Last reviewed 30 Sept 2026 · 14 min read
The Union Executive
The Union Executive consists of the President, the Vice-President, the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers, and the Attorney General of India. India has a parliamentary system: the President is the nominal (constitutional) head; the real executive power lies with the Council of Ministers headed by the Prime Minister (Article 74 — the President must act on the aid and advice of the Council, and after the 42nd/44th Amendments may ask it to reconsider once).
The President (Articles 52–62)
- Article 52: there shall be a President of India. Article 53: the executive power of the Union is vested in the President, exercised directly or through subordinate officers.
- Qualifications (Article 58): citizen of India; completed 35 years; qualified for election as a member of the Lok Sabha; not holding any office of profit.
- Election (Article 54–55): by an electoral college consisting of the elected members of both Houses of Parliament and the elected members of the Legislative Assemblies of the States (and of the Union Territories of Delhi and Puducherry). Nominated members and members of Legislative Councils do not vote. The election follows the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote, with a secret ballot. The value of votes is set so that there is parity between the states and the Union (uniformity of representation). The Election Commission conducts it. Candidates must be proposed by 50 electors and seconded by 50 electors; the security deposit is ₹15,000.
- Oath (Article 60): administered by the Chief Justice of India (or, in his absence, the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court).
- Term (Article 56): 5 years; eligible for re-election (any number of times; the US has a two-term limit). Resignation to the Vice-President. Vacancy must be filled within 6 months.
- Impeachment (Article 61): for violation of the Constitution; a resolution moved in either House (with a notice signed by one-fourth of the members and given 14 days in advance) must be passed by two-thirds of the total membership of that House, then by the other House likewise. No President has been impeached so far.
- Salary: ₹5 lakh per month (from 2018; check the latest); pension and allowances; the Vice-President ₹4 lakh. The Constitution and the Second Schedule fix the emoluments; they can't be reduced during the term.
Powers of the President
| Type | Powers |
|---|---|
| Executive | appoints the Prime Minister and, on his advice, other ministers; the Attorney General, the CAG, the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners, the UPSC chairman and members, the Governors of the states, judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts, the Finance Commission, the Chief Justice; the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces (Article 53(2)); runs the administration of Union Territories; can declare Scheduled Areas |
| Legislative | summons, prorogues Parliament and dissolves the Lok Sabha; addresses Parliament (the first session after each general election and the first session of each year); nominates 12 members to the Rajya Sabha (art, literature, science, social service); nominated 2 Anglo-Indians to the Lok Sabha (ended in 2020, 104th Amendment); assent to bills — may give assent, withhold or return a bill (except a money bill and a constitutional amendment bill, which he must sign); absolute veto, suspensive veto and pocket veto (no time limit; used for non-money bills when he neither returns nor signs) |
| Ordinance-making (Article 123) | when Parliament is not in session, he can promulgate ordinances having the same force as an Act; they must be approved by Parliament within six weeks of its reassembly or they lapse; the President must be satisfied that immediate action is needed; ordinances can't be issued on matters outside the Union's legislative power |
| Financial | money bills are introduced only on his recommendation; he lays before Parliament the Annual Financial Statement (Budget); Contingency Fund of India is at his disposal; appoints a Finance Commission every 5 years |
| Judicial (Article 72) | pardon, reprieve, respite, remission, suspension and commutation of sentences: pardoning powers cover sentences by court martial and death sentences; Governors cannot pardon death sentences |
| Emergency | National Emergency (Article 352) (war, external aggression, or armed rebellion), State Emergency / President's Rule (Article 356) (failure of constitutional machinery in a state), Financial Emergency (Article 360) — never declared so far |
| Diplomatic | international treaties are negotiated in his name, ambassadors are appointed; receives credentials |
- Pocket veto — India's President can exercise it because there is no time limit for giving assent (Zail Singh used it on the Indian Post Office (Amendment) Bill 1986).
- Presidents of India: Dr Rajendra Prasad (1950–62; the only one to serve two terms), S. Radhakrishnan, Zakir Husain (died in office), V. V. Giri (acted, then elected), Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed (died in office), Neelam Sanjiva Reddy (the youngest at election), Giani Zail Singh, R. Venkataraman, Shankar Dayal Sharma, K. R. Narayanan, A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, Pratibha Patil (the first woman), Pranab Mukherjee, Ram Nath Kovind, Droupadi Murmu (the 15th; the first tribal woman; took office 25 July 2022).
The Vice-President (Articles 63–71)
- Qualification: citizen; 35 years; qualified for election to the Rajya Sabha; no office of profit.
- Election: by an electoral college of members of both Houses of Parliament (elected and nominated) — the state assemblies do not participate; by proportional representation and single transferable vote.
- Term: 5 years; removed by a resolution of the Rajya Sabha passed by a majority of its members and agreed by the Lok Sabha (14 days' notice).
- Ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha (no vote except a casting vote in a tie). Acts as President during the President's absence, illness or vacancy (for up to six months while a new President is elected). The VP's oath is administered by the President.