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Government and Economy
Government
The Federal Republic of India (Bharat - Hindi national name)
is a liberal democracy and comprises 26 self-governing states,
each of which is administered by a governor, who in turn
is appointed by the federal president for a five-year term.
Each state has its own legislature which controls education,
health and law. The constitution allows for central rule
to be imposed in times of national crisis. In addition to
the states, there are six union territories, centrally administered
by a lieutenant governor who is appointed by the federal
president.
India's head of state is President Kocheril Raman Narayanan.
The president is elected for a five-year term by an electoral
college made up of members from both the federal parliament
and the state legislatures.
Head of government with executive power is Prime Minister
Atal Behari Vajpayee. He appoints a cabinet from the majority
party or coalition within the federal parliament.
The central (federal) government comprises a two-chamber
parliament with responsibility for military, foreign and
economic affairs. In order for bills to become law, they
must be approved by both chambers and receive the president's
assent.
Economy
India has always been an important trading centre and is
set to become one of the world's great economic powers of
the 21st century.
National industries include mining for coal, iron ores,
diamonds and gold. Manufacturing industries produce iron
and steel - much of which is used in shipbuilding and the
automotive industry; mineral oils, chemical products, petroleum
refining products; and traditional products that put Indian
production at the hub of the Industrial Revolution, such
as tea (the world's largest producer), sugar, cotton and
cloth.
Trading partners include the UK, US, Japan, Hong Kong,
Germany, Belgium and Saudi Arabia.
Local Economy
Delhi is the capital of India and the administrative capital
of the Union Territory of Delhi State. The city's manufacturing
industries produce electronic goods, chemicals and precision
instruments. It is also a centre for hand-woven textiles
and jewellery.
Environment
Delhi is situated at the western end of the Indo-Gangetic
Plain, which extends from the foot of the Himalayas, and
is bordered by the states of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.
This part of northern India has a mix of environments that
range from some of the highest mountains in the world to
tropical rainforests, arid deserts and fertile plains. Such
diversity provides multifarious habitats for wildlife, much
of which can be found in the national parks and sanctuaries.
Tigers, leopards, sloth bears, rhinoceros, deer, otters,
mongooses and herons are just some of the many species to
be found in the region.
