The President of India: Powers and Executive Functions

Some major executive powers and functions of the President are:

1. All executive actions of the Government of India are expressed to be taken in his name [Article 77(1)]. All orders and instruments are to be made and executed in his name [Article 77(2)]. “The President makes rules for the more convenient transaction of business of the Government of India [Article 77(3)], contracts, etc. (Article 299).

2. All the officers of the Union are his ‘subordinates’ [Article 53(1)].

3. “The President has the right to be informed of the affairs of the Union [Article 78(b)].

4. “The President has the power to appoint:

(i) The Prime Minister (Article 75)

(ii) the other union ministers (Article 75)

(iii) the Attorney General of India (Article 76)

(iv) the Controller and Auditor General of India (Article 148)

(v) the judges of the Supreme Court (Article 124)

(vi) the judges of the High Courts of the States (Article 217)

(vii) the Governor of the State (Article 155)

(viii) the Finance Commission (Article 280)

(ix) the Union Public Service Commission or the Joint Commissions for a group of States (Article 316)

(x) the Chief Election Commissioner and other members of the Election Commission (Article 324)

(xi) the chairpersons and other members of the National Commission for the Scheduled Castes (Article 338) and the Scheduled Tribes (Article 338A)

(xii) the appointment of the Commission to investigate the conditions of the backward classes (Article 340)

(xiii) a Commission on Official Language (Article 344)

5. “The President is the supreme commander of the armed forces [53(2)].

6. “The President appoints ambassadors, high commissioners; concludes treaties with other countries; he represents the country in the external world; he too receives diplomatic representatives.

The Presidents of India

1. Dr. Rajendra Prasad (1884-1963) 26 January 1950 ‘ 13 May 1962
2. Dr. Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan (1888-1975) 13 May 1962 ‘ 13 May 1967
3. Dr. Zakir Husain (1897-1969) 13 May 1967 ‘ 3 May 1969
4. Varahagiri Venkatagiri (1884-1980) 3 May 1969 ‘ 20 July 1969 (Acting)
5. Justice Mohammad Hidayatullah (1905-1992) 20 July 1969 ‘ 24 August 1969 (Acting)
6. Varahagiri Venkatagiri (1884-1980) 24 August 1969 ‘ 24 August 1974
7. Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed (1905-1977) 24 August 1974 ‘ 11 Feb. 1977
8. B.D. Jatti (1913-2002) 11 Feb. 1977 ‘ 25 July 1977 (Acting)
9. Neelam Sanjiva Reddy (1913-1996) 25 July 1977 ‘ 25 July 1982
10. Giani Zail Singh (1916-1994) 25 July 1982′ 25 July 1987
11. R. Venkatraman (1910-2009) 25 July 1987 ‘ 25 July 1992
12. Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma (1918-1999) 25 July 1992 ‘ 25 July 1997
13. K.R. Narayanan (1921-2005) 25 July 1997 ‘ 25 July 2002
14. Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam (b.1931) 25 July 2002 ‘ 25 July 2007
15. Pratibha Patil (b.1934) 25 July 2007 ‘ 25 July, 2012
16. Pranab Mukherjee (b.-1935) 25 July, 2012 till 25 July, 2017
17. Ram Nath Kovind (b.-1945) 25 July, 2017 till date