You might have come across the terms President and Prime Minister but do you know the difference between the two? Are the two titles interchangeable? Can Prime Minister remove President from office?
In this article, we will try to clear all of your doubts related to the President and Prime Minister with the Parliamentary form of government that exists in India.
President
In many republics, President is the head of the state or nation. The President is usually elected as per the conditions set by the constitution of that nation. For instance, in India, the President must be a citizen of India, must be 35 years of age or above, and must be qualified to become a member of the Lok Sabha.
Types of Presidential Systems:
1- Presidential system: In this system, the President serves as the head of state, head of government as well as commander in chief of the armed forces. This type of system is followed in the United States, Kenya and so forth.
2- Semi-presidential system: A system where the President serves alongside the Prime Minister is called a semi-presidential system. This type of system is followed in France.
3- Parliamentary system: In the parliamentary system, the President is only the ceremonial head of the state and the Prime Minister is the head of the government. This type of system is followed in India, Austria and some other countries.
| Eligibility criteria for becoming a member of Lok Sabha The member of Lok Sabha must be: 1- A citizen of India. 2- 25 years of age or above. 3- Must be a voter for any parliamentary constituency in India. 4- A candidate of a recognised political party needs one proposer from his/her constituency for his/her nomination. 5- An independent candidate needs ten proposers. 6- Candidates are required to make a security deposit of Rs. 25,000. |
Prime Minister
A Prime Minister is usually the head of an elected government or a principal minister of a country/sovereign/state. He is elected if he meets the conditions mentioned in the constitution of that country. For instance, in India, the Prime Minister must be a citizen of India, member of either Houses-- Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha, 25 years of age or above (if a member of Lok Sabha)/ 30 years of age or above (if a member of Rajya Sabha). The individual must not hold any office of profit under the government of India or state or any local government.
In a semi-presidential system, the premier is appointed for the management of the civil services and executing the directives of their head of state whereas, in a parliamentary system, the Prime Minister is the leader of the executive. In the case of a constitutional monarchy, the role can be filled with a King or Queen.
Difference between President and Prime Minister
| S.No. | President | Prime Minister |
| 1. | The President is the first citizen of the country. | The Prime Minister is the leader of the executive. |
| 2. | The President of India holds the highest office in the country. | The Prime Minister of India is the most powerful individual in the country. |
| 3. | The President is the ceremonial head of the country. | The Prime Minister heads the Cabinet and Council of Ministers. |
| 4. | President provides his assent and recommendations to the bills. Without his assent, the Bills cannot become a law in India. | The Prime Minister looks after the policies and bills to be passed by the House. |
| 5. | The President can grant amnesty to criminals on death row-- an act of government forgetting about criminal offences committed by one or a group of persons. These crimes are usually political in nature. | The Prime Minister holds no authority over matters related to the judiciary. |
| 6. | The President can be removed if found to be in violation of the Constitution of India through impeachment, a process that requires a special majority for his removal by the Parliament of India. | The Prime Minister can be removed from office if Lok Sabha passes a no-confidence motion against him. |
| 7. | The President of India is elected by the Parliament and legislative assembly. | The Prime Minister of India is appointed by the President. |
| 8. | The President of India does not belong to any political party. | The Prime Minister of India is from the party that has secured a majority in Lok Sabha. |
| 9. | The President of India can declare a state of emergency. | The Prime Minister of India cannot declare a state of emergency. |
| 10. | Rajendra Prasad served as the first President of Independent India. At present, Ram Nath Kovind serves as the President of India. | Jawaharlal Nehru served as the first Prime Minister of Independent India. Narendra Modi is the incumbent Prime Minister of India. |
| 11. | Etymology: The term ‘President’ was first used to refer to a head of state between 1649-1660 during the Commonwealth of England. | Etymology: The term ‘Prime Minister’ was first used in the 18th century for its current usage. |
We sincerely hope that the above differences and explanations have cleared all of your doubts related to the President and Prime Minister of India.
Related articles:
List of all Presidents of India from 1947 to 2021
List of all Prime Ministers of India (1947-2021)
Comments
All Comments (0)
Join the conversation