
The President of India is the constitutional head of the Indian Republic, and the head of state. The President is the first citizen of the country, and the commander-in-chief of the Indian Armed Forces. The President's role is to defend and protect the Constitution of India and its rule of law. While the President is the head of the state, the Prime Minister is the de facto head of the executive branch. The Prime Minister is the head of the Council of Ministers, which holds the real executive power.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Constitutional head of executive in India | President |
| Nominal head of the executive | President |
| Head of state | President |
| First citizen of the country | President |
| Commander-in-chief of the Indian Armed Forces | President |
| Head of the Indian Republic | President |
| Head of the council of ministers | Prime Minister |
| Real executive head of the state | Prime Minister |
| De facto head of state | Prime Minister |
| De jure head of state | President |
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What You'll Learn

The President of India is the constitutional head
The President's primary duty is to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution and the law of India, as outlined in Article 60 of the Indian Constitution. This includes upholding the constitutionality of the actions of the executive and legislative entities of the constitution. The President is also responsible for summoning and proroguing both houses of Parliament: the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.
The President of India is elected indirectly by an electoral college comprising both houses of the Parliament of India and the legislative assemblies of each of India's states and territories, who are themselves directly elected by the citizens. The President generally follows the advice of their Ministers and cannot act contrary to or without their counsel.
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The President is the head of state
The President is the constitutional head of the Government of India, as per Article 53 (1) of the Constitution. The President has all constitutional powers and exercises them directly or through officers subordinate to him/her. The President is also the head of the legislative, with the power to summon and prorogue both houses of the Parliament of India, the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
The President is the ceremonial head of state, and a symbol of the nation. The President's role is to defend, protect and uphold the Constitution of India and its rule of law. The President is bound by the advice of his/her Ministers and cannot act contrary to or without their advice. The President's duties include ensuring the constitutionality of the actions of the executive and legislature, and no actions of the executive or legislature that are unconstitutional will be accepted by the President.
The President is advised by a Council of Ministers, which is headed by the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister and Council of Ministers hold the real executive power, and all executive powers vested in the President are exercised by the Prime Minister.
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The Prime Minister is the real executive head
The President of India is the constitutional head of the Indian Republic. The President is the head of state of the Republic of India and the commander-in-chief of the Indian Armed Forces. The President is indirectly elected by an electoral college comprising both houses of the Parliament of India and the legislative assemblies of each of India's states and union territories.
However, while the President is the head of the Indian Republic, the Prime Minister is the head of the council of ministers and is responsible for aiding and advising the President, who exercises their functions in accordance with this advice. As such, the Prime Minister is the real executive head of India.
Article 53 of the Constitution of India states that the President can exercise their powers directly or by subordinate authority, but in practice, all executive powers vested in the President are exercised by the Prime Minister heading the Council of Ministers. The President shall not accept any actions of the executive or legislature that are unconstitutional and is the foremost, most empowered, and prompt defender of the constitution. The President's role is largely ceremonial, and they represent the nation rather than rule it.
The Prime Minister, as the head of the council of ministers, holds the real powers and makes all executive decisions. The council of ministers is the body that holds the true executive power in India, and the Prime Minister is at the head of this council.
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The President is the commander-in-chief of the Indian Armed Forces
The President of India is the constitutional head of the Indian Republic. The office of the President was created when India became a republic on 26th January 1950, when its constitution came into force. The President is the head of state of the Republic of India and the commander-in-chief of the Indian Armed Forces. As the ceremonial head of state, the President is the first citizen of the country and the symbol of the nation. The President is elected indirectly by an electoral college comprising both houses of the Parliament of India and the legislative assemblies of each of India's states and territories.
The President's role as the commander-in-chief of the Indian Armed Forces is an important aspect of their constitutional duties. This role entails being the supreme commander and the highest authority in the chain of command of the Indian military, including the Army, Navy, and Air Force. The President is responsible for safeguarding national security and overseeing the deployment and operations of the armed forces. While the President holds this title, the real power and executive decisions are made by the Prime Minister, who is the head of the Council of Ministers.
The President's powers as commander-in-chief are outlined in the Constitution of India. Article 53 of the Constitution states that the President can exercise their powers directly or through subordinate authority. However, in practice, the executive powers vested in the President are exercised by the Prime Minister, who heads the Council of Ministers. The Council of Ministers is responsible for aiding and advising the President, and the President is bound by the advice of their Ministers. The President cannot act contrary to their advice nor can they act without it.
As the commander-in-chief, the President has certain responsibilities and duties towards the armed forces. They are responsible for appointing the Chiefs of Staff of the Army, Navy, and Air Force, as well as other key military positions. The President also has the power to grant pardons, reprieves, respites, or remissions of punishment or sentence in certain court-martial cases, as per Article 72 of the Constitution. Additionally, the President plays a crucial role in times of war or national emergency, where they are authorised to make laws and take exceptional measures to ensure the security and defence of India.
The President's role as commander-in-chief also extends to honouring and recognising the contributions of the armed forces. They present gallantry awards and medals to members of the military for exceptional bravery and service. The President also serves as a symbol of unity and pride for the armed forces, attending military parades, ceremonies, and events to boost morale and patriotism.
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The President is elected by an electoral college
The President of India is the constitutional head of the country. The President is elected by an electoral college, which is made up of both houses of the Parliament of India and the legislative assemblies of each of India's states and territories. The President is the head of state and the first citizen of the country. The office of the President was created when India became a republic on 26th January 1950, when its constitution came into force. The President is the nominal head of the executive and the commander-in-chief of the Indian Armed Forces. The President has all constitutional powers and exercises them directly or through officers subordinate to him or her.
The President of India is indirectly elected by the electoral college, which is made up of the members of the Parliament of India and the legislative assemblies of the states and union territories. The members of the electoral college are directly elected by the citizens of India. The President is elected for a term of five years, and there is no limit to the number of terms a person can serve as President.
The role of the President of India is largely ceremonial, and the real executive power is vested in the Council of Ministers, which is headed by the Prime Minister. The President is bound by the advice of the Council of Ministers and exercises his or her functions in accordance with their advice. The President has the power to grant pardons, commutations, respites or remissions of punishment, or to suspend, remit or commute the sentence of any person convicted of any offence in all cases where the sentence is a sentence of death.
The President also has the power to grant pardons, etc., in all cases where the sentence is for a term of imprisonment for life or for a term of imprisonment for a period of three years or more, or for a fine of ten thousand rupees or more, or in respect of an offence punishable with death or imprisonment for life or imprisonment for a term of three years or more or with fine of ten thousand rupees or more.
The President is also the head of the legislative branch of the government, and has the power to summon and prorogue both houses of Parliament. The President also has the power to dissolve the Lok Sabha (the House of the People) and to declare war and peace, conclude treaties and alliances, and make laws with respect to any matter in the Union List, and to make rules and regulations for the orderly conduct of business in the Parliament of India.
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Frequently asked questions
The President of India is the constitutional head of the executive.
The President has all constitutional powers and exercises them directly or through officers subordinate to them. However, the Prime Minister is the de facto head of the executive, and the President's powers are exercised by them.
The President is indirectly elected by an electoral college comprising both houses of the Parliament of India and the legislative assemblies of each of India's states and territories.
The President's primary duty is to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution and the law of India.
The Prime Minister is the head of the Council of Ministers, which is the body that holds the real executive power.

























