Everyone dreams of taking up prestigious positions in the Indian bureaucracy. The power and the position that comes with such a position is the most lucrative aspect of it. The Prime Minister might yield a lot of power, but yet the position of the President has its own advantages.
Such a position would obviously require its own set of qualifications and not everyone is suitable to be the President of India. The Presidential election this year gave us a new President of the nation, Ram Nath Kovind. With the new appointment in place, have you ever wondered as to what criteria needs to be fulfilled to take up this position? Let’s take a look.
The Qualifications For Elections As President
There are certain requirements that a person must fulfill in order to be eligible for this position. S/He should firstly be a citizen of India as an outsider cannot certainly run for the post. S/He must also be above the age of 35 and also should be qualified for the elections as a member of Lok Sabha. The last of the criteria that s/he must fulfill is that they must not hold any office of profit under the Government of India or the Government of any State or even under any local authority subject to the control of any of these Governments.
(Image Courtesy: Daily Post India)
The President of the Nation is brought to power indirectly by the Electoral College which consists of elected members of both House of Parliament and also the elected members of the Legislative Assemblies of States. The election happens in lieu with the system of proportional representation using a single transferable vote. In such an election, the voting is done by secret ballot. The regulation of the votes of the electorate is done in such a way that the voting strength of all State Assemblies together is equal to the voting strength of the Parliament. This assures that all states are uniformly represented at the election for the President.
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The Legislative Powers That The President Holds
The role of the President is a crucial one. Although the Prime Minister of the nation has more prominence than the President, the powers wielded by the President are no less. He is the Executive Head of the State and holds the supreme command of India’s defense forces. He has the power to declare any time he sees an impending threat that requires action and he can also call for peace. A lot of important appointments are done by the President which includes Governors of States, Ambassadors, and other diplomatic representatives, Chief Justice and Judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts, Attorney-General, the Chairman and members of the Union Public Service Commission. It is the President who makes the appointment of the Prime Minister, and his suggestions are taking into consideration for the appointment of the ministers of the Union Government.
(Image Courtesy: Indian Defence Review)
Financial Powers That The President Holds
The President causes the annual budget and important reports to be laid before the Parliament and it is s/he who advocates the introduction of Money Bills in the Parliament.
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Emergency Powers That The President Holds
The President holds immense emergency powers, and according to the Constitution, three kinds of emergencies can be proclaimed and which have to be issued by the President. He can do that whenever he sees fit, and such a proclamation is non-justiciable. The three types of emergencies that can be proclaimed are:
• In case of any war, any external aggression or any sort of armed rebellion that is threatening the security of the nation.
• If the constitutional machinery in the state fails to perform.
• The third is a financial emergency and the President can declare this if he feels the financial situation of the country demands it.
The powers held by the Indian President are immense even if they might not be equivalent to that of the US President. Share your feedback using the comment box below.
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