President of India

GS 2 – POLITY

 

1. Constitutional Provisions

• Article 52: There shall be a President of India.
• Article 53: The executive power of the Union shall be vested in the President.

2. Election of the President

• Indirect Election through an Electoral College:
  • Elected members of both Houses of Parliament.
  • Elected members of Legislative Assemblies of States and Union territories of Delhi and Puducherry.
• Proportional Representation with single transferable vote system.
• Secret ballot is used.

Formula for vote value:

• MLA’s Vote = (Population of State / No. of elected MLAs) × 1/1000
• MP’s Vote = Total value of MLA votes / Total elected MPs

Nominated members of Parliament/Legislatures do not vote.

3. Qualifications

• Indian citizen
• 35 years of age
• Eligible to be elected as a member of Lok Sabha
• Should not hold any office of profit

4. Term and Conditions

• Term: 5 years
• Re-election allowed
• Impeachment under Article 61 for “violation of the Constitution”

5. Powers and Functions

Executive Powers:

• All executive actions are taken in the President’s name.
• Appoints: PM, Council of Ministers, Governors, Judges of SC and HC, CAG, CEC, UPSC members, etc.

Legislative Powers:

• Summons and prorogues Parliament, dissolves Lok Sabha
• Addresses first session after general election and Budget session
• Gives assent, withholds, or returns bills (except money bills)
• Can promulgate ordinances under Article 123 when Parliament is not in session

Judicial Powers:

• Can grant pardon, reprieve, respite, or remission (Article 72)
• Not answerable to any court for exercise of powers

Emergency Powers:

• National Emergency (Art. 352)
• President’s Rule (Art. 356)
• Financial Emergency (Art. 360)

6. Veto Powers

• Absolute Veto: Withholds assent
• Suspensive Veto: Returns the bill (except money bill)
• Pocket Veto: Takes no action (no time limit)

7. Ordinance-making Power (Article 123)

• When Parliament is not in session
• Ordinance has the same force as a law
• Must be approved by Parliament within 6 weeks of reassembly

8. Impeachment Process

• Only for “violation of Constitution”
• Quasi-judicial process: both Houses participate
• Requires a two-thirds majority in both Houses

9. Comparison with Governor (for Mains)

Feature	President	Governor
Appointed by	Electoral College	President
Emergency powers	Yes	No
Pardoning power	Wider (Article 72)	Limited (Article 161)
Ordinance	Article 123	Article 213

10. Important Facts for Prelims

• First President: Dr. Rajendra Prasad (only one to serve two terms)
• Current President (as of 2025): Droupadi Murmu, first tribal woman President
• Real Executive: PM & Council of Ministers; President is a nominal executive (de jure head)