The President of India (IAST: Bhārat Gaṇarājya ke Rāshtrapati) is the Head of State and the Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces.[2]
The President is indirectly elected by the people through elected members of both the houses of Parliament, the Legislative Assemblies of all the states of India and the Legislative Assemblies of the union territories of New Delhi and Puducherry and serves for a renewable term of five years. The oath of the President is taken in the presence of the Chief Justice of India, and in his/her absence, by the most senior judge of the Supreme Court.
Although Article 53 of the Constitution of India states that the President can exercise his powers directly or by subordinate authority,[3] with few exceptions, all of the executive authority vested in the President are, in practice, exercised by the Prime Minister with the help of the Council of Ministers.
The President of India resides in an estate known as the Rashtrapati Bhavan[4] (which roughly translates as President's House) situated in Raisina Hill in New Delhi. The presidential retreat is The Retreat in Chharabra, Shimla and Rashtrapati Nilayam (President's Place) in Hyderabad.
The 13th and current President is Pranab Mukherjee, who was elected on 22 July 2012, and sworn in on 25 July 2012.[5][6] He is also the first Bengali to be elected as President.
India achieved independence from the British on 15 August 1947, initially as a Dominion within the Commonwealth of Nations with George VI as king, represented in the country by a governor-general.[8] Still, following this, the Constituent Assembly of India, under the leadership of Dr.B.R.Ambedkar, undertook the process of drafting a completely new constitution for the country. The Constitution of India was eventually enacted on 26 November 1949 and came into force on 26 January 1950,[9]:26 making India a republic.[10]:9 The offices of monarch and governor-general were replaced by the new office of President of India, with Rajendra Prasad as the first incumbent.[10]:1
The constitution of the Republic of India (Articles 53, 79 & 111) gave the President the responsibility and authority to defend and protect the constitution of India and its rule of law.[11] Invariably, any action taken by the executive or legislature entities of the constitution shall become law only after President's assent. The president shall not accept any actions of the executive or legislature which are unconstitutional. The president is the foremost, most empowered and prompt defender of the constitution (article 60), who has preemptive power for ensuring constitutionality in the actions of the executive or legislature. The role of the judiciary in upholding the constitution of India is the second line of defence in nullifying any unconstitutional actions of the executive and legislative entities of the Indian Union.
The President is indirectly elected by the people through elected members of both the houses of Parliament, the Legislative Assemblies of all the states of India and the Legislative Assemblies of the union territories of New Delhi and Puducherry and serves for a renewable term of five years. The oath of the President is taken in the presence of the Chief Justice of India, and in his/her absence, by the most senior judge of the Supreme Court.
Although Article 53 of the Constitution of India states that the President can exercise his powers directly or by subordinate authority,[3] with few exceptions, all of the executive authority vested in the President are, in practice, exercised by the Prime Minister with the help of the Council of Ministers.
The President of India resides in an estate known as the Rashtrapati Bhavan[4] (which roughly translates as President's House) situated in Raisina Hill in New Delhi. The presidential retreat is The Retreat in Chharabra, Shimla and Rashtrapati Nilayam (President's Place) in Hyderabad.
The 13th and current President is Pranab Mukherjee, who was elected on 22 July 2012, and sworn in on 25 July 2012.[5][6] He is also the first Bengali to be elected as President.
India achieved independence from the British on 15 August 1947, initially as a Dominion within the Commonwealth of Nations with George VI as king, represented in the country by a governor-general.[8] Still, following this, the Constituent Assembly of India, under the leadership of Dr.B.R.Ambedkar, undertook the process of drafting a completely new constitution for the country. The Constitution of India was eventually enacted on 26 November 1949 and came into force on 26 January 1950,[9]:26 making India a republic.[10]:9 The offices of monarch and governor-general were replaced by the new office of President of India, with Rajendra Prasad as the first incumbent.[10]:1
The constitution of the Republic of India (Articles 53, 79 & 111) gave the President the responsibility and authority to defend and protect the constitution of India and its rule of law.[11] Invariably, any action taken by the executive or legislature entities of the constitution shall become law only after President's assent. The president shall not accept any actions of the executive or legislature which are unconstitutional. The president is the foremost, most empowered and prompt defender of the constitution (article 60), who has preemptive power for ensuring constitutionality in the actions of the executive or legislature. The role of the judiciary in upholding the constitution of India is the second line of defence in nullifying any unconstitutional actions of the executive and legislative entities of the Indian Union.
