Countries
India
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India, formally the Republic of India, is a federal parliamentary republic in South Asia and the world's most populous country. It became independent from British rule on 15 August 1947, initially as a dominion within the British Commonwealth under a governor-general, and adopted its own constitution on 26 January 1950, becoming a sovereign democratic republic with a bicameral Parliament. The atlas dates India's founding to 1947, independence day and the date India itself marks as its founding national holiday; the fully republican constitutional government the country's independence promised took over two years to arrive in practice, reaching it on 26 January 1950, and this entry keeps the conventional date and narrates the gap rather than picking a different single year.
Facts
Founding Year1947 is India's independence from British rule, the conventional founding date and the one India itself marks as its national day. The republican constitutional government independence promised took over two years to actually arrive: India governed itself as a dominion under a governor-general until its own constitution came into force on 26 January 1950. This entry keeps the conventional 1947 date and narrates the gap rather than picking a different single year, the same shape as this atlas's entry on the United States. Foreign relations and policy
Current government: Modi III Government (since 2024)
Effective from 2024, ongoing.
Effective from 2024, ongoing.
Effective from 2026, ongoing.
Earlier governments
Modi II Government (2019 to 2024)
Party positions (proposed or ideological, not state policy)
Bharatiya Janata Party (proposed or ideological position, not state policy; governs as Modi III Government)
Cross-Tradition Connections
Associated With
This source names India directly: "India's first general election under its new constitution, held over four months from 25 October 1951 to 21 February 1952 and the largest exercise of universal suffrage yet attempted anywhere, with..."
This source names India directly: "organised by Indonesia, Burma, Ceylon, India and Pakistan."
This source names India directly: "principle across the 1920s in British India, though he later said his own resistance was well advanced before he read Thoreau's essay."
This source names India directly: "wave followed the Second World War: India and Pakistan became independent in 1947, the Philippines in 1946, and Indonesia secured independence from the Netherlands in 1949 after an armed conflict..."
This source names India directly: "the national party contest, as in India, Canada and the United Kingdom, all first past the post systems that nonetheless sustain more than two significant parties."
This source names India directly: "entry on the Election Commission of India, the autonomous constitutional body established in 1950 that administers elections to India's Parliament, state legislatures and the offices of President..."
India is noted for recognizing local government as a third constitutional order alongside the union and the states.
India runs the world's largest FPTP elections, with over 800 million voters.
This source names India directly: "country overview article for India, covering its formation, government and history."
This source names India directly: "and to Mahatma Gandhi's campaigns in India."
This source names India directly: "The division of British India into the independent states of India and Pakistan, enacted by the Indian Independence Act and taking effect on 14 and 15 August 1947."
This source names India directly: "English East India Company director and merchant whose England's Treasure by Forraign Trade, written around 1630 and published posthumously by his son in 1664, became known as the manifesto of..."
Governed By
Part Of
As British India, until independence and partition in 1947.
Practices
Shaped By
In the Other Atlases
- Also in Geography Atlas: India, the same subject.
Sources
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