Describe the election, powers and position of the President of India.

(a) Election: (i)All the elected Members of Parliament (MPs) and Members of State
Legislative Assemblies (MLA) elect the President.
(ii) A candidate standing for President’s post has to get a majority of votes to win the Election.
(iii) This ensures that the President can be seen to represent the entire nation.
(b) Powers : The President has many powers. There is nothing that he cannot do.
(i) All governmental activities take place in the name of the President.
(ii) All laws and major policy, decisions of the government are issued in his/her name.
(iii) All major appointments are made in the name of the President. These include the appointment of tire Chief Justice of India, the Judges of the Supreme Court and the High Courts of the State-s, the Governors of the States, the Election Commissioners, ambassadors to other countries, etc.
(iv) All international treaties and agreements are made in the name of the President.
(v) The President is the supreme commander of the defence forces of India.
(c) Position: However, All these powers are exercised on the advice of the Council of Ministers. The President can ask tire Council of Ministers to reconsider its advice. But if the same advice is given again, he/she is bound to act according to it. It may be mentioned here that the President uses his/her discretion to appoint the Prime Minister, in case no party or coalition
gets majority in Lok Sabha. In such a case? the President can ask the newly appointed prime Minister to prove majority support in the Lok Sabha within a specified time. On the whole, it can be said that the President is a nominal head and his/her position is like the queen of England. He/she is head of the state and not of the government.