ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses how the main components of the Indian political system have coped with the transition from colonial rule in terms of their structure, functions and institutional entanglement with the broader contours of Indian politics. The institutional arrangement, designed by the Constitution of India, has helped adapt the agenda of modernization, derived from Western liberal democracies, to Indian conditions. India's success in making the transition from colonial rule to democratic governance has considerably benefited from the unintended consequences of the peculiar nature of British colonial rule. Austin refers to this 'balancing' in terms of reconciling strength with democracy. British colonial rule, while deeply exploitative nevertheless had a positive consequence for post-colonial democracy. Even while they campaigned against British rule in India, the leaders of India's Freedom Movement aspired to a parliamentary democracy modelled on British institutions. The Parliament is designed to be primarily an instrument of democratic accountability.
