Chennai's civic administration is governed by the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC). Established in 1688, it is the oldest municipal corporation in India and the second oldest in the world after London. The GCC is headed by a Mayor and comprises directly elected councilors representing the city's various wards.
As the capital of Tamil Nadu, Chennai is the seat of the state government. The state's executive and legislative branches operate out of the Secretariat located in the historic Fort St. George. The city is divided into multiple legislative assembly constituencies that elect representatives to the Tamil Nadu State Legislative Assembly, as well as parliamentary constituencies that send representatives to the Lok Sabha (India's national lower house).
Law and order are managed by the Greater Chennai Police, an agency headed by a Commissioner of Police under the state's Home Ministry. The city also hosts the Madras High Court, one of the oldest and most prestigious high courts in India, which has jurisdiction over Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
