The President of India,[E1] is the official head of the executive of the Union and he comes to a decision by consulting the Council of Ministers with the Prime Minister, who is the real person responsible for executive power, and can be removed by a vote of no confidence passed by the House.

The President mandate lasts 5 years, afterwards,  he can be re-elected for any number of subsequent terms. The Parliament [E1],[F1] can remove the president only if he violates the constitution.  The Parliament, which  consists of two houses- the Lok sabha and the Rajya Sabha-

• legislates
• has the power to amend constitution
• elects the president and vice president
• must approve a proclamation of emergency
• guarantees the “checks and balance” on the powers of the executive authority

The Lok sabha, also called the House of People, has 544 elected members, sits for eight months in the year and elects its own Speaker.

Rajya Sabha, also called the Council of State, has 250 members, lacks a speaker but has the Vice President who acts as chairman and substitutes the President during his absence.

The largest political party is the Congress Party which has been in office for 40 years. Another important party is the right wing Hindu party called The Janata Party.

Cultural Studies Focus

1. General knowledge

What is India from a political point of view? How many states compound the country?

How many houses constitute the Indian Parliament? How many members sit in each of them?

What are the duties of the Indian Parliament?

What are the main political parties?

How long does the President’s mandate last?

2. Connect to the site, read the President’s profile and answer the following questions.

Date and place of birth

Academic career

Past successes

Future plans

Literary works

Awards