India: Parliamentary Democracy on a Continental Scale

India is the world's most populous democracy. Its constitution, drafted by a Constituent Assembly whose drafting committee was chaired by B. R. Ambedkar, was adopted on 26 November 1949 and came into force on 26 January 1950, now Republic Day. India combines a Westminster-style parliamentary system with federalism, a long written constitution, fundamental rights and judicial review. The prime minister leads the government from the elected Lok Sabha, while the president is indirectly elected.

India held its first general election in 1951–52, with around 173 million people eligible, most of whom could not read; parties used symbols on ballots. Democracy has faced tests: during the Emergency of 1975–77, civil liberties were suspended and elections postponed, but voters removed the government when elections resumed. The Supreme Court's 1973 'basic structure' doctrine limits Parliament's power to amend the constitution. Scholars debate how India sustained democracy despite poverty and diversity that theories once predicted would undermine it.