President, Prime Minister and Executive — TNPSC Group II/IIA Polity
Overview
India follows a parliamentary form of government where the President is the constitutional (nominal) head and the Prime Minister is the real executive. For TNPSC Group 2/2A, understand the election process, qualifications, powers, and the relationship between the President, PM, and Council of Ministers.
President of India (Articles 52–62)
Qualifications for President
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Citizenship | Indian citizen |
| Age | Minimum 35 years |
| Eligible | Qualified to be a member of Lok Sabha |
| Not holding | Any office of profit under Union or State government |
| Oath administered by | Chief Justice of India |
Election of President
Electoral College:
- Elected members of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha
- Elected members of State Legislative Assemblies (all 28 states)
- Elected members of Legislative Assemblies of Delhi and Puducherry (UTs with legislature)
- Nominated members do NOT vote
Method: Single Transferable Vote (STV) — Proportional Representation
Value of votes:
- MLA's vote = (State population ÷ 1000) ÷ total elected MLAs of that state
- MP's vote = Total value of all MLAs' votes ÷ total elected MPs
Term and Removal
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Term | 5 years |
| Re-election | Can be re-elected any number of times |
| Removal | Impeachment (Article 61) — by Parliament |
| Impeachment | Special majority in both houses; 14 days' notice; 2/3rd of total membership of the house initiating |
| Salary | Rs 5 lakh per month |
| Residence | Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi |
Powers of the President
Executive Powers:
- Appoints PM, other Ministers, Governors, Chief Justice and judges of SC/HC, Attorney General, CAG, CEC, Finance Commission members, etc.
- All executive actions are in the President's name
Legislative Powers:
1. Give assent → Bill becomes Act 2. Withhold assent → Bill fails (for ordinary bills) 3. Return bill for reconsideration (once) — pocket veto
- Summons, prorogues Parliament; dissolves Lok Sabha
- Addresses Parliament at the start of each budget session
- Nominates 12 members to Rajya Sabha
- Gives assent to bills — three options:
Article 123 — Ordinance making power:
- When Parliament is not in session and urgent action needed
- Has same force as an Act
- Must be placed before Parliament when it reconvenes; lapses if not approved in 6 weeks
Emergency Powers:
- Declare National Emergency (Art 352)
- President's Rule in State (Art 356)
- Financial Emergency (Art 360)
Veto Powers:
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Absolute Veto | Withhold assent — bill fails (for ordinary bills) |
| Suspensive Veto | Return bill for reconsideration; if Parliament resends, must give assent |
| Pocket Veto | Keep bill pending indefinitely (no time limit for ordinary bills) |
| Note: No veto | For Money Bills — must give assent or withhold (no return) |
Judicial Powers:
- Grants pardons, reprieves, respites, remissions, commutations of punishment
- Pardon: Completely absolves the convict
- Reprieve: Temporary suspension of punishment pending appeal
- Respite: Lesser punishment due to special reason (pregnancy, mental illness)
- Remission: Reduction in duration of sentence
- Commutation: Change in nature of punishment (death to life imprisonment)
Vice-President of India (Articles 63–71)
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Qualification | Qualified to be Rajya Sabha member; 35 years |
| Election | Electoral College = all members of Parliament (Lok Sabha + Rajya Sabha); NO state MLAs |
| Method | Single Transferable Vote |
| Term | 5 years |
| Role | Ex-officio Chairman of Rajya Sabha |
| When acts as President | When President is unable to discharge duties |
| Removal | By Rajya Sabha resolution with simple majority (Lok Sabha concurrence) |
| Current VP | Jagdeep Dhankhar (2022–) |
Prime Minister (Articles 74–75)
Appointment
- Appointed by President
- Leader of the party/coalition with majority in Lok Sabha
- If clear majority, President has no discretion
- Discretion: When no clear majority — President invites most likely leader
Powers of the Prime Minister
- Head of Council of Ministers: Chairs Cabinet meetings; coordinates Cabinet
- Communicates to President: Sole link between Cabinet and President
- Advice to President: President acts on PM's advice (Article 74)
- Controls Parliament: Leader of the House in Lok Sabha
- Appointments: PM recommends all important appointments to President
Article 75 — Council of Ministers
- Ministers shall be members of Parliament (within 6 months if not already)
- Ministers hold office at pleasure of President
- Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to Lok Sabha
- If Lok Sabha passes a no-confidence motion, entire Cabinet must resign
Council of Ministers
Types of Ministers
| Category | Description |
|---|---|
| Cabinet Ministers | Senior Ministers; head important ministries; attend Cabinet meetings |
| Ministers of State | Junior ministers; work under Cabinet Ministers; may have independent charge |
| Deputy Ministers | Assist Cabinet Ministers or Ministers of State |
| Parliamentary Secretaries | Assist Ministers in parliamentary work |
Cabinet: Only Cabinet Ministers — core decision-making body
Collective Responsibility (Article 75)
- All ministers are collectively responsible to Lok Sabha
- They must publicly support Cabinet decisions even if privately opposed
- If any minister disagrees, they must resign
- If Lok Sabha passes No-Confidence Motion, entire Cabinet resigns
Individual Responsibility
- Each minister individually responsible to PM
- PM can ask any minister to resign
- Ministers responsible for their own ministry's work
Attorney General of India (Article 76)
- Chief law officer of India
- Appointed by President; must be qualified to be SC judge
- Attends Parliament sessions; has right of audience in all courts
- Not a government employee; paid fees like a lawyer
Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) — Article 148
- Audits accounts of Union and States
- Appointed by President; removed by impeachment like Supreme Court judge
- Reports to Parliament; independent of executive
- Called "guardian of the public purse"
Presidents of India (Key for TNPSC)
| President | Period | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Dr. Rajendra Prasad | 1950–1962 | First President; longest serving |
| Dr. S. Radhakrishnan | 1962–1967 | Philosopher-President; his birthday = Teachers' Day |
| Dr. Zakir Husain | 1967–1969 | Died in office; first Muslim President |
| V.V. Giri | 1969–1974 | First Vice-President to become President |
| Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed | 1974–1977 | Signed Emergency proclamation; died in office |
| Neelam Sanjiva Reddy | 1977–1982 | Elected unopposed |
| K.R. Narayanan | 1997–2002 | First Dalit President |
| A.P.J. Abdul Kalam | 2002–2007 | "People's President"; missile scientist |
| Pratibha Patil | 2007–2012 | First woman President |
| Ram Nath Kovind | 2017–2022 | Second Dalit President |
| Droupadi Murmu | 2022– | First Tribal woman President |
Key Facts for TNPSC Group II/IIA
- President elected by indirect election — Electoral College of elected MPs + elected MLAs
- Nominated members of Parliament and legislative councils do NOT vote in presidential election
- Vice-President elected by all MPs (Lok Sabha + Rajya Sabha) — no MLAs vote
- Article 74: Council of Ministers to aid and advise President; advice is binding
- Article 123: President's Ordinance-making power when Parliament not in session
- Pocket veto: President keeps ordinary bill pending without assent — unique power
- No veto for Money Bills — must give or withhold assent
- PM is appointed by President but must have majority in Lok Sabha
- Collective responsibility (Article 75): All ministers responsible to Lok Sabha collectively
- A.P.J. Abdul Kalam (Tamil Nadu's own — born Rameswaram): 11th President; "People's President"
Previous Year MCQ Patterns
Q: Who is NOT part of the Electoral College for electing the President of India? a) Elected members of Lok Sabha b) Elected members of Rajya Sabha c) Nominated members of Parliament d) Elected members of State Assemblies
Q: The Vice-President of India is the ex-officio Chairman of: a) Lok Sabha b) Rajya Sabha c) Planning Commission d) National Development Council
Q: Article 74 of the Indian Constitution deals with: a) Election of President b) Council of Ministers to aid and advise President c) Powers of the Supreme Court d) Emergency provisions
Frequently Asked Questions
The President is elected indirectly by an Electoral College consisting of (1) elected members of both houses of Parliament (Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha) and (2) elected members of State Legislative Assemblies (Vidhan Sabhas) and the Legislative Assemblies of Delhi and Puducherry. Nominated members do NOT vote. The election uses the Single Transferable Vote (STV) system with proportional representation.