India Government Departments

■ Department of Defence of India

The Indian defence system is mainly divided into three branches - the Army, the Navy and the Air Force. Although the President is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Defence Forces (Article 53) as per the Constitution, the administrative functions related to national security are carried out by the Ministry of Defence. The Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs, headed by the Prime Minister, takes major decisions in defence matters. The Defence Minister is responsible to Parliament in all matters relating to the department. The administrative and operational affairs of the forces are taken by the Ministry of Defence and the three services. The headquarters of all three services is in New Delhi. India is the fourth largest military power in the world in terms of manpower. The Coast Guard, Territorial Army, NCC etc. are the subordinate branches of the defence forces. The Ministry of Defence has five departments - Department of Defence (DOD), Department of Military Affairs (DMA), Department of Defence Production (DDP), Department of Defence Research and Development (DRDO), and Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare (DESW).

■ Department of Home Affairs of India

The Home Department is the department responsible for the maintenance of internal security and domestic policy. The Home Department is also the cadre controlling authority of the Indian Police Service (IPS). The Central Police Forces are special security forces operating under the Union Home Department in connection with the internal security of the country. The Central Police Forces have two components, namely the Central Police Organisation and the Central Armed Police Forces.

■ Department of Cooperation of India

The Ministry of Cooperation is a central ministry under the Government of India formed in 2021. The Ministry provides a specific administrative, legal and policy framework to strengthen the cooperative movement in the country. The vision statement of the Ministry is 'Sahakar se Samriddhi' (Prosperity through Cooperation). Before the formation of the Ministry, the functions of this Ministry were looked after by the Ministry of Agriculture. The Ministry works to strengthen cooperatives at the grassroots level, streamline the 'Ease of Doing Business' processes for cooperatives and facilitate the development of Multi-State Cooperatives (MSCS).

■ Department of Road Transport and Highways of India

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is a ministry of the Government of India. It is the apex body responsible for the formulation and administration of laws and regulations to enhance the mobility and efficiency of the road transport system in India.

■ Department of Finance

The Ministry of Finance is a ministry dealing with the economy of India and acts as the treasury of India. Taxation, financial legislation, financial institutions, capital markets, central and state finance, central budget, etc. come under the purview of this ministry.

■ Department of Corporate Affairs

The ministry is primarily concerned with the administration of laws and regulations framed to regulate the functioning of the corporate sector in accordance with the laws such as the Companies Act 2013, the Companies Act 1956, the Limited Liability Partnership Act 2008 and other related laws.

■ Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare

The Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare is organised into 28 divisions, and has five attached offices and twenty-one subordinate offices spread across the country, which are responsible for coordinating with the state level agencies and implementing the central sector schemes in their respective areas. In addition, one PSU, nine autonomous bodies, ten national level cooperative organizations and two authorities are functioning under the administrative control of the department.

■ Department of Rural Development

As the nodal ministry for most development and welfare activities in the rural sector, the Ministry of Rural Development plays a crucial role in the overall development strategy of the country. The vision and mission of the ministry is to achieve sustainable and inclusive growth of rural India through a multi-pronged strategy for poverty alleviation by enhancing livelihood opportunities, providing social safety nets and developing infrastructure for growth.

■ Department of External Affairs

The Department of External Affairs is responsible for presenting India's interests, both at home and abroad, on various issues. This includes bilateral political and economic cooperation, trade and investment promotion, cultural interaction, press and media relations, and multilateral issues.

■ Department of Health and Family Welfare

The government has introduced and implemented various health schemes and programmes to provide basic health facilities to all citizens. The Department of Health and Family Welfare provides information related to health programmes, policies, schemes, forms, etc. for special beneficiaries including women, children, senior citizens, etc.

■ Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals

The Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals (DCPC) aims to formulate and implement policies and programmes to achieve growth and development of the chemical and petrochemical sectors of the country; and to foster an attitude of public-private partnership for the overall development of the industry.

■ Department of Housing and Urban Affairs

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs is a ministry of the Government of India with executive powers in the formulation and administration of laws and regulations relating to housing and urban development in India.

■ Department of Power

The Ministry of Power is primarily responsible for the development of electric power in the country. The Department of Power is also responsible for planning, policy formulation, processing of projects for investment decision, monitoring of implementation of power projects, training, human resource development, and legislation related to thermal and hydroelectric power generation, transmission and distribution.

■ Department of Heavy Industries

The Ministry of Heavy Industries is responsible for the development of the heavy engineering and machine tools industry, the heavy electrical engineering industry, the automotive industry, and for the supervision of the Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs), their subsidiaries and four autonomous bodies.

■ Department of Steel

It deals with the coordination and planning of the growth and development of the country's iron and steel industry (including re-rolling mills, alloy steel, ferro-alloy industries, and refractories) in both the public and private sectors.

■ Department of Commerce and Industry

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry manages two departments, the Department of Commerce and the Department for Promotion of Industry & Internal Trade. The Ministry is headed by a Cabinet-rank minister.

■ Department of Education

The Department of Education consists of the Department of Higher Education and the Department of School Education. The Department of Higher Education is the department under the Ministry of Education that oversees higher education in India.

■ Department of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises

To promote the growth and development of micro, small and medium enterprises, including khadi, village and coir industries, to create new enterprises and more employment opportunities. The long-term objective of the Ministry is to enhance the productive base of the country by improving the performance of MSMEs through skill and entrepreneurship development.

■ Department of Panchayati Raj

The Ministry of Panchayati Raj is a branch of the Government of India. The Ministry of Panchayati Raj looks after all matters related to Panchayati Raj institutions. It was formed in May 2004. The Ministry is headed by a Minister of Cabinet rank. It is responsible for the empowerment and functioning of Panchayati Raj institutions to ensure inclusive development along with social justice and efficient delivery of services.

■ Department of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying

The Department of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying is a government department of India. It is a subsidiary department of the Ministry of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries, which was formed as a new Indian ministry in 2019. It is mandated to conserve animal genetic resources, protect indigenous breeds, protect, strengthen and improve livestock, create employment and livelihood support for women and other marginalized groups, increase production, increase productivity, and add value to livestock and poultry products.

■ Department of Ports, Shipping and Waterways

The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways is the Indian ministry responsible for the formulation and administration of laws and regulations relating to ports, shipping and waterways.

■ Department of Social Justice and Empowerment

The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment is responsible for welfare, social justice and empowerment of the weaker and marginalized sections of the society. This department is responsible for the welfare of Scheduled Castes, Backward Classes, Persons with Disabilities, Senior Citizens, and victims of drug abuse.

■ Department of Civil Aviation

The "Ministry of Civil Aviation" in India is the nodal ministry responsible for formulating national policies and programmes for the development and regulation of civil aviation. The department formulates and implements schemes for the gradual growth and expansion of civil air transport in the country.

■ Department of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution

■ Department of New and Renewable Energy

■ Department of Tribal Affairs

■ Department of Textiles

■ Department of Railways

■ Department of Information and Broadcasting

■ Department of Electronics and Information Technology

■ Department of Communications

■ Department of Development of North Eastern Region

■ Department of Environment, Forest and Climate Change

■ Department of Culture

■ Department of Tourism

■ Department of Women and Child Development

■ Department of Parliamentary Affairs

■ Department of Minority Affairs

■ Department of Petroleum and Natural Gas

■ Department of Labour and Employment

■ Department of Youth Affairs and Sports

■ Department of Coal

■ Department of Mines

■ Department of Food Processing Industries

■ Department of Jal Shakti

■ Department of Statistics and Programme Implementation

■ Department of Planning

■ Department of Science and Technology

■ Department of Earth Sciences

■ Department of Prime Minister’s Office

■ Department of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions

■ Department of Atomic Energy

■ Department of Space

■ Department of of Law and Justice

■ Department of Ayush

■ Department of Health and Family Welfare

■ Department of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship