The Union Executive
Union Executive for UPSC — President, Vice-President, Prime Minister, Council of Ministers and Attorney General (Articles 52–78): election, powers, removal.
SyllabusGS II · Structure, organisation and functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary
Part V, Chapter I (Articles 52–78) sets up the Union executive: the President (the nominal head), the Vice-President, the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers (the real executive) and the Attorney General. India follows the British parliamentary model — the President reigns, the Council of Ministers rules, and both answer to the Lok Sabha.
What UPSC asks. Prelims loves procedural detail: who elects the President and Vice-President, who administers the oath, the majority needed for impeachment or removal, the types of veto, ordinance limits, pardoning powers versus the Governor’s, the 15% cap on ministers. Mains asks about the President’s discretion, ordinance misuse, collective responsibility and coalition governance.
| Sub-topic | Articles |
|---|---|
| President — election, qualifications, impeachment | 52–62 |
| Vice-President — election, removal, role in the Rajya Sabha | 63–71 |
| Powers: veto, ordinance, pardon | 72, 111, 123 |
| Council of Ministers and Prime Minister | 74, 75, 77, 78 |
| Attorney General | 76, 88 |
Study the two topic pages — The President and Vice-President and Prime Minister and Council of Ministers — then revise with the quick revision sheet and test yourself on the practice questions.