Legislature

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Legislature

The Legislature's primary responsibility is to enact laws in India. The role of the Legislature forms the basis for the functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary. Due to this, it is at times given the first place amongst the three because without laws being enacted, there can neither be implementation more application of laws.

The powers of the Legislature in India are exercised by the Parliament. India has a bicameral legislature that comprises the President of India and the two houses, the Rajya Sabha (Council of States) and the Lok Sabha (House of the People). Explore the sections on each of the two houses to understand the functioning of the Legislature in further detail.

Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW)

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Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW)

The Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) is India's foreign intelligence agency. Its main role is to gather foreign intelligence, counter-terrorism, and counter-proliferation. The R&AW also gives advice to Indian policymakers and works on moving India's foreign strategic interests forward. It is also a part of ensuring the safety of India's nuclear program.

The in-charge of R&AW is a designated secretary in the Cabinet Secretariat. They are under the direct charge of the Prime Minister and report to the National Security Advisor of India on administrative affairs.

Indian Forest Service (IFoS)

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Indian Forest Service (IFoS)

The Indian Forest Service (IFoS) is one of the three civil services under All India Services. The key role of IFoS officers is to implement the National Forest Policy which ensures environmental stability is maintained in the country. Their role includes working towards the conservation and growth of the forests and wildlife in the region where they are posted.  Further, they are also responsible for dealing with any natural or manmade calamities which may endanger the forests or wildlife.

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Indian Police Service (IPS)

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Indian Police Service (IPS)

The Indian Police Service (IPS) is one of three civil services under the All India Services. IPS Officers are appointed by the President of India. The Ministry of Home Affairs is authorized to control the cadre of IPS officers. In everyday life, they report to the state government of the state where they are posted. They are responsible for upholding law and order, and ensuring the smooth functioning of the police machinery. IPS officers are also responsible for dealing with accidents, inspecting smuggling, drug trafficking, human trafficking, maintaining border security, allaying and preventing terrorism, railway policing and keeping a watch on cyber-crimes. Additionally, they are responsible for the security of key individuals such as the Prime Minister and Chief Ministers.

The IPS is not a force in and of itself, instead, it plays the role of providing officers to the Central Armed Police Force as well as the State Police. In India, the State Police is primarily responsible for maintaining law and order. They are in-charge of local issues such as crime prevention and investigation. Additionally, they serve as the first responders in case of intense internal security challenges such as terrorist attacks. The Central Armed Police forces are experts at handling such conflicts and one of their key roles is to protect the country from any internal threats. They also protect the borders of India from any external aggression or infiltration.

The IPS form a small part of the total Indian police force which consists of 80% constables, 19% subordinate officers, and only 1% IPS officers. Each IPS officer serves in a particular designation. Following is a breakdown of designations according to the ranks (ranging highest to lowest) of an IPS Officer:

  • Director-General of Police (DG)
  • Additional Director General (ADG)
  • Inspector General (IG)
  • Deputy Inspector General (DIG)
  • Superintendent of Police (SP)
  • Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP)

In addition, IPS officers are also known to lead India's strategic intelligence agencies such as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), and Intelligence Bureau (IB). The same is true for certain paramilitary forces like Assam Rifles, Border Security Force (BSF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), etc.