Complete Notes on President of India

1. Constitutional Provisions

• Article 52 – There shall be a President of India.
• Article 53 – Executive power of the Union is vested in the President.
• Article 54 – Election of President.
• Article 56 – Term of office (5 years).
• Article 61 – Procedure for Impeachment.

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2. Election of President

• Elected indirectly by Electoral College.
• Electoral College consists of:
  • Elected members of Lok Sabha
  • Elected members of Rajya Sabha
  • Elected members of State Legislative Assemblies
• Voting system: Proportional Representation by Single Transferable Vote.
• Secret ballot system.

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3. Qualifications

• Must be citizen of India.
• Minimum age: 35 years.
• Must be qualified to be elected as member of Lok Sabha.
• Must not hold office of profit.

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4. Term of Office

• 5 years from date of entering office.
• Eligible for re-election.
• Can resign by writing to Vice-President.

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5. Powers of President

A. Executive Powers

• Appoints Prime Minister and Council of Ministers.
• Appoints Governors of States.
• Appoints Chief Justice and Judges of Supreme Court and High Courts.
• Supreme Commander of Armed Forces.

B. Legislative Powers

• Summons and prorogues Parliament.
• Gives assent to Bills.
• Can promulgate Ordinances (Article 123).

C. Financial Powers

• Money Bill can be introduced only with President’s recommendation.
• Appoints Finance Commission.

D. Judicial Powers

• Can grant Pardon, Reprieve, Respite, Remission, or Commute sentence (Article 72).

E. Emergency Powers

• National Emergency (Article 352)
• State Emergency / President’s Rule (Article 356)
• Financial Emergency (Article 360)

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6. Impeachment of President

• Initiated by either House of Parliament.
• Requires special majority.
• Ground: Violation of Constitution.

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7. List of Important Presidents of India

President	Term
Dr. Rajendra Prasad	1950–1962
Dr. S. Radhakrishnan	1962–1967
Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam	2002–2007
Pranab Mukherjee	2012–2017
Ram Nath Kovind	2017–2022
Droupadi Murmu	2022–Present

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8. Important Exam Facts

• First President of India: Dr. Rajendra Prasad
• Longest serving President: Dr. Rajendra Prasad
• First Woman President: Pratibha Patil
• Current President: Droupadi Murmu
• President is nominal executive; real power lies with Prime Minister.

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9. One-Line Revision Points

• Article 52 provides for President of India.
• Term is 5 years.
• Minimum age is 35 years.
• Emergency powers under Articles 352, 356, 360.