Political Science Notes – On Relationship Between President And Prime Minister – For W.B.C.S. Examination.

রাষ্ট্রবিজ্ঞান নোট – রাষ্ট্রপতি এবং প্রধানমন্ত্রীর মধ্যে সম্পর্ক  – WBCS পরীক্ষা।

The President and the two houses together constitute the parliament. The President is elected indirectly while the Prime Minister should ideally be directly elected. In case he happens to be Member of the Rajya Sabha, he would still be constitutionally eligible for being a Minister even though not directly elected by the people.Continue Reading Political Science Notes – On Relationship Between President And Prime Minister – For W.B.C.S. Examination.

The President has little scope for initiating actions on his own in terms of the constitutional provisions. His counsel however carries the weight of his high office and cannot be lightly brushed aside by any Prime Minister. To that extent the President acts as a moderating influence on the policies and actions of the government.

The Prime Minister acts as a bridge between the Parliament and the President. The President is entitled to be kept informed about the working of government departments where policy initiatives are involved. The Prime Minister has his ears to the ground and the President gets a feel of the people’s pulse through the Prime Minister. This arrangement ensures that democracy functions as government for the people.

In so far as the relationship between the Prime Minister and the two Houses is concerned, it is to be noted that the Prime Minister holds office only as long he has majority support in the Lok Sabha.

Party discipline may ensure continued back up to his programmes and policies but the Members know that they have to go back to their constituencies for continued support. So they would not let the Prime Minister do things that may earn them the ire of their support base. In this way the people’s interest remains supreme although some degree of malfunctioning may be unavoidable.The President along with the Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha, respectively form the Indian Parliament. The President of India does get elected directly as the Prime Minister, rather his election is an indirect one through an Electoral College which consist of members of both the Houses of Parliament and elected members of Vidhan Sabha and union territories.

The President of India tends to have very limited scope while there is an initiation of any action on his own when it comes to terms related to provisions of the Constitution. However, there is undoubtedly no wonder, that the office of the President is of immense weight of such high post of office, and a position of pride and honor and that it cannot be very easily be crashed aside by the PM. The President plays a role of influencing the various policies and different actions taken by the Government, moderately.

Prime Minister of India, plays the role of a bridge in between Parliament and President. The President must be made informed regarding the happenings and workings of all the Department ,especially the ones which revolves around initiation of various policies. The relationship between the Pm and the President is of great importance as it’s the Pm who keeps his ears intact to the ground through which the President acquires the feel the pulse of the people ,hence ensuring the principles of democracy .as a government which is for the people.[1]

The President:
The President of India appoints other officer who hold constitutional posts as well some other vital members of the Central Government such as the
1.)Prime Minister.2.) The Council fo Minister on the Pm’s advice.3.) The Chief Justice of India along with other judges of the Apex Court and High Courts upon the CJI’s advice and other members of National Commissions, UPSC, etc.

President’s Powers:
The President has been entrusted with both legislative, executive as well as judicial powers by the Constitution of India.
He assigns various governors of the States as well as Attorney General, ambassadors to be sent to other foreign countries. He is the commander in –Chief- of the Armed Force of India
He can grant an award of pardon, reprive, remit, amnesty, remission of a person ,also in certain cases can minimize the sentence of death of the person who is offended, mainly regarding cases which revolve around punishments related to death (Art 72,deals with the pardoning power of the President.).In Shatrugan Chauhan and Anr. V Union of India & Ors.,where the Court upheld that during certain grounds such as insanity, delay etc, the death sentence can be commuted to life imprisonment.

B .The legislative powers of the President are cited below:
1. The President of India is entitled to command the Lok Sabha as well as the Rajya Sabha as well as postpone it, he can also lead to the dissolution of the House..
2. Bils can only become law when they are passed by him also he can promulgate ordinances even when the Parliament cannot be in session.

The President of India , can declare State Emergency under Art.356, if he feels satisfied that the constitutional machinery of concerned State has gone through a breakdown. Also, he can impose National Emergency under Art.352, during war, rebellion of arms , external aggression. (Indo-PAK war, (Indo-China-War.) When cases as such occur, that the PM insists President, he is bound put his signatures in that bill , this was how the Emergency was declared by President Fakruddin Ali Ahmed in 1975.

Further, a Financial Emergency can be imposed by him if he feels that the State’s stability in finance is no more in stable form under Art.360

The PM:
The PM of India has the following powers by the virtue of being the head of Union of Coucil of Ministers:
1. Its on the PM’s recommendations that the President appoints ministers.
2. PM he is the presiding officer to various meetings of t council of ministers ,also his decisions play an influential role
3. PM, may ask any minister to give his resignation at any time or else it It is upon his advice that President dismisses any minister especially when cases concerning difference in the opinion ,occur.
4. Allocations, reshufflings of portfolios among various ministers take place by the PM.
5. He plays the role of a guide, director, controller ,coordinator of various activities that keeps on taking place among the ministers.
6. Further, if he resigns from his post, the whole ministry resigns from office. In short, the ministers are individually as well collectively responsible to him,also that they swim and sink ,together.

In Relation To The President:
The Following Are The Powers Of The Pm In Relation To The President:
1. The PM acts as the main communication channel in between the council of ministers and the President of India.
2. It is based on his sheer advice that President appoints The Attorney General of India, CAG, Chairman of various commissions etc.
3. He gives advice to President concerning the proroguing, summoning and dissolving of Parliament sessions.[2]

Further, the PM is considered to be the head of the Union Government as per the Indian Constitution while the President is mainly ,the head of the State as he derives these powers from the Constitution in itself. PM along with his council are collectively responsible to President.Even though, the post acquired by President is merely ceremonial;, but one cannot totally ignore his legislative and executive as well as judicial functions.Once,the elections to Lok Sabha gets over, the President is the one,inviting the leader of party who wins as majority for froming the Governement. Also, it is worth mentioning that, during a ‘Hung-Parliament’, the role of President gains much impetus.

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