ADMINISTRATION SETUP

India is divided into several states.

Each state is divided into districts.

Each district is divided into several administrative units.

The districts are subdivided into subdivisions which are further divided into tehsils and blocks.

The basic unit of a district is the village.

A village is formed by peoples and families of various communities, caste, creed, and religious beliefs. A village grows up owing to various socio-economic-politico and religious considerations. Many villages have developed over a period of time.

A village is administered by a panel of five elders. The members are drawn from different streams of the society to give it a multicultural and neutral color.

Such a board is known as a ‘Panchayat’. 

The Panchayat members enjoy administrative, judicial and policing powers within their jurisdictions.

Several villages form to make a block.

Several blocks go to constitute a district.

Now we are back to square one!

Several districts form a state.
  
THE GARGANTUAN DEMOCRACTIC TASK

The Election Commission (EC) of India holds the general and the by-poll elections.

In fact, the holding of election in the largest democracy of the world is the biggest administrative preparedness across the world.

The EC organizes the polls with the help of its state election commission and the administrative machineries of the Union as well as the State Governments.

The democratic process of organizing elections after every five years is a gargantuan task in India.

It is here that the DC, SP, and the paramilitary forces along with the state police force as well as the government officers

Within each district are many Assembly constituencies. These are the units for the democratic process of adult franchise.

The Constituencies are further divided into sectors having many polling booths where the voters cast their votes during the election time.

The maintenance of the law and order situation is arranged with war-time preparedness. This is particularly important especially during the days when the polls are held. It is equally significant during the gestation period between the end of the polling and the counting of votes and even in the post-election-result announcing phases.

DECENTRALIZATION OF POWER

Governance of the Indian union is through decentralization of power.

Such an administrative step ensures accountability.

Decentralization of power guarantees proper percolation of the benefits of the various government schemes right to the grassroots.

In the political sphere, the distribution of power on the macro level also follows a similar format. The Governors brief the President of India.

The reports of the Chief Secretaries are forwarded to both the President and the Prime Minister of the country.

The president is the ceremonial head of the country. The Prime Minister is the executive head of the country. The Prime Minister carries on his duties in the name of the President of India. The Prime Minister has a Council of Ministers that advises him on various aspects of their ministries.

The Ministries are the Central government equivalents to the directorates of the State Governments.

The judicial aspect is looked after by the high Courts at the level of the states while the Supreme Court is at the apex of the judicial administration.

The Central government also allots the reserved police forces to the states as and when required depending on the prevailing law and order situation.