The government of India is also known as the Union or the Central government, and operates from New Delhi, which is the capital of India. The government’s authority is backed by the Constitution of the country and extends over its states and union territories. The executive, legislative and judiciary comprise the three branches of the government. The executive division is headed by the President of India, the head of state and the supreme commander of the country’s armed forces. India also has a Vice-President, who is the second most powerful person in the government. The legislative branch comprises the upper house of Parliament or the Rajya Sabha and the lower house, known as the Lok Sabha. The judiciary division is headed by the Supreme Court, followed by the High Courts and district level courthouses. The actual governance of the country is run by the Prime Minister and the council of ministers. The government has a system of collective responsibility by which the Prime Minister and the entire set of cabinet ministers are jointly answerable to the Lok Sabha, in case of any lapses in governance. Apart from the Central government, there are individual State governments headed by the respective Chief Ministers and their own council of ministers. Hide this