What is the term of the President of India?

The President serves a term of 5 years and is eligible for re-election any number of times. Dr. Rajendra Prasad was elected President twice. The President can be removed by impeachment — a process requiring two-thirds majority of total membership of each House of Parliament.

What are the pardoning powers of the President?

Under Article 72, the President can grant Pardon (full forgiveness), Reprieve (delay execution), Respite (reduced sentence due to special circumstances), Remission (reduce punishment without changing character), and Commutation (substitute a lesser punishment). Pardoning power applies in all cases of death penalty and offences against Union laws.

Who appoints the Prime Minister?

The President appoints the Prime Minister. Conventionally, the leader of the majority party/coalition in Lok Sabha is appointed. The President also appoints other ministers on the advice of the Prime Minister.

What is the difference between the President's powers in normal times and during Emergency?

In normal times, the President acts on the advice of the Council of Ministers (Article 74) — the President is a constitutional head, not an executive one. During a National Emergency (Article 352), the President can override state governments. During President's Rule (Article 356), the President directly administers a State.

President, Vice President and Prime Minister — TNPSC Group 4 Polity Notes

Overview

India has a Parliamentary form of government — the real executive power is with the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, not the President. The President is the constitutional head; the PM is the real head. This is borrowed from the British Westminster model.

The President of India

Key Facts

Feature	Detail
Article	Article 52 — There shall be a President of India
Election	By Electoral College (elected MPs + elected MLAs)
Term	5 years
Re-election	Eligible any number of times
Min age	35 years
Qualifications	Citizen of India; not hold any office of profit
Oath administered by	Chief Justice of India
Salary	₹5 lakh/month (2018)
Residence	Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi
Impeachment	By Parliament (2/3rd majority of total membership of each House)

President of India — Chronological List (Key ones for TNPSC)

President	Period	Note
Dr. Rajendra Prasad	1950–1962	First President; elected twice
Dr. S. Radhakrishnan	1962–1967	Philosopher; his birthday = Teachers' Day (5 Sep)
Dr. Zakir Hussain	1967–1969	First Muslim President; died in office
V.V. Giri	1969–1974	First to win as independent candidate
Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed	1974–1977	Died in office; signed Emergency proclamation
N. Sanjeeva Reddy	1977–1982	Elected unopposed
R. Venkataraman	1987–1992
Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam	2002–2007	"People's President"; missile scientist
Pratibha Patil	2007–2012	First woman President
Pranab Mukherjee	2012–2017
Ram Nath Kovind	2017–2022
Droupadi Murmu	2022–present	First tribal woman President

Powers of the President

Executive Powers:

Appoints PM, other ministers, governors, judges of SC/HC, CAG, CEC, AG, ambassadors
Supreme Commander of Armed Forces — appoints chiefs of Army, Navy, Air Force

Legislative Powers:

Summons, prorogues, and dissolves Parliament
Addresses joint sitting at start of each Budget Session
Gives assent to Bills (can return ordinary bills once for reconsideration)
Promulgates Ordinances when Parliament is not in session (Article 123)
Nominates 12 members to Rajya Sabha

Pardoning Powers (Article 72):

Pardon, Reprieve, Respite, Remission, Commutation
Applies to death sentence cases and Union law offences

Veto Powers:

Absolute veto — can withhold assent to private member bills
Suspensive veto — can return ordinary bills once
Pocket veto — can keep a bill pending without action (no time limit in Constitution)

Vice President of India

Feature	Detail
Article	Article 63
Election	By both Houses of Parliament (no state legislatures)
Term	5 years
Role	Ex-officio Chairman of Rajya Sabha
Acts as President	When President is absent, ill, or vacancy occurs
First VP	Dr. S. Radhakrishnan
Current VP	Jagdeep Dhankhar (2022–)

Prime Minister and Council of Ministers

Prime Minister

Feature	Detail
Article	Article 74 & 75
Appointment	Appointed by President; must have confidence of Lok Sabha
Term	As long as enjoys majority in Lok Sabha
Functions	Head of the Cabinet; links President with Parliament; coordinates all ministries
First PM	Jawaharlal Nehru (1947–1964; longest serving)

Significance of PM's position:

Chairman of Cabinet; agenda-setter
Advises President on all appointments
Can recommend dissolution of Lok Sabha
Chief link between President and Council of Ministers

Council of Ministers (Article 74, 75)

Three categories:

Category	Role
Cabinet Ministers	Senior ministers; head major departments; attend Cabinet meetings
Ministers of State	Junior ministers; may be independent charge or attached to Cabinet ministers
Deputy Ministers	Assist Cabinet/State ministers

Collective Responsibility (Article 75): Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to Lok Sabha. If Lok Sabha passes a vote of no-confidence, the entire Cabinet must resign.

Individual Responsibility: Each minister is individually responsible to the PM and the President — the PM can ask any minister to resign.

Cabinet vs Council of Ministers

Council of Ministers = All ministers (Cabinet + MoS + Deputy)
Cabinet = Only Cabinet Ministers (20–30 most senior); the real decision-making body
Cabinet Committees = Sub-groups of Cabinet ministers handling specific areas (Cabinet Committee on Security, Economic Affairs, etc.)

Attorney General of India (Article 76)

Chief law officer of the Government of India
Appointed by the President
Must be qualified to be a Judge of the Supreme Court
Has right of audience in all courts in India
Not a government employee — no fixed salary; paid fees
Represents the Union in legal matters

Important for Exam - President elected by Electoral College (elected MPs + elected MLAs); min age 35 - First President = Dr. Rajendra Prasad - First woman President = Pratibha Patil; First tribal woman = Droupadi Murmu - Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam = "People's President" (2002–2007) - Pardoning power under Article 72 - Vice President = Chairman of Rajya Sabha (ex-officio); elected by both Houses - First VP = Dr. S. Radhakrishnan (his birthday = Teachers' Day) - Article 75 = Collective Responsibility of Council of Ministers to Lok Sabha - First PM = Jawaharlal Nehru (1947–1964)

Previous Year TNPSC Questions

Click an option to reveal the answer and explanation.

Who administers the oath of office to the President of India?

Who was the first President of India?

Which Article of the Constitution deals with the collective responsibility of the Council of Ministers?

The President of India can be removed from office by:

Who was the first woman President of India?

The right of the President to seek the opinion of the Supreme Court on any question of law or fact is given under:

Frequently Asked Questions

The President is elected by an Electoral College consisting of elected members of both Houses of Parliament and elected members of State Legislative Assemblies (not Rajya Sabha nominated members, not nominated MLAs, not MLCs). The election uses Single Transferable Vote with proportional representation.