The Union Executive
A. Fill in the blanks.
1. The President can be removed from office by a procedure known as Impeachment.
2. The Presidents appoints the judges of the Supreme Court and the High Courts.
3. The President can call a joint session of the Parliament if there is deadlock regarding a bill.
4. The Cabinet is the inner core of the Council of Ministers. The Cabinet Ministers hold important portfolios.
5. The Prime Minister is the link between the President, the people and the Parliament.
B. Choose the correct answer.
1. The President/Prime Minister/Vice-President is the nominal head of the government of India.
2. The President is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Administrative Service/Defence Forces/Indian Foreign Service.
3. The Vice-President is the ex officio Chairperson of the Lok Sabha/Rajya Sabha/Vidhan Sabha.
4. After the elections, the President appoints the leader of the majority party as the Vice-President/Speaker/Prime Minister.
5. The Council of Ministers is the real executive, but the administration is carried on in the name of the Prime Minister/President/Vice-President.
C. State whether the following are true or false.
1. The President is elected for a term of 4 years. [F]
2. The President can Pardon a death sentence. [T]
3. The President can declare war or conclude peace. [T]
4. The Prime Minister chooses the cabinet ministers. [T]
5. Civil servants belong to the majority party. [F]
D. Answer in brief:
1. Who is the real executive head in the parliamentary form of government?
= The Prime Minister is the real executive head in the parliamentary form of government.
2. Name the body that elects the president of India.
= The electoral college elects the President of India.
3. Name any two officials appointed by the president of India.
= The state governors and the judges of the High Courts.
4. What is an ordinance?
= An ordinance is an executive order which is issued when the parliament is not in session.
5. What can the President do when the security of the country is threatened by external aggression or armed rebellion?
= The President can declare a National Emergency.
6. Whose advice is the president bound to follow in carrying out his/her functions?
= The Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers.
7. Who is the head of the Council of Ministers?
= The Prime Minister.
8. When two or more political parties form the government, What is it called?
= Coalitions.
9. What is meant by allotment of portfolios?
= Allotment of portfolios is when the Prime Minister allots each minister in the Council a separate department or portfolio to handle.
10. What happens when a vote of no confidence is passed against any one cabinet minister?
= If a vote of no-confidence is passed against any one cabinet minister, the whole Council of Ministers has to resign immediately.
E. Long answer questions:
1. "In the context of the President of India, answer the following questions:
a) Mention the qualifications required for the post of the President.
= The basic qualifications for a candidate to be the President of India are -
i) He/she must be a citizen of India.
ii) He/she must be at least 35 years of age.
iii) He/she must have all the qualifications necessary to be a member of the Lok Sabha.
b) How is the President elected?
= The President is elected indirectly. An electoral college elects the President. The electoral college consists of the following members:
i) The elected members of both houses of Parliament.
ii) The elected members of the State Legislative Assemblies.
c) How can the service of the President can be terminated?
= The services of the President can be terminated by the Parliament. Impeachment is a procedure by which the Parliament can remove the President if he/she is found guilty of violating the constitution, of treason or of corruption.
2. "With reference to the powers of the President, discuss:"
a) Any four executive powers of the President:
= Four important executive powers of the President are -
i) The President appoints the Prime Minister who is the leader of the majority party or coalition parties or the single largest party in the Lok Sabha.
ii) The President appoints the State Governors and other high officials such as Comptroller and Auditor General and the Attorney General.
iii) The President appoints the Union Ministers on the advice of the Prime Minister.
iv) The President appoints the judges of the Supreme Court and the High Courts and the ambassadors to other countries.
b) Military Power of the President:
= i) The President is the Supreme Commander of the Defence Forces. He/She can declare war or conclude peace.
ii) All important treaties and contracts are made in the Presidents name.
c) Any four legislative powers of the President:
= Four important legislative powers of the President are -
i) The President can dissolve the Lok Sabha and order fresh elections.
ii) He/She can call a joint session of both houses of Parliament if there is a deadlock regarding a bill.
iii) The President nominates twelve members to the Rajya Sabha and two Anglo-Indian members to the Lok Sabha.
iv) When the Parliament is not in session, the President can issue ordinances(executive orders). Ordinances are likely laws but they are valid for 6 weeks after the Parliament meets again.
3. "The President is a integral part of the Parliament. To this context explain the following:"
a) The financial powers of the President:
= The important financial powers of the president are -
i) The budget is presented to the Parliament in the name of the President.
ii) All money bills are introduced in the Parliament with the President's permission.
iii) The President can grant an advance from the contingency fund in case of an unforeseen expenditure.
b) The judicial powers of the President:
= The important judicial powers of the President are -
i) The President has the power to grant pardon and reduce or suspend the sentence of a person who has been found guilty. He/she can also pardon a death sentence.
ii) He/she is not answerable to any court of law for his/her actions, except if he/she impeached be the Parliament.
c) The emergency powers of the President:
= The President can declare an emergency in the country under the following conditions -
i) If the security of the country is threatened by external aggression or armed rebellion, National emergency is declared.
ii) If a government of a state can not function according to the laws in the Constitution, President's Rule is imposed in that state.
iii) If the financial stability of the country is threatened, a Financial Emergency can be declared.
However the President can not declare an emergency without the approval of the Parliament.
4. "With reference to the functions of the parliament, explain the following:"
a) Law making functions of the Parliament:
= i) The Parliament can frame new laws or modify exiting ones on any subjects in the Union or Concurrent lists.
ii) No money can be raised or spent by the government without the approval of the Lok Sabha. A money bill can only be introduces in the Lok Sabha.
iii) In some cases, the Parliament can also pass laws on subjects under the State list.
iv) Only the Parliament can introduce a bill to amend the Constitution.
b) Control over the executives of the Parliament:
= i) The Parliament keeps a watch over the government. The Council of Ministers is directly responsible and answerable to the Lok Sabha for its policies and actions.
ii) The Council of Ministers has to resign immediately if a vote of no-confidence is passed against it by the Lok Sabha.
iii) The members of Parliament can discuss government policies and question the ministers. Hence, they can exercise a check on the working of the government.
iv) The Parliament can move an adjourment motion to discuss and focus on any matter of public importance which requires immediate and urgent attention.
c) Judicial functions of the Parliament:
= The Parliament can impeach or remove the President, the vice-President and judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts if any of them violate the Constitution or misuse their authority.
5. "Discuss the power and position of the Prime Minister with reference to his relationship with the following:"
a) Relationship of the Prime Minister with the Parliament:
= The Parliamentary system of government makes the Prime Minister the real head of the Indian government. The Prime Minister is the link between the President, the people and the Parliament.
b) Relation of the Prime Minister with the President:
= The President of India is bound to act accordance with the advice of the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers. The advice of the Prime Minister is binding on the President.
c) Relation of the Prime Minister with the Council of Ministers:
= The Prime Minister can expand the Council of Ministers and also demand the resignation of any minister.
6. "In context of the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers, explain the following:"
a) Appointment of the Prime Minister:
= After the elections, the President appoints the Prime Minister, who is generally the leader of the majority party in the Lok Sabha. If there is no single party holding a majority in the parliament, then two or more parties usually agree to work together and form the government. This is known as coalition government.
b) Formation of the Council of Ministers:
= The Prime Minister selects a number of Ministers according to his/her preference and submits a list to the President. When the President approves and appoints the ministers, the Council of Ministers is formed.
c) The Cabinet:
= The Cabinet is the inner core of the Council of Ministers. The Cabinet Ministers hold the most important portfolios and make the most important decisions and policies. The Cabinet Ministers hold the highest ranks and have the greatest responsibility. The Cabinet holds the real executive power of the Indian government and is collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha.