Government: Executive Flashcards
1
Q
Describe the executive [2]
A
- Carries out laws made by the Parliament.
- Consists of the president, the vice president and the council of ministers headed by the prime minister
2
Q
Qualifications to become President [3]
A
- Be an Indian Citizen
- Over 35 years of age
- Be qualified to be a member of the Lok Sabha
- Not hold an office of profit under the union or state governments or any local body
3
Q
Election and Term of President [2]
A
- Elected for a term of 5 years
- Election through electoral college consisting of members of the State Legislative Assemblies who cast their votes by secret ballot
4
Q
Executive Powers of President [4]
A
- Supreme commander of the armed forces, although is exercise is governed by the law
- Appoints the prime minster and other ministers, the chief justice and judges of the Supreme and High Courts
- Has the power to pardon an offender and reduce or annul a court sentence
- Has to be informed of all decisions of the Council of Minsters by the Prime Minister
5
Q
Legislative Powers of President [5]
A
- Has to give their assent before a bill becomes a law
- Is allowed to withhold or return any bill sent by the Parliament (veto powers)
- Has the right to address either or both houses (joint session)
- May summon and prorogue (discontinue a session) of the 2 houses and can dissolve the Lok Sabha though it can on the advice of the Council of Ministers
- Can issue ordinances which have the same power as a law for a fixed amount of time
6
Q
Emergency Powers of President [3]
A
- National Emergency: war or armed rebellion threatens the security of the country or there is a breakdown of constitutional machinery in the country
- State Emergency/President’s Rule: breakdown of constitutional machinery in any state
- Financial Emergency: financial instability threatens the country
(To ensure the president isn’t all-powerful they are aided at all times by the prime minister, the council of ministers, parliament and senior government officials)
7
Q
Types of Veto’s [3]
A
- Absolute: President refuses to give his assent
- Suspensive: Returned to the parliament to be reconsidered/amended
- Pocket: President keeps the bill with him for an unspecified amount of time
8
Q
Role of Vice President [2]
A
- Elected by members of both houses of the parliament
- They must be over 35 and and Indian Citizen
- They hold an office for a period of 5 years
- They are the chairperson of the Rajya Sabha
- They take over the place of the president if they fall ill, resign, are taken away from the country or have died and a new president is yet to be elected
9
Q
How is the Prime Minister elected? [1]
A
- The Lok Sabha is elected anew every 5 years and consists of members belonging to different parties. The leader of the majority party in the Lok Sabha is called by the president to become the prime minister and form the Council of Ministers
- They are the most powerful person in the government
10
Q
Qualifications to become Prime Minister [4]
A
Must be a(n):
1. Indian Citizen
2. Member of the Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha
3. Be above 25 if part of the Lok Sabha or over 30 if part of the Rajya Sabha
4. Not hold an office of profit
11
Q
Powers and Roles of Prime Minister [5]
A
- Head of the government: head of the government, takes most of the important decisions of the government with the CoM and selects the members of the CoM and sends the list to the president for approval
- Link between president and CoM: communicates all decisions taken by the CoM and the legislature to the president
- Allocation of portfolios: allocates portfolios among the ministers and coordinates work among various ministries and departments through the Cabinet Secretariat
- Official representative of the nation: represents India in high level international meetings and also addresses the nation on issues of national importance
- Chief spokesperson of the government in the parliament: announces important policy decisions of the government
12
Q
Composition of Council of Ministers [2]
A
- Most powerful organ of the union executive
- Headed by the prime minister
- Includes ministers with a cabinet rank (senior ministers), ministers of state and deputy ministers
- Each minister is allocated one or more portfolios like finance, railways, defense, communication, health etc.
13
Q
Who is the Council of Ministers responsible to? [1]
A
- Responsible to the parliament
- Ministers may hold an office as long as they enjoy the confidence of the Parliament
14
Q
Functions of the Council of Ministers [4]
A
- Formulate concrete proposals for legislation
- Aid and advise the president in their functions through the prime minister
- Impeachment of the president or judge in the Supreme Court or High Court
- Amendments of the constitution
15
Q
What is the Cabinet in the Council of Ministers? [1]
A
- Within the Council, the senior ministers with the cabinet rank form the Cabinet which is the nucleus of the Council
