President and VP

Question 1

What are the qualifications for election of the president ?

Answer 1

a) should be a citizen of india
b) has completed the age of 35
c) should be qualified for election as a member of the lok sabha

Question 2

What is the composition of the electoral college ?

Answer 2

1) the elected members of both houses of parliament.
2) the elected members of the legislative assemblies of the states including national capital territory of delhi and the union territory of puducherry.

Question 3

What is the term of president and vice president?

Answer 3

5 years

Question 4

What are the executive powers of the president of the india ?

Answer 4

1. Head of the union administration
2. Appointment of officials of the state
3. Control over state governments
4. Union territories and border areas

Question 5

What are the diplomatic powers of the president ?

Answer 5

1) the president has the power of appointing Indian Ambassadors to other countries.
2) He receives ambassadors ,high commissioners and diplomatic envoys from foreign nations
3) all treaties and international agreements are concluded in the name of the president .
4) the president represents India in international conferences

Question 6

What are the legislative powers ?

Answer 6

1. Addresses sessions of parliament
2. Messages to parliament
3. Summon and prorogue the houses
4. Dissolve the lok sabha
5. Nomination of members
6. Assent to bills

Question 7

What are the financial powers of the president ?

Answer 7

1. Money bills can be introduced only on the recommendation of the president
2. The annual financial statement is also laid before the parliament in the beginning of every year on behalf of the president
3. The president can authorise withdrawal of advances from the contingency fund of india to meet unforeseen expenditure.

Question 8

What are the military powers of the president ?

Answer 8

1. The president is the supreme commander of the armed forces of India
2. He appoints the chiefs of the three wings of the Armed forces, subject to certain rules and regulations.
3. The president has the power as to make declarations of war and peace on the advice of the council of ministers.

Question 9

What are the judicial powers of the president ?

Answer 9

1. The president is not answerable before any court of law for the exercise of the powers and duties of his office
2. No criminal suit can be initiated against him during his tenure of office
3. The president has the power to grant pardons, reprieves,respites or remissions of punishments or to suspend, remit or commute the sentence of any person convicted for an offence

Question 10

What are the emergency powers of the president ?

Answer 10

1. National or general emergency
2. Breakdown of constitutional machinery
3. Financial powers

Question 11

When can national or general emergency take place ?

Answer 11

If the president is satisfied that a grave emergency exists whereby the security of india or any part of its territory is threatened, either by war or by external aggression or armed rebellion, he may proclaim an emergency. The president cannot issue such a proclamation unless he has the approval in writing of the union cabinet.

Question 12

When can the breakdown of constitutional machinery take place ?

Answer 12

If the president, on receipt of a report from the governor or otherwise, is satisfied that the governance of a state cannot be carried on in accordance with the provisions of the constitution,he may declare an emergency in the state. This is called president’s rule because the president may assume to himself all or any of the functions of the government of the state

Question 13

What are the qualifications of the vice president ?

Answer 13

1. Should be a citizen of India
2. Should have completed the age of 35 years
3. Should be qualified for election as a member of the council of states.

Question 14

When can financial emergency take place ?

Answer 14

If the president is satisfied that a situation has arisen whereby the financial stability or credit of the nation is threatened, he can declare a financial emergency.

Question 15

What is the term of office of the vice president ?

Answer 15

1. The vice president shall hold office for a term of five years from the date on which he enters upon his office
2. He may, by writing, addressed to the president,resign his office .such resignation will be communicated by the president to the speaker of the lok sabah

Question 16

Who takes over the president ? Under which situations ?

Answer 16

The vice president takes over the president .
Under situations like :
1. Death of the president
2. Resignation of the president
3. Removal of the president
4. When the president is unable to discharge his functions owing to absence, illness or any other cause.

Question 17

Who settles disputes arising in connection with the election of the president ?

Answer 17

The supreme court of india

Question 18

Who is empowered by the constitution summon and to dissolve ?

Answer 18

The president of india

Question 19

Explain the term ‘proportional representation’.

Answer 19

There is uniformity in the scale of representation of the different states as far as possible .

Question 20

Who appoints the governor in a state ?

Answer 20

The president of India

Question 21

Who is the head of the union council of members ?

Answer 21

The prime minister

Question 22

How is the vice president of india elected ?

Answer 22

The vice president is elected by an electoral college, consisting of members of both houses of the parliament, according to the system of proportional representation, by means of a single transferable vote.

Question 23

Mention the circumstances under which the vice president steps in as president when the office of the president falls vacant.

Answer 23

The vice president officiates as president when the latter is unable to discharge his duties due to illness or absence from the country, and if the office of the president falls vacant due to his resignation, death or impeachment.

Question 24

Why are the ordinances considered temporary measures ?

Answer 24

The ordinances are valid for not more than six weeks from the date the parliament is convened unless approved by it earlier.

Question 25

How is the president elected ?

Answer 25

The presidential candidate will have to be proposed by 50 members of the electoral college and seconded by another 50 members.The election of the president is held in the accordance with the system of proportional representation by means of single transferable vote and the voting at such election is by secret ballot.

Question 26

What is single transferable vote system?

Answer 26

Under the single transferable vote system “all candidates are listed and the elector gives them numbers according to his preferences”. Once the votes are cast, the first preference votes are counted. If any candidate gets an absolute majority or more than 50% of the votes he is declared elected . If no candidate is able to get an absolute majority in the first preference votes, then the candidates who has secured the least votes is eliminated and his second preferences votes are taken into consideration .

Question 27

Why is the president elected by indirect election ?

Answer 27

1* If the president was to be elected directly by the people he could become a rival centre of power to the council of ministers. This would be against the parliamentary system with ministerial responsibility . 2* since the membership in the two houses of parliament was likely to be dominated by one party , election of the president merely by a majority of members of union parliament could make him a nominee of the ruling party like the prime minister . Such a president could not represent the constituent states of the union. 3* The president is elected by an electoral college. An electoral college would make the president the elected representative of the whole,nation with a clear voice given to the states as well.

Question 28

What is the procedure for impeachment of the President ?

Answer 28

1) when a president is to be impeached for violation of the constitution, either house of parliament can level the charge as follows : a) resolution which is moved after at least fourteen days notice in writing signed by not less than one fourth of the total number of members of the house. b) the resolution is passed by a majority of not less than two thirds of the total membership of the house. 2) When a charge has been so preferred by either house of parliament, the other House will investigate the charge and the president has the right to appear and to be represented at such an investigation. 3) If, as a result of the investigation, a resolution is passed by a majority of not less than two thirds of the total membership of the house declaring that the charge has been sustained, such a resolution will have a effect of removing the president from his office.

Question 29

Why do we call the official process by which a president may be removed from office ?

Answer 29

Impeachment

Question 30

Who appoints the chief justice and the other judges of the supreme court an high court ?

Answer 30

The president of india

Question 31

By whom and on whose advice are the judges of the high courts appointed ?

Answer 31

They are appointed by the governor on the advice of the president .

Question 32

Who is the head of the union council of minister ?

Answer 32

The prime minister

Question 33

How is the vice president of india elected ?

Answer 33

The vice president is elected by an electoral college, consisting of members of both houses of the parliament,according to the system of proportional representation , by means of a single transferable vote.

Question 34

Mention the characteristics under which the vice president steps in as president when the office of the president falls vacant.

Answer 34

The vice president officiates as president when the latter is unable to discharge his duties due to illness or absence from the country ,and if the office of the president falls vacant due to his resignation, death or impeachment .

Question 35

State true or false : prior to entering office,the president takes an oath in the presence of the prime minister

Answer 35

False. The president takes an oath in the presence of the chief justice of india.

Question 36

Name the three categories of ministers in tje union council of ministers.

Answer 36

a) cabinet minister b) ministers of state c) deputy ministers

Question 37

State any two reasons as to why the president of india is indirectly elected .

Answer 37

a) The election of the president by direct votes by millions of people in india may find his nominal authority dissatisfying. b) India has a parliamentary form of democracy in which the president is, somewhat, a nominal head. Direct election of the president would indicate that he had a higher status than that compatible with his position of being a constitutional head.

Question 38

How can the president of India be removed from his office before the expiry of his term ?

Answer 38

The president can be impeached for violation of the constitution. The process may start in any of the two houses of parliament. The houses initiate the process by framing charges against the president.The charges are contained in a notice which has to be signed by at least one-fourth of the total members of the house. The notice is sent to the president and 14 days later its is taken up for consideration. A resolution to impeach the president has to be passed by a two-third majority of the total members of that house. It is then sent to the other house which investigates the charges that have been made. During this process the president Has the right to defend himself through an authorised counsel. If the second house also approves the charges by a two-third majority the president is removed from the office by impeachment.

Question 39

State any two important effects of the general emergency.

Answer 39

a) The fundamental right of citizens maybe curbed or suspended.Some of these rights for example right to constitutional remedy may be denied to citizens. b) In modifies the normal federal system. The federal structure of the country is converted into a unitary structure as a result of which the president controls the administration of all the states of India. The governors of the states only act per the direction given by the president.

Question 40

State any two limitations imposed on the powers of the president by the parliament and the council of ministers.

Answer 40

a) The president cannot proclaim an emergency unless the decision of the union cabinet is communicated to him in writing. The proclamation has to approved by each of the house of the parliament by a simple majority within two months from the date of its issue . b) The bill having been passed in both the houses is referred to the president for his assent. He may give his assent or may reject the bill and propose some addition deletion or changes in the bill and send it back to the parliament. The parliament is not bound to accept the suggestion made by the president. If the bill is passed by both houses as it was for the second time and sent to the president then the president has to give his assent.