1. Union Executive – Overview
The Union Executive consists of:
- The President
- The Vice-President
- The Prime Minister
- The Council of Ministers
- The Attorney General of India
हिंदी: Centre की सरकार चलाने वाले मुख्य लोग – President (राष्ट्रपति),
Prime Minister (प्रधानमंत्री) और Council of Ministers (मंत्रिपरिषद)।
2. The President of India (Articles 52–62)
Constitutional Position:
- The President is the Head of the State.
- He is the Nominal / Constitutional Executive.
- Real power is exercised by the Council of Ministers headed by the PM.
हिंदी: संविधान के अनुसार President देश का Head है,
लेकिन असली कार्यकारी शक्ति PM और Ministers के पास होती है – इसको ही Parliamentary System कहते हैं।
2.1 Election of the President
- Elected by an Electoral College consisting of:
- Elected members of Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha.
- Elected members of State Legislative Assemblies (and some UT Assemblies as per law).
- Elected by proportional representation by means of single transferable vote.
- Election is held by secret ballot.
हिंदी: President को सीधे जनता नहीं चुनती,
बल्कि MPs + MLAs का Electoral College चुनता है (अनुपातिक प्रतिनिधित्व से)।
2.2 Qualifications & Term
Qualifications:
- Citizen of India.
- At least 35 years of age.
- Qualified to be elected as a member of Lok Sabha.
- Must not hold any office of profit under the Government.
- Normal term is 5 years.
- Can be re-elected any number of times.
- Can resign or be removed by impeachment.
2.3 Powers of the President (NDA Level)
Executive Powers:
- All executive actions are taken in his name.
- Appoints PM, other ministers, Governors, CJI and other judges, CAG, etc.
- Summons and prorogues Parliament.
- Can dissolve Lok Sabha.
- Gives assent to bills (ordinary, money, constitutional amendment).
- Can issue ordinances when Parliament is not in session.
- Money Bill can be introduced in Lok Sabha only with his recommendation.
- Budget is placed before Parliament in his name.
- Appoints judges of Supreme Court and High Courts.
- Has power to grant pardons, reprieves, respites or remissions of punishment.
- Can proclaim:
- National Emergency (Art. 352)
- President’s Rule in a State (Art. 356)
- Financial Emergency (Art. 360)
हिंदी Summary: President के पास – कार्यपालिका (appointments), विधायी (bill पर assent, ordinance),
वित्तीय (budget, money bill), न्यायिक (pardon), और emergency powers – सब होते हैं,
लेकिन इनका प्रयोग सामान्यतः PM और Council of Ministers की सलाह पर होता है।
3. Prime Minister (PM)
- Head of the Government.
- Real Executive authority is with the PM & Council of Ministers.
- Appointed by the President – normally the leader of the majority party in Lok Sabha.
हिंदी: PM = असली “Captain” of the government.
President nominal head है, PM real head है।
3.1 Role and Powers of PM
- Chooses and recommends ministers to the President.
- Allocates portfolios among ministers.
- Heads the meetings of the Council of Ministers.
- Acts as a link between President and Council of Ministers.
- Leader of the Lok Sabha (if member) and spokesperson of government.
- Can advise President to dissolve Lok Sabha.
हिंदी: सरकार की नीति बनाना, Ministers का चयन, काम बाँटना,
Parliament में सरकार का नेतृत्व – ये सब PM की मुख्य भूमिका है।
4. Council of Ministers
- Includes all ministers headed by the PM.
- Three main categories:
- Cabinet Ministers – senior, head important ministries.
- Ministers of State – may have independent charge or work under Cabinet Ministers.
- Deputy Ministers – assist senior ministers (post not always used).
- Under Article 75, Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha.
हिंदी: Council of Ministers = पूरे मंत्री समूह;
Cabinet = सबसे core, powerful हिस्से वाले senior ministers – NDA में ये अंतर पता होना चाहिए।
4.1 Collective Responsibility
Collective Responsibility means:
- The Council of Ministers stands or falls together.
- If Lok Sabha passes a no-confidence motion, the entire Council (including PM) must resign.
- All ministers support Cabinet decisions publicly, even if they disagreed inside the meeting.
हिंदी: अगर Lok Sabha विश्वास नहीं जताए (no-confidence) → पूरी सरकार को इस्तीफा देना पड़ता है।
यही collective responsibility है।
5. Relationship: President vs PM & Council
- President acts on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers headed by the PM (except in a few situations).
- President is the symbolic Head; PM is the working Head.
- System ensures both dignity of President and effectiveness of an elected government.
हिंदी Summary:
President = Head of State (नाममात्र)
PM = Head of Government (वास्तविक शक्ति)
– Parliamentary democracy का basic formula।
📘 Practice Questions (NDA Style)
1. The President of India is elected by:
a) Only Lok Sabha b) Only Rajya Sabha c) Electoral College of MPs and MLAs d) Direct vote of people
2. The real executive authority in India is vested in:
a) President b) Prime Minister and Council of Ministers c) Chief Justice d) Parliament
3. The normal term of office of the President is:
a) 3 years b) 4 years c) 5 years d) 6 years
4. Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to:
a) President b) Rajya Sabha c) Lok Sabha d) Supreme Court
5. Which Article provides for President’s Rule in a State?
a) Article 352 b) Article 356 c) Article 360 d) Article 368
a) Only Lok Sabha b) Only Rajya Sabha c) Electoral College of MPs and MLAs d) Direct vote of people
2. The real executive authority in India is vested in:
a) President b) Prime Minister and Council of Ministers c) Chief Justice d) Parliament
3. The normal term of office of the President is:
a) 3 years b) 4 years c) 5 years d) 6 years
4. Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to:
a) President b) Rajya Sabha c) Lok Sabha d) Supreme Court
5. Which Article provides for President’s Rule in a State?
a) Article 352 b) Article 356 c) Article 360 d) Article 368
Answers:
1 – c) Electoral College of MPs and MLAs
2 – b) Prime Minister and Council of Ministers
3 – c) 5 years
4 – c) Lok Sabha
5 – b) Article 356
1 – c) Electoral College of MPs and MLAs
2 – b) Prime Minister and Council of Ministers
3 – c) 5 years
4 – c) Lok Sabha
5 – b) Article 356
Quick Recap | सार
Now you should be able to:
- Recall the most important ideas of this topic.
- Solve typical NDA-style questions from this chapter.
- Spot and avoid common traps used in competitive exams.
Self-check: 3–4 random questions उठा कर देखिए – अगर आसानी से हो रहे हैं, तो chapter strong है।
Common Exam Mistakes | आम गलतियाँ
- Concept ठीक से clear न करना और सीधे रटने की कोशिश करना।
- Question पूरी तरह पढ़े बिना answer mark कर देना।
- Figures, dates, या formulas को last step में verify न करना।
NDA में smart strategy यह है कि आसान वाले सवाल पहले, doubtful बाद में – और silly mistakes से बचना सबसे ज़रूरी है।