Polity & Governance
The Union Executive
GS Paper II
The Union Executive — Quick Revision
One-page UPSC revision of the Union Executive: President, Vice-President, PM, Council of Ministers and Attorney General — elections, removal and powers.
SyllabusGS II · Structure, organisation and functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary
A last-week revision sheet for Part V, Chapter I (Articles 52–78).
Article Map
| Article | Provision |
|---|---|
| 52–53 | The President; executive power of the Union |
| 54–55 | Election of the President |
| 56–59 | Term, re-election, qualifications, conditions |
| 60 | Oath (by the CJI) |
| 61 | Impeachment |
| 62 | Filling vacancies |
| 63–71 | Vice-President (64: Chairman of Rajya Sabha; 66: election; 67: term and removal; 71: disputes) |
| 72 | Pardoning power |
| 74–75 | Council of Ministers; PM; 15% cap; collective responsibility |
| 76 | Attorney General |
| 77–78 | Conduct of business; PM’s duties |
| 111 | Assent to Bills |
| 123 | Ordinances |
| 143 | Advisory jurisdiction of the Supreme Court |
President vs Vice-President
| Point | President | Vice-President |
|---|---|---|
| Electors | Elected MPs + elected MLAs (incl. Delhi, Puducherry) | All MPs (elected + nominated) |
| Qualification | 35; qualified for Lok Sabha | 35; qualified for Rajya Sabha |
| Oath by | Chief Justice of India | President |
| Resigns to | Vice-President | President |
| Removal | Impeachment — “violation of the Constitution”; 2/3 of total membership in each House | Rajya Sabha effective majority + Lok Sabha agreement; no grounds |
| Disputes | Supreme Court | Supreme Court |
Powers in One Table
| Power | Key limit |
|---|---|
| Absolute veto | Withhold assent |
| Suspensive veto | Return once; must assent if re-passed; not for Money Bills |
| Pocket veto | No time limit for the President |
| Ordinance (Art 123) | Only when a House is not in session; lapses six weeks after reassembly; cannot amend the Constitution |
| Pardon (Art 72) | Covers court-martial and death sentence (Governor’s Art 161 does not) |
| Discretion | Send advice back once (44th); situational in hung Houses |
Council of Ministers
| Point | Fact |
|---|---|
| Size cap | 15% of Lok Sabha incl. PM (91st, 2003) |
| Responsibility | Collective — to Lok Sabha only |
| Non-member minister | Six months |
| “Cabinet” in text | Only Art 352 (44th Amendment) |
| Cabinet committees | Extra-constitutional; Transaction of Business Rules, 1961 |
| Attorney General | Art 76; qualified as SC judge; speaks but cannot vote in Parliament |
High-yield facts
- Nominated MPs: out of the presidential election, in the impeachment and the vice-presidential election.
- MLAs: in the presidential election, out of impeachment and the vice-presidential election.
- Maximum life of an ordinance without approval: six months and six weeks.
- If both President and Vice-President are absent: CJI, then the senior-most Supreme Court judge.
Traps
Common confusions
- Legislative Council members do not vote in the presidential election.
- A Money Bill cannot be returned by the President.
- The PM may be from the Rajya Sabha, but responsibility is to the Lok Sabha.
- The Solicitor General is not a constitutional post.
Related Topics
- The President and Vice-President
- Prime Minister and Council of Ministers
- The Union Executive — practice questions
- Parliament — quick revision
- All quick revision sheets
Advertisement