The President is the nominal or de jure executive, while the Prime Minister is the real or de facto executive. Under Article 74, the President acts on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers.
In India, a naturalised citizen may become President. In the United States, the President must be a natural-born citizen.
The President submits a resignation to the Vice-President, not the Speaker. The oath of office is administered by the Chief Justice of India, not the Vice-President.
The President is elected indirectly by an Electoral College; the public does not vote directly as it does in Lok Sabha elections.
Members of State Legislative Councils cannot vote in the presidential election. Only elected MPs and elected MLAs are included; nominated members are excluded.
Among Union Territories, only the elected MLAs of Delhi and Puducherry participate in the presidential election because these territories have legislatures. Representatives of other Union Territories do not vote.
| Power | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Pardon | Completely absolves the offender by ending both the sentence and conviction |
| Commutation | Substitution of one punishment with a lighter punishment |
| Reprieve | Temporary postponement — especially death sentence |
| Respite | Reduce a sentence because of a special circumstance, such as pregnancy |
| Remission | Reduces the amount or duration of punishment without changing its character |
Article 72 grants pardoning powers to the President, while Article 161 grants them to the Governor. Only the President can pardon a death sentence.
Giani Zail Singh exercised a pocket veto by neither assenting to nor returning the Postal Bill. A pocket veto means taking no action on a Bill.
Impeachment requires a two-thirds majority of the total membership of each House, not merely of members present and voting. Both Houses must pass the resolution.
No President of India has ever been impeached; the provision has not yet been used to remove a President.
| Voter Category | Impeachment | Election |
|---|---|---|
| Elected MPs | ✓ | ✓ |
| Elected MLAs | ✗ | ✓ |
| Nominated MPs | ✓ | ✗ |
Elected MLAs participate in the presidential election but not in impeachment. Nominated MPs participate in impeachment but not in the presidential election.
The Mughal Gardens were renamed Amrit Udyan in 2023. Rashtrapati Bhavan was designed by Edwin Lutyens, with Herbert Baker contributing to the planning of New Delhi.
| # | President | Term | Notable Fact |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dr. Rajendra Prasad | 1950–1962 | Longest serving · 2 Terms FIRST |
| 2 | Dr. S. Radhakrishnan | 1962–1967 | First VP to become President |
| 3 | Dr. Zakir Hussain | 1967–1969 | Died while in office 1st to die |
| — | V.V. Giri (Acting) | May–Jul 1969 | First Acting President, then elected |
| — | Justice Hidayatullah (Acting) | Jul–Aug 1969 | First CJI to become (Acting) President |
| 4 | V.V. Giri | 1969–1974 | First elected as Independent candidate |
| 5 | Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed | 1974–1977 | Second President to die in office |
| — | B.D. Jatti (Acting) | Feb–Jul 1977 | Acting President |
| 6 | Neelam Sanjiva Reddy | 1977–1982 | Elected unopposed |
| 7 | Giani Zail Singh | 1982–1987 | Exercised Pocket Veto (Postal Bill) |
| 8 | R. Venkataraman | 1987–1992 | Also Finance & Defence Minister |
| 9 | Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma | 1992–1997 | Worked with 4 PMs, appointed 3 |
| 10 | K.R. Narayanan | 1997–2002 | Oldest President to be elected |
| 11 | Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam | 2002–2007 | Missile Man of India · "People's President" |
| 12 | Pratibha Patil | 2007–2012 | 1st Woman President |
| 13 | Pranab Mukherjee | 2012–2017 | First from Bengal |
| 14 | Ram Nath Kovind | 2017–2022 | First from Uttar Pradesh |
| 15 | Droupadi Murmu | 2022–Present | 1st Tribal President · Also 2nd Woman |
Droupadi Murmu — 1st Tribal President AND 2nd Woman President. Pratibha Patil — 1st Woman. K.R. Narayanan — 1st Dalit President (often asked). V.V. Giri — 1st Independent candidate as elected President.
| Article | Subject |
|---|---|
| 52 | The President of India |
| 53 | Executive Powers of the Union vested in President |
| 54 | Election of the President |
| 55 | Procedure of Election (Proportional Representation) |
| 56 | Term of Office — 5 years |
| 57 | Eligibility for re-election (no limit) |
| 58 | Qualifications for President |
| 59 | Conditions for Post (no office of profit) |
| 60 | Oath of President |
| 61 | Impeachment of President |
| 62 | Vacancy — how to be filled |
| 71 | Dispute in election → resolved by Supreme Court |
| 72 | Pardoning Powers (Pardon, Reprieve, Respite, Remission) |
| 73 | Extent of Executive Power of Union |
| 74 | Council of Ministers to aid & advise President |
| 352 | National Emergency |
| 356 | President's Rule in States |
| 360 | Financial Emergency |
Articles 52–62 directly concern the President; Article 71 covers presidential election disputes, Article 72 the pardoning power, and Article 74 ministerial advice.