Parliament of India
President of India
Articles Related to the President
- Article 52: President of India
- Article 53: Executive Power of the Union
- Article 60: Term of President
- Article 61: Election of President
- Article 62: Vacancy in Office of President
- Article 63: Oath of Office
Election of President
- Conducted by electoral college comprising:
- Elected members of Lok Sabha
- Elected members of Rajya Sabha
- Elected members of State Legislative Assemblies
- Election Commission oversees the process
- First Election: 1952
- President of India: Dr. Rajendra Prasad (1950–1962)
Removal of President
- Not directly removable by impeachment
- Impeachment Process:
- Initiated by either House of Parliament
- Requires 1/2 of the members of the House to support the motion
- Requires 2/3 majority of the members present and voting
- Grounds for Impeachment: Violation of Constitution
Powers of the President
| Power | Description |
|---|---|
| Executive | Acts as head of state; appoints Prime Minister, Cabinet Ministers, etc. |
| Legislative | Can summon, prorogue, and dissolve Lok Sabha; address both Houses |
| Military | Acts as Commander-in-Chief of Armed Forces |
| Judiciary | Appoints Judges of Supreme Court and High Courts |
| Financial | Recommends budget, approves money bills, and can return non-money bills |
| Ordinance | Can promulgate ordinances when Parliament is not in session |
| Emergency | Can declare emergency under Articles 352, 355, and 365 |
Key Facts for Exams
- President is not a part of the executive but acts as a ceremonial head
- President cannot dissolve Rajya Sabha
- Ordinance can be revoked at any time by the President
- Emergency powers are limited and require parliamentary approval
Lok Sabha
Presiding Officers
- Speaker: Presides over Lok Sabha
- Deputy Speaker: Assists Speaker
- Chairman of Business Advisory Committee: Assists Speaker in managing business of the House
Constitutional Provisions
- Article 79: Composition of the Parliament with Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha .
- Article 81: Composition of the Lok Sabha :- 550 members [ All elected ] , 530 from States and 20 from Union Territories .
- Article 82: Delimitation :- Readjustment of Constituencies based on recent population of census.
- Article 83: Duration :- Deals with the duration of Houses of Parliament.
Key Features
- Largest House of Parliament
- Direct election by adult franchise
- Seats allocated based on population
- Minimum age: 25 years
- Term: 5 years, unless dissolved earlier
Important Dates
- First Lok Sabha: 1952
- Election of First Speaker: GV Malavankar (1952)
- First Lok Sabha Dissolution: 1957
Key Facts for Exams
- Speaker is not a member of any political party
- Speaker can cast a vote only in case of a tie
- Lok Sabha can be dissolved by the President on the advice of the Prime Minister
- Money Bill can be introduced only in Lok Sabha
Rajya Sabha
Presiding Officers
- Vice President of India: Presides over Rajya Sabha
- Deputy Chairman: Assists Vice President
- Chairman of Business Advisory Committee: Assists Deputy Chairman
Constitutional Provisions
- Article 80: Defining Rajya Sabha composition and representation of states and Union Territories.
- Article 83[1]: Declares a Rajya Sabha a permanent body and not subject to dissolve.
- Article 249: Authorizes Rajya Sabha to consider any subject of state list into in National Interest, so Parliament could legislate it.
- Article 312: Authorizes Rajya Sabha to create any All India Services like IAS, IPS.
- Article 352: Authorizes Rajya Sabha to endorse the National Emergency if Lok Sabha dissolves.
Key Features
- Upper House of Parliament
- Members elected by State Legislative Assemblies
- Seats allocated based on population of states
- Minimum age: 30 years
- Term: 6 years, with 1/3 members retiring every 2 years
Important Dates
- First Rajya Sabha: 1952
- Election of First Vice President: Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (1952)
- First Deputy Chairman: H. N. Kunzru (1952)
Key Facts for Exams
- Rajya Sabha cannot be dissolved
- Vice President is also the Chairman of Rajya Sabha
- Rajya Sabha can pass a resolution to remove the Vice President
- Money Bill cannot be introduced in Rajya Sabha
- Rajya Sabha can delay a bill for up to 14 days
Comparison of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha
| Feature | Lok Sabha | Rajya Sabha |
|---|---|---|
| Composition | Direct election | Indirect election |
| Term | 5 years | 6 years |
| Seats | Based on population | Based on population |
| Minimum Age | 25 years | 30 years |
| Dissolution | Yes | No |
| Money Bill | Can introduce | Cannot introduce |
| Passing of Bills | Can pass all bills | Can delay bills |
| Speaker | Presiding Officer | Vice President is presiding officer |
Important Terms and Definitions
- Money Bill: A bill that deals with taxation, expenditure, or borrowing of money.
- Ordinance: A legislative measure issued by the President when Parliament is not in session.
- Emergency: A situation declared under Articles 352 (National Emergency), 355 (State Emergency), and 365 (President’s Rule).
- Impeachment: A process to remove the President from office.
- Electoral College: A group of elected representatives who vote for the President.
- Speaker: Presiding officer of Lok Sabha.
- Vice President: Presiding officer of Rajya Sabha.
- Deputy Speaker: Assistant to the Speaker.
- Deputy Chairman: Assistant to the Vice President.
BETA
