Historically, the USA and China had backed Pakistan while India had close relations with the Soviet Union. China has long viewed India as a rival, and the main irritant is the presence of the exiled Tibetan opposition leader, the Dalai Lama, in northwest India. Nevertheless, the two governments have signed a major trade agreement and relations are steadily improving. As for the Americans, India moved quickly to support the Bush administration's plan for ballistic missile defence in the hope that the remaining sanctions from 1998 will be lifted. India is a federal republic with certain powers reserved to the 25 states.
Central government comprises a bicameral parliament and cabinet of ministers.
Each of the states also has an elected assembly. The bicameral national parliament consists of the lower house, the Lok Sabha , which has 542 members popularly elected for a five-year term and the upper house, the Rajya Sabha , which has 245 members indirectly elected by the state assemblies to serve six years. The head of state is the president, while executive power is vested in the prime minister who is the head of the cabinet and is normally the leader of the largest party in the Lok Sabha . Terms and Conditions apply.