Difference Between President and Prime Minister of India

President vs Prime Minister of India

India is the largest democracy in the world. It is a Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic. India has a parliamentary government where the country has both a President and a Prime Minister. In the parliamentary form of government, the President is the head of the State. The President is the first citizen of India and is the Constitutional head, and the Prime Minister is the appointed head of the government.

The President of India
The President is the nominal executive elected for a five-year term, and is elected by the members of the Parliament of all the states of India. The President holds the highest office; he/she is the chief executive and the head of the State, the supreme commander of all three armed forces of India. The Council of Ministers takes all decisions, makes appointments, and signs all treaties in the name of the President of India. The President signs all the bills passed in the Parliament before they become law though he/she cannot reject them but may ask to reconsider them.

The President is responsible for all ceremonial functions. He/she has to be updated by the Council of Ministers about all the crucial matters of the nation. The President has the right to give amnesty to prisoners and declare emergencies which are also called “President’s rule” when declared in a state. The President is elected by the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha together with the state legislature.

The Prime Minister of India
The Prime Minister is the head of the government. The Prime Minister is appointed by the political party which is in power which has been chosen by the people of India. Thus, in a way, the Prime Minister is also chosen by the people. The chief adviser of the President of India is the Prime Minister. The President always takes advice from the Council of Ministers and acts upon it. The Office of Prime Minister is the most powerful in India and he/she is the most powerful person.

All the political decisions and policies are made by the Office of the Prime Minister which is the most powerful in the nation. The Prime Minister is the leader of the parliamentary party in the majority (Lok Sabha) and is appointed. The Parliament and the Council of Ministers have a close relationship. The Council of Ministers is answerable to the Parliament.

The Prime Minister decides which ministers will work under him and which minister will head which department. He/she can change the departments of the ministers when deemed necessary. All decisions have to be passed by the Prime Minister and the Council.

Summary:

India is a parliamentary form of democracy where the President is the head of the nation but he is the nominal executive. This means all decisions are taken in his name, but the President doesn’t implement them himself or without the advice of the Council of Ministers. However, the Prime Minister is the head of the leading political party in the majority which forms the government and is the head of the government. He and his Council of Ministers form the most powerful office in India.

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