THE UNION EXECUTIVE
🞂 Articles 52 to 78 in Part V of the Constitution deal with the Union
executive.
🞂 The Union executive consists of the President, the Vice President, the
Prime Minister, the council of ministers and the Attorney General of
India.
THE PRESIDENT
🞂 The President is the head of the Indian State.
🞂 He is the first citizen of India and acts as the symbol of unity, integrity and
solidarity of the nation.
🞂 Ceremonial head of the state
ELECTION OF THE PRESIDENT
⮚ The President is elected not directly by the people but by members of electoral
college consisting of:
1. The elected members of both the Houses of Parliament.
2. The elected members of the legislative assemblies of the states.
3. The elected members of the legislative assemblies of the Union Territories of
Delhi and Puducherry.
⮚ By proportional representation of the people
⮚ Representatives give the preference to the candidates
🞂 Veto power: A bill passed by the Parliament can become an act only if it receives
QUALIFICATIONS FOR ELECTION AS PRESIDENT OF INDIA
A person to be eligible for election as President should fulfill the following
qualifications:
1. He should be a citizen of India.
2. He should have completed 35 years of age.
3. He should be qualified for election as a member of the Lok Sabha.
4. He should not hold any office of profit under the Union government or any
state government or any local authority or any other public authority.
Note:
✔ First president of India: Dr. Rajendra Prasad. No person except Dr. Rajendra
Prasad has occupied the office for two terms.
✔ Currently, we have Ram Nath Kovind as the 15th president of India.
Term of President’s Office
🞂 The President holds office for a term of five years
🞂 He can resign from his office at any time by addressing the resignation letter to
the Vice President.
🞂 Due to death of incumbent president
🞂 Further, he can also be removed from the office before completion of his term
by the process of impeachment.
Impeachment of President
🞂 The President can be removed from office by a process of impeachment.
🞂 The impeachment charges can be initiated by either House of Parliament.
🞂 These charges should be signed by one-fourth members of the House and a 14
days’ notice should be given to the President.
🞂 After the impeachment resolution is passed by a majority of two-thirds of the
total membership of both Houses, then the President stands removed from his
POWERS AND FUNCTIONS OF THE PRESIDENT
1. Executive powers: He appoints the
❑ prime minister and the other ministers
❑attorney general of India
❑the chief election commissioner
❑administers in the union territories.
❑Chairman and members of UPSC
❑Governors of state
❑Chairman and members of finance
2. Legislative powers:
⮚ He can summon the Parliament and dissolve the Lok Sabha and can hold Joint
sessions of both houses.
⮚ He nominates 12 members of the Rajya Sabha (Various fields) and nominate
two members to the Lok Sabha from the Anglo-Indian Community
POWERS AND FUNCTIONS OF THE PRESIDENT
3. Financial powers: He constitutes a finance commission after every five
years and make advances out of the contingency fund. Appoint
comptroller and auditor.
4. Judicial powers:
⮚ He appoints the Chief Justice and the judges of Supreme Court and high courts.
⮚ Appoint acting chief justice
⮚ It says that the President shall have the power to grant pardons, reprieves, respites or
remissions of punishment or to suspend, remit or commute the sentence of any
person convicted of any offence.
POWERS AND FUNCTIONS OF THE PRESIDENT
5. Diplomatic powers:
⮚ All the diplomatic business is conducted in the name of president.
⮚ Appoints ambassadors, high commissioners and other diplomatic agents
⮚ All international treaties and agreements are conducted in the name of president
6. Military powers: He is the supreme commander of the defense forces of India.
In that capacity, he appoints the chiefs of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force.
7. Emergency powers: (a) National Emergency (Article 352); (b) President’s
Rule (Article 356 & 365); and (c) Financial Emergency (Article 360)
