{"id":7361,"date":"2024-12-25T10:45:39","date_gmt":"2024-12-25T10:45:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/?p=7361"},"modified":"2024-12-26T07:18:26","modified_gmt":"2024-12-26T07:18:26","slug":"president-of-india","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/president-of-india\/","title":{"rendered":"The President of India"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><em>The office of <strong>the President of India<\/strong> has been envisaged by the Constitution of India as the constitutional head of the Indian State. Despite being only a nominal head of the Executive, the President of India plays a significant role in Indian polity through his\/her diverse executive, legislative, and judicial powers. This<strong> article of NEXT IAS<\/strong> aims to study in detail the President of India, related constitutional provisions, process of elections and impeachment, conditions of office, functions, powers, and other related aspects.<\/em><\/p><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_56_1 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-transparent ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/president-of-india\/#About_President_of_India\" title=\"About President of India\">About President of India<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/president-of-india\/#Constitutional_Provisions_Related_to_President_of_India\" title=\"Constitutional Provisions Related to President of India\">Constitutional Provisions Related to President of India<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/president-of-india\/#Election_of_President_of_India\" title=\"Election of President of India\">Election of President of India<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/president-of-india\/#Provisions_Related_to_Disputes_Regarding_Election_of_President\" title=\"Provisions Related to Disputes Regarding Election of President\">Provisions Related to Disputes Regarding Election of President<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/president-of-india\/#Qualifications_of_President_of_India\" title=\"Qualifications of President of India\">Qualifications of President of India<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/president-of-india\/#Oaths_and_Affirmations_by_President_of_India\" title=\"Oaths and Affirmations by President of India\">Oaths and Affirmations by President of India<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/president-of-india\/#Conditions_of_the_Presidents_Office\" title=\"Conditions of the President&#8217;s Office\">Conditions of the President&#8217;s Office<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/president-of-india\/#Entitlement_of_President_of_India\" title=\"Entitlement of President of India\">Entitlement of President of India<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/president-of-india\/#Immunities_available_to_the_President_of_India\" title=\"Immunities available to the President of India\">Immunities available to the President of India<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/president-of-india\/#Term_of_Presidents_Office\" title=\"Term of President\u2019s Office\">Term of President\u2019s Office<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/president-of-india\/#Resignation_of_President_of_India\" title=\"Resignation of President of India\">Resignation of President of India<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/president-of-india\/#Impeachment_of_President_of_India\" title=\"Impeachment of President of India\">Impeachment of President of India<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3'><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/president-of-india\/#Grounds_for_Impeachment_of_President_of_India\" title=\"Grounds for Impeachment of President of India\">Grounds for Impeachment of President of India<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/president-of-india\/#Process_of_Impeachment_of_President_of_India\" title=\"Process of Impeachment of President of India\">Process of Impeachment of President of India<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/president-of-india\/#Vacancy_in_Presidents_Office\" title=\"Vacancy in President\u2019s Office\">Vacancy in President\u2019s Office<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/president-of-india\/#Functions_and_Powers_of_President_of_India\" title=\"Functions and Powers of President of India\">Functions and Powers of President of India<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-17\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/president-of-india\/#Constitutional_Position_of_President_of_India\" title=\"Constitutional Position of President of India\">Constitutional Position of President of India<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-18\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/president-of-india\/#Discretionary_Powers_of_President_of_India\" title=\"Discretionary Powers of President of India\">Discretionary Powers of President of India<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-19\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/president-of-india\/#Conclusion\" title=\"Conclusion\">Conclusion<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-20\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/president-of-india\/#Important_Articles_Related_to_the_President_of_India\" title=\"Important Articles Related to the President of India\">Important Articles Related to the President of India<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-21\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/president-of-india\/#Frequently_Asked_Questions_FAQs\" title=\"Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)\">Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3'><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-22\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/president-of-india\/#Is_the_President_Constitutional_head_of_the_State\" title=\"Is the President Constitutional head of the State?\">Is the President Constitutional head of the State?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-23\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/president-of-india\/#Who_was_the_first_President_of_India\" title=\"Who was the first President of India?\">Who was the first President of India?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-24\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/president-of-india\/#What_is_the_position_of_the_President_in_India\" title=\"What is the position of the President in India?\">What is the position of the President in India?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-25\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/president-of-india\/#What_are_the_privileges_of_the_President\" title=\"What are the privileges of the President?\">What are the privileges of the President?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-26\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/president-of-india\/#Who_can_participate_in_the_impeachment_of_the_President\" title=\"Who can participate in the impeachment of the President?\">Who can participate in the impeachment of the President?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-e6e019d8674a3c537b609abfca96a1b3\" style=\"color:#015aa7\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"About_President_of_India\"><\/span><strong>About President of India<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The President of India is <strong>the highest office of the land<\/strong> under the constitutional framework of India.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The office of the President of India has been envisaged as:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The <strong>head of the Indian State,<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <strong>first citizen of India,<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <strong>Titular <\/strong>or <strong>nominal <\/strong>or <strong>de jure head<\/strong> of the <strong>Union Executive,<\/strong> and<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <strong>Commander-in-Chief<\/strong> of the<strong> Indian Armed Forces.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#ebecf0\"><tbody><tr><td>The <strong>Union Executive<\/strong> consists of:<br>&#8211; The President of India,<br>&#8211; The Vice-President of India,<br>&#8211; The Prime Minister of India,<br>&#8211; The Council of Ministers (CoM), and<br>&#8211; The Attorney General of India (AGI)<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-51f648c30c125f9e79297325aa7eadc9\" style=\"color:#015aa7\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Constitutional_Provisions_Related_to_President_of_India\"><\/span><strong>Constitutional Provisions Related to President of India<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Articles 52-78 <\/strong>in <strong>Part V<\/strong> of the <strong>Indian Constitution<\/strong> deal with the <strong>Union Executive of India.<\/strong> They also contain some key provisions related to the President of India.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The constitutional provisions mentioned under these articles deal with matters related to the <strong>election, qualifications, impeachment, powers &amp; functions,<\/strong> and <strong>other aspects<\/strong> related to the office of the <strong>President of India.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-b687f9ae341f06f219020f51b94813e4\" style=\"color:#015aa7\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Election_of_President_of_India\"><\/span><strong>Election of President of India<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The President of India is elected not directly by the people of India, but by the members of a electoral college as described below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#ebecf0\"><tbody><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><strong>Electoral College<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#ebecf0\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Members who vote in the Presidential Election<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Members who do not vote in the Presidential Election<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>The elected members of both Houses of Parliament<\/td><td>The nominated members of both Houses of Parliament<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>The elected members of Legislative Assemblies of States<\/td><td>The nominated members of State Legislative Assemblies<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>The elected members of Legislative Assemblies of Union Territories of Delhi and Puducherry<\/td><td>Both elected and nominated members of State Legislative Councils<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><\/td><td>The nominated members of Legislative Assemblies of Union Territories of Delhi and Puducherry<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Where an Assembly is dissolved, members cease to be qualified to vote in the Presidential election, even if fresh elections to the dissolved assembly are not held before the Presidential election.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>To achieve <strong>uniformity in the scale of representation of different states<\/strong> as well as <strong>parity between States as a whole and the Center, <\/strong>the number of votes each member of the Electoral College is entitled to cast is determined in the following manner:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Value of Vote of a Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) <\/strong>= Total population of State\/Total number of elected members in State Legislative Assembly) x 1\/1000<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Value of Vote of a Member of Parliament (MP) <\/strong>= Total values of votes of all MLAs of all States\/Total number of elected MPs<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In order to win the election, a presidential candidate must secure a fixed quota of votes as defined as follows:<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Electoral Quota = [(Total number of valid votes polled\/2)+1]<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Presidential election is held in accordance with the <strong>System of Proportional Representation<\/strong> by means of the <strong>single transferable vote.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <strong>voting <\/strong>is done by <strong>secret ballot.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#ebecf0\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Reasons for choosing the method of indirect election for the President<br><\/strong>&#8211; The President is only a nominal executive, with the real powers vested in the Council of Ministers headed by the Prime Minister. It would have been anomalous to have the President elected directly by the people and not give him any real power.<br>&#8211; The direct election of the President would have been very costly and time-consuming. This was unwarranted for getting elected a person which is only a symbolic head.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-b687dfd47688935c962ae9cf0e387613\" style=\"color:#015aa7\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Provisions_Related_to_Disputes_Regarding_Election_of_President\"><\/span><strong>Provisions Related to Disputes Regarding Election of President<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>All doubts and disputes in connection with the election of the President are inquired into and decided by the <strong>Supreme Court<\/strong> whose <strong>decision is final.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The election of a person as President <strong>cannot be challenged on the ground<\/strong> that the <strong>electoral college was incomplete<\/strong> i.e. existence of any vacancy among the members of the electoral college.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>If the election<\/strong> of a person as the President is <strong>declared void<\/strong> by the Supreme Court, <strong>acts done by him<\/strong> before the date of such declaration are <strong>not invalidated and continue to remain in force.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-be789bc20c28baebc6c3d9300a1d61ac\" style=\"color:#015aa7\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Qualifications_of_President_of_India\"><\/span><strong>Qualifications of President of India<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A person to be eligible for election as the President of India should possess the <strong>following qualifications.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>He\/she should be a <strong>citizen of India.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>He\/she should have completed <strong>35 years of age.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>He\/she should be <strong>qualified for election as a member of the Lok Sabha.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>He\/she <strong>should not hold any office of profit under<\/strong> the Union government, any State government, any local authority, or any other public authority.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Note<\/strong>: A sitting President or Vice-President, Governor, and Minister of Union\/State is not deemed to hold any office of profit.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Further, a presidential candidate has to fulfill the <strong>following conditions<\/strong> for his\/her election as the President of India:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>His\/her <strong>nomination <\/strong>for election to the office of President must be <strong>subscribed by at least 50 electors as proposers and 50 electors as seconders.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>He\/she has to make a <strong>security deposit of \u20b9 15,000<\/strong> in the Reserve Bank of India.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Note<\/strong>: The security deposit so made is liable to be <strong>forfeited <\/strong>in case the candidate<strong> fails to secure 1\/6th of the votes polled.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-6804ff97bd32ce45fe800ab45c0ee1e3\" style=\"color:#015aa7\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Oaths_and_Affirmations_by_President_of_India\"><\/span><strong>Oaths and Affirmations by President of India<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The oath of office of the President is <strong>administered by the Chief Justice of India,<\/strong> and in his\/her absence, the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In his\/her oath, the President swears:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>To faithfully execute the office,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>To preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution and the law,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>To devote himself to the service and well-being of the people of India.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-ee702e48c66f04ab5a6182b636890485\" style=\"color:#015aa7\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Conditions_of_the_Presidents_Office\"><\/span><strong>Conditions of the President&#8217;s Office<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The conditions of the office of the President of India as laid down by the Constitution are as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>He\/she <strong>should not be a member of<\/strong> either House of <strong>Parliament <\/strong>or the House of <strong>State Legislature.<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>If any such person is elected as President, he is deemed to have vacated his seat in that house on the date on which he\/she enters upon his\/her office as President.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>He\/she should <strong>not hold any other office of profit.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-68e4219c0e29cfe4bc4d346ecfb1ebf9\" style=\"color:#015aa7\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Entitlement_of_President_of_India\"><\/span><strong>Entitlement of President of India<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>While serving in the office, the President of India is entitled to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Use the official residence of the President of India, the Rashtrapati Bhavan, without payment of any rent.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Receive such emoluments, allowances, and privileges as may be determined by Parliament.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#ebecf0\"><tbody><tr><td>&#8211; The <strong>emoluments <\/strong>and <strong>allowances <\/strong>of the President of India <strong>cannot be diminished<\/strong> during his\/her term of office.<br>&#8211; The<strong> Current Salary<\/strong> of the President of India is \u20b9 <strong>5 lakhs per month.<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-f53e4704bd39302e6de2e8d954d6c647\" style=\"color:#015aa7\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Immunities_available_to_the_President_of_India\"><\/span><strong>Immunities available to the President of India<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The President of India is entitled to a number of privileges and immunities as described below:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>He\/she enjoys personal <strong>immunity from legal liability<\/strong> for his\/her <strong>official acts.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>During his\/her term of office, he\/she is <strong>immune from any criminal proceedings, even<\/strong> in respect of his\/her <strong>personal acts.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Civil proceedings can be instituted<\/strong> against him\/her in respect of<strong> his\/her<\/strong> <strong>personal acts<\/strong> during his\/her term of office after giving <strong>two months\u2019 notice.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>While serving in the office, he\/she <strong>cannot be arrested or imprisoned.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-4962df97556c5d52c2cc5c5cab6a035c\" style=\"color:#015aa7\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Term_of_Presidents_Office\"><\/span><strong>Term of President\u2019s Office<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The President holds office for a<strong> term of 5 years<\/strong> from the date on which he\/she enters his\/her office.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>He can hold office beyond his term of 5 years until his\/her successor assumes charge of that office.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>He is <strong>eligible for re-election<\/strong> to that office for any number of terms.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-047c9571d27f111f4f63fae0596b09e8\" style=\"color:#015aa7\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Resignation_of_President_of_India\"><\/span><strong>Resignation of President of India<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The President of India can resign by addressing the <strong>resignation letter to the Vice-President of India.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-b36115dffe12ef85093452a57e772b44\" style=\"color:#015aa7\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Impeachment_of_President_of_India\"><\/span><strong>Impeachment of President of India<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The President of India can be removed from office before the completion of his\/her term by a well-defined process, known as the impeachment Process.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The process of impeachment of the President of India is a <strong>quasi-judicial procedure<\/strong> in the Parliament.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-0ea934e847010f94e842b9041eee8be1\" style=\"color:#ff6a00\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Grounds_for_Impeachment_of_President_of_India\"><\/span><strong>Grounds for Impeachment of President of India<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The sole ground for the impeachment of the President is &#8211;<strong> \u2018Violation of the Constitution\u2019. However,<\/strong> it is to be noted that the phrase <strong>&#8216;Violation of the Constitution&#8217; has not been defined in the Constitution.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-650334ef6a801fc53406c636425327c2\" style=\"color:#ff6a00\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Process_of_Impeachment_of_President_of_India\"><\/span><strong>Process of Impeachment of President of India<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The chronological order of the process of impeachment of the President of India can be seen as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The impeachment charges <strong>can be initiated by either House of the Parliament<\/strong>, i.e. Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>These charges should be <strong>signed by 1\/4th members <\/strong>of the House that frames the charges and a <strong>14-days\u2019 notice<\/strong> should be given to the President of India.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>After the impeachment resolution is <strong>passed by a majority of 2\/3rd of the total membership<\/strong> of that House, it is <strong>sent to the other House, which<\/strong> should <strong>investigate the charges.<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The President has the right to appear and to be represented in such an investigation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>If the other House <\/strong>also <strong>sustains the charges<\/strong> and <strong>passes <\/strong>the impeachment resolution by a <strong>majority of 2\/3rd of the total membership<\/strong> of that House, then the <strong>President stands impeached\/removed<\/strong> from his office from the date on which the resolution is so passed.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The following points need to be noted regarding the impeachment process of the President:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The <strong>nominated members of<\/strong> either House of <strong>Parliament <\/strong>can <strong>participate <\/strong>in impeachment, though they do not participate in his election.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <strong>elected members of Legislative Assemblies<\/strong> of States and Union Territories of Delhi and Puducherry <strong>do not participate<\/strong> in impeachment, though they participate in his election.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#ebecf0\"><tbody><tr><td>Note<strong>: No President of India has been impeached so far.<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-a8ca10146d2782e290efd0ec594eec6c\" style=\"color:#015aa7\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Vacancy_in_Presidents_Office\"><\/span><strong>Vacancy in President\u2019s Office<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A <strong>vacancy <\/strong>in the President&#8217;s Office can occur in the following ways:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>On the expiry of his\/her tenure of 5 years<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>On his\/her removal by the impeachment process<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>By his\/her resignation<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>By his\/her death<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Otherwise, i.e. when he\/she becomes disqualified to hold office or when his\/her election is declared void.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>When a vacancy is caused <strong>by the expiration of the term<\/strong> of the sitting President, <strong>an election<\/strong> to fill such vacancy <strong>must be held before the expiration of the term,<\/strong> i.e. 5 years.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>In case of any delay<\/strong> in conducting the due election, the <strong>outgoing President continues to hold office beyond his term of 5 years,<\/strong> until his successor assumes charge.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>This is provided by the Constitution to prevent an interregnum.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In this case, the Vice-President does not get the opportunity to act or discharge the functions of the President.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>When a <strong>vacancy <\/strong>is caused <strong>by resignation, removal, death<\/strong> of the President, <strong>or otherwise,<\/strong> the <strong>Vice-President acts as the President<\/strong> until a new President is elected.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>An <strong>election <\/strong>to fill such a vacancy should be held <strong>within 6 months.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The newly elected President remains in office for a full term of 5 years from the date he\/she assumes charge.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>When the sitting <strong>President is unable to discharge his\/her functions<\/strong> due to absence, illness, etc, the <strong>Vice-President discharges his functions<\/strong> until the President resumes his\/her office.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#ebecf0\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Note<\/strong>:<br>1. In all the above cases, in case the office of <strong>Vice-President is vacant,<\/strong> the <strong>Chief Justice of India (CJI) <\/strong>would fulfil the duties of the President, or if the office of the CJI is also vacant, then the<strong> senior-most judge of the Supreme Court<\/strong> available acts as the President of India.<br>2. When <strong>any person<\/strong>, i.e. the Vice President, the Chief Justice of India, or the senior most judge of a Supreme Court is <strong>acting as the President<\/strong>, he\/she <strong>enjoys all the powers and immunities of a President <\/strong>and is entitled to such emoluments, allowances, and privileges as determined by the Parliament of India.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-ea0f3455977c1e0407e7f29422696b36\" style=\"color:#015aa7\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Functions_and_Powers_of_President_of_India\"><\/span><strong>Functions and Powers of President of India<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The powers and functions of the President of India can be studied under the following heads:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#ebecf0\"><thead><tr><th class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Functions and Powers of President of India<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/powers-and-functions-of-president-of-india\/#Executive_Powers_of_President_of_India\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/powers-and-functions-of-president-of-india\/#Executive_Powers_of_President_of_India\"><strong>Executive Powers of President of India<\/strong><\/a><\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/powers-and-functions-of-president-of-india\/#Legislative_Powers_of_President_of_India\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/powers-and-functions-of-president-of-india\/#Legislative_Powers_of_President_of_India\"><strong>Legislative Powers of President of India<\/strong><\/a><\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/powers-and-functions-of-president-of-india\/#Financial_Powers_of_President_of_India\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/powers-and-functions-of-president-of-india\/#Financial_Powers_of_President_of_India\"><strong>Financial Powers of President of India<\/strong><\/a><\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/powers-and-functions-of-president-of-india\/#Judicial_Powers_of_President_of_India\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/powers-and-functions-of-president-of-india\/#Judicial_Powers_of_President_of_India\"><strong>Judicial Powers of President of India<\/strong><\/a><\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/powers-and-functions-of-president-of-india\/#Diplomatic_Powers_of_President_of_India\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/powers-and-functions-of-president-of-india\/#Diplomatic_Powers_of_President_of_India\"><strong>Diplomatic Powers of President of India<\/strong><\/a><\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/powers-and-functions-of-president-of-india\/#Military_Powers_of_President_of_India\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/powers-and-functions-of-president-of-india\/#Military_Powers_of_President_of_India\"><strong>Military Powers of President of India<\/strong><\/a><\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/powers-and-functions-of-president-of-india\/#Emergency_Powers_of_President_of_India\"><strong>Emergency Powers of President of India<\/strong><\/a><\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/powers-and-functions-of-president-of-india\/#Veto_Power_of_President_of_India\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/powers-and-functions-of-president-of-india\/#Veto_Power_of_President_of_India\"><strong>Veto Power of President of India<\/strong><\/a><\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/powers-and-functions-of-president-of-india\/#Ordinance_Making_Power_of_the_President\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/powers-and-functions-of-president-of-india\/#Ordinance_Making_Power_of_the_President\"><strong>Ordinance Making Power of President of India<\/strong><\/a><\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/powers-and-functions-of-president-of-india\/#Pardoning_Power_of_President_of_India\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/powers-and-functions-of-president-of-india\/#Pardoning_Power_of_President_of_India\"><strong>Pardoning Power of President of India<\/strong><\/a><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#ebecf0\">Read our detailed article on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/powers-and-functions-of-president-of-india\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/powers-and-functions-of-president-of-india\/\"><strong>Functions and Powers of President of India<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-d2e1b720f5599ca7be8471a5e41ee6c4\" style=\"color:#015aa7\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Constitutional_Position_of_President_of_India\"><\/span><strong>Constitutional Position of President of India<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Constitution of India provides for a <strong>Parliamentary form of government. Consequently, <\/strong>the <strong>President <\/strong>has been made <strong>only a nominal Executive,<\/strong> with the <strong>real Executive <\/strong>being the <strong>Union Council of Ministers (CoM).<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Accordingly, Article 74 provides that there shall be a CoM to aid and advise the President who shall, in the exercise of his functions, act in accordance with such advice. Thus, a major part of the powers of the President is only nominal.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>However<\/strong>, the President also possesses <strong>some situational discretion<\/strong> (as discussed in the section below) which makes him important in Indian polity.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-e7ec8dc41892146480fba789a7061bad\" style=\"color:#015aa7\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Discretionary_Powers_of_President_of_India\"><\/span><strong>Discretionary Powers of President of India<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Though the President of India has not been provided with constitutional discretions, he\/she has some situational discretion in the following circumstances:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Appointment of the Prime Minister of India when no party has a clear majority in the Lok Sabha or when the Prime Minister in office dies suddenly and there is no obvious successor.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Dismissal of the Union Council of Ministers (CoM) when it fails to prove a majority in the Lok Sabha.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Dissolution of the Lok Sabha when the Council of Ministers (CoM) has lost its majority in the Lok Sabha.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-d0adc4bd9eb2e9b9b187dc32f0e06642\" style=\"color:#015aa7\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Conclusion\"><\/span><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The<strong> President of India, <\/strong>as the <strong>highest constitutional authority<\/strong> of the nation, occupies a pivotal position in the democratic framework of the country. Despite being only a nominal head of the Executive, the President of India plays a significant role in Indian polity. Through his diverse functions, he ensures the smooth functioning of and coordination among the 3 wings of the Union government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-7a7bf6c231efcfe83a0a12221f60d641\" style=\"color:#015aa7\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Important_Articles_Related_to_the_President_of_India\"><\/span><strong>Important Articles Related to the President of India<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#ebecf0\"><thead><tr><th>Article No.<\/th><th>Subject Matter<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Article 52<\/td><td>The President of India<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Article 53<\/td><td>Executive Power of the Union<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Article 54<\/td><td>Election of President<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Article 58<\/td><td>Qualifications for Election as President<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Article 60<\/td><td>Oath or Affirmation by the President<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Article 61<\/td><td>Procedure for impeachment of the President<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Article 62<\/td><td>Time of holding election to fill the vacancy in the office of President<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Article 65<\/td><td>Vice-President to act as President or to discharge his functions<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Article 71<\/td><td>Matters relating to the election of President.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Article 72<\/td><td>Power of the President to grant pardons etc. and to suspend, remit, or commute sentences in certain cases<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Article 74<\/td><td>Council of Ministers to aid and advise the President<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Article 85<\/td><td>Sessions of Parliament, Prorogation, and Dissolution<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Article 111<\/td><td>Assent to bills passed by the Parliament<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Article 112<\/td><td>Union Budget (Annual Financial Statement)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Article 123<\/td><td>Power of the President to promulgate the ordinances<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Article 143<\/td><td>Power of the President to consult the Supreme Court<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-618812723183593a2c916a1fd5800128\" style=\"color:#015aa7\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Frequently_Asked_Questions_FAQs\"><\/span><strong>Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n<div id=\"rank-math-faq\" class=\"rank-math-block\">\n<div class=\"rank-math-list \">\n<div id=\"faq-question-1713347965738\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_the_President_Constitutional_head_of_the_State\"><\/span><strong>Is the President Constitutional head of the State?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>The constitutional head of the Executive of the Union is <strong>the President.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-1713347975386\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Who_was_the_first_President_of_India\"><\/span><strong>Who was the first President of India?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>The first President of India was Dr. Rajendra Prasad.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-1735197432743\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_the_position_of_the_President_in_India\"><\/span><strong>What is the position of the President in India?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>The President of India is the ceremonial head of state and the supreme commander of the armed forces, holding a pivotal role in the Indian political system.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-1735197449681\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_are_the_privileges_of_the_President\"><\/span><strong>What are the privileges of the President?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>The President enjoys several privileges, including immunity from legal prosecution, protection from arrest or detention, and the right to address Parliament. Additionally, the President can grant pardons, reprieves, respites, and commute sentences in certain cases.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-1735197470749\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Who_can_participate_in_the_impeachment_of_the_President\"><\/span><strong>Who can participate in the impeachment of the President?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>The impeachment of the President can be initiated by either house of Parliament, with a written motion signed by at least one-fourth of the members of the house. The motion must then be passed by a two-thirds majority in both houses, after which the President may be removed from office.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><br><\/strong><\/h2>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The office of the President of India has been envisaged by the Constitution of India as the constitutional head of the Indian State..<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":8193,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[64],"tags":[71],"class_list":["post-7361","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-polity","tag-gs-2"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7361","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7361"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7361\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15023,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7361\/revisions\/15023"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8193"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7361"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7361"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7361"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}