The Constitution of India came in to force on 26th day of January 1950 celebrated as the Republic of India. It provides for the post of President of India under part five (5). The President of India is considered to be the nominal head of Executive and also the first citizen of India. The Indian Constitution provides for the post of President and also nominates him as the head of Defence. Smt. Droupadi Murmu is serving as the 15th and current President of India. But who can become President of India? In other words, what are the qualifications for Indian President? Here, we seek to address this question in light of provisions of the Constitution.
Essential Qualifications for the post of President of India
Given below are the requisites which answer the question who can become President of India:
- Citizenship: He/She must be a citizen of India.
- Age: He/She must be at least 35 years old. In other words, minimum age for being elected for the post of Indian President is 35 years.
- Qualification for Loksabha ( House of People): He/She must be qualified to become a member of the Lok Sabha.
- Office of Profit: The candidate for the post of President must not hold any office of profit under the Government of India, any State Government, or any local or other authority.
How is President of India elected?
There are no direct elections for the appointment of President of India. He/she is elected by a process termed as Electoral College comprised of the following members:
- Rajya Sabha,
- Lok Sabha,
- The State Legislative Assemblies,
- Union Territories of Delhi and Puducherry Legislative Assemblies.
What are the powers and functions of President of India?
Being among the top Constitutional positions, the President of India holds a unique position in several aspects. The powers and functions of president can be understood under the following heads:
Executive Powers
- Every executive action of the Union is made in the name of President.
- He/She appoints the Attorney general for India and declares his remuneration. The President also appoints the Comptroller General of India(CAG), Governors of States, Chairman of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners and Finance Commission of India.
Legislative Powers
- It is the President who has final authority to convert a Bill into an Act.
- The President summons a joint sitting of both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha in case of deadlock over a particular Bill.
- He/She appoints the Speaker, Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha, and Chairman and Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha.
Financial Powers
- The President recommends the introduction of a Money Bill.
- He/She controls the Contingency Fund of the country.
- President of India constitutes the Finance Commission after completion of every five years.
Judicial Powers
- Indian President appoints the Chief Justice and Judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts.
- President has pardoning powers against the punishment for an offense against the Union under Article 72.
Military Powers
The President of India is the Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Armed forces and has the power to appoint the Chief of the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
Emergency Powers
The President has the power to deal with three types of emergencies as stated in the Constitution of India- National Emergency (Article 352), President’s Rule (Article 356 and 365), and Financial Emergency (Article 360). In each case, whenever the Government concerned is out of power, President holds the Supreme Powers.
Presidents of India so far
Here is a list of persons who have served as the President of India so far :
- Dr. Rajendra Prasad
- Dr. Sarvepally Radhakrishnan
- Dr. Zakir Hussain
- Sh. Varahagiri Venkata Giri
- Dr. Fakhruddin Ali Ahmad
- Sh. Neelam Sanjiva Reddy
- Giani Zail Singh
- Sh. Ramaswami Venkataraman
- Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma
- Sh. Kocheril Raman Narayanan
- Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam
- Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil
- Sh. Pranab Mukherjee
- Sh. Ramnath Kovind
- Smt. Droupadi Murmu (Present)
The President is termed as the executive head of the state and commander-in-chief of Indian Armed Forces. During emergencies it is the president who proclaims the emergency situations.
FAQ’s on who can become the President of India
Q. Who elects the President of India?
A. The President in India is elected by the members of Electoral College consisting of the elected members of both the Houses of Parliament and the elected members of the Legislative Assemblies of States and the Union Territories of Delhi and Pondicherry.
Q. Above what age a person can become President of India?
A. As per Article 58 of the constitution, a person must be an Indian citizen of 35 years or above in order to be elected the President.
Q. How many times a person can be elected as the President of India?
A. A person can be elected as president of for any number of times. There is no bar on being elected as the President.
Q. Is there any age bar beyond which a person cannot stay the President?
A. No, there is no upper age limit to become the President of India. However, there is a minimum age requirement of 35 years to be eligible for Presidential elections.
Q. Does President only belong to majority party ruling the government?
A. Formally, the President does not belong to any party during their term. However, for the sake of candidature, one should be eligible to become a member of the Lok Sabha as required under the Constitution.
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