President & VP — Set 1

Correct Answer: B. Article 52

• **Article 52** = the founding article of Part V that declares 'There shall be a President of India', establishing the office constitutionally. • **Part V (The Union)** — covers Articles 52–151 dealing with all Union executive, legislative, and judicial matters; Article 52 is the very first. • 💡 Option A (Article 50) deals with separation of the judiciary from the executive — unrelated to the President's office. Option C (Article 51) is about international peace and security (DPSP) — also unrelated. Option D (Article 54) defines the Electoral College for the President's election, not the office itself.

Correct Answer: B. Nominated members of Rajya Sabha

• **Nominated MPs excluded** = nominated members of both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha are NOT part of the Presidential Electoral College under Article 54. • **Electoral College composition** — consists of elected MPs (both Houses) + elected MLAs of all State Legislative Assemblies; nominated members are excluded. • 💡 Option A (Elected members of Lok Sabha) — they DO vote; elected MPs are explicitly included in the Electoral College. Option C (Elected members of Vidhan Sabhas) — they DO vote; state MLAs form the federal component. Option D (Elected members of Rajya Sabha) — they DO vote; all elected MPs participate.

Correct Answer: C. 35 years

• **Article 58** = specifies qualifications for President, including the minimum age of 35 years, Indian citizenship, and eligibility to be a Lok Sabha member. • **35 years** — same minimum age applies to both the President and the Vice-President; for Lok Sabha members it is 25, for Rajya Sabha it is 30. • 💡 Option A (25 years) is the minimum age for Lok Sabha membership — not the Presidency. Option B (40 years) has no constitutional basis for any office. Option D (30 years) is the minimum age for Rajya Sabha membership — not the Presidency.

Correct Answer: B. Chief Justice of India

• **Article 60** = prescribes the form and content of the Presidential oath; the CJI administers it. • **CJI administers the oath** — in the absence of the Chief Justice, the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court performs the duty. • 💡 Option A (Speaker of Lok Sabha) administers the oath to MPs, not the President. Option C (Prime Minister) does not administer any constitutional oath — it is the other way round: President appoints PM. Option D (Vice-President) administers the oath to the Vice-President candidates. actually it is the President who administers VP oath — and neither administers the Presidential oath.

Correct Answer: A. Article 61

• **Article 61** = lays down the sole procedure for impeachment of the President; the only ground is 'violation of the Constitution'. • **Impeachment process** — charges can be initiated in either House; require 14-day notice signed by 1/4 of total members; resolution must pass by 2/3 of total membership of both Houses. • 💡 Option B (Article 60) contains the Presidential oath — not the impeachment procedure. Option C (Article 62) deals with filling vacancies in the President's office within 6 months — not removal. Option D (Article 59) lists conditions of the President's office (no office of profit, official residence, etc.) — not the impeachment article.

Correct Answer: D. Article 72

• **Article 72** = grants the President five pardoning powers: Pardon, Reprieve, Respite, Remission, and Commutation. • **Exclusive death sentence pardon** — the President alone can fully pardon (cancel) a death sentence; the Governor can only suspend, remit, or commute — not pardon a death sentence. • 💡 Option A (Article 76) deals with the Attorney General of India — unrelated to pardoning. Option B (Article 74) establishes the Council of Ministers to aid and advise the President. Option C (Article 70) deals with discharge of Presidential functions in other contingencies — not pardoning power.

Correct Answer: B. Article 123

• **Article 123** = empowers the President to promulgate Ordinances when Parliament (both Houses) is not in session and immediate legislative action is needed. • **Six-week approval rule** — an Ordinance must be laid before Parliament and ceases to operate 6 weeks after Parliament reassembles; the maximum life without Parliament meeting is ~6 months + 6 weeks. • 💡 Option A (Article 112) is the Annual Financial Statement (Union Budget article) — unrelated to Ordinances. Option C (Article 110) defines a Money Bill — not Ordinances. Option D (Article 143) is the President's power to seek Supreme Court's advisory opinion — not Ordinance-making.

Correct Answer: D. President

• **Article 53(2)** = vests the Supreme Command of India's Defence Forces in the President; it is a nominal/ceremonial power exercised on ministerial advice. • **Regulated by Parliament** — Article 53(2) itself states this supreme command shall be exercised in accordance with law, so Parliament can regulate the President's military powers. • 💡 Option A (Prime Minister) heads the government and chairs the Cabinet Committee on Security but is NOT the constitutional Supreme Commander. Option B (Defence Minister) administers the Ministry of Defence but is not the Supreme Commander. Option C (Chief of Defence Staff) is the highest-ranking military adviser but holds no constitutional Supreme Command.

Correct Answer: A. Nominal Executive

• **Nominal/De Jure Executive** = the President is the constitutional head; real executive power is exercised by the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers under Article 74. • **De Facto vs De Jure** — De Jure means 'by law' (President holds the formal title); De Facto means 'in fact' (PM and Cabinet actually govern). • 💡 Option B (Permanent Executive) refers to the IAS/IPS civil servants who form the permanent bureaucracy — not elected constitutional heads. Option C (Real Executive) correctly describes the Prime Minister, not the President. Option D (Judicial Executive) is not a recognised category in the Indian Constitution.

Correct Answer: A. Vice-President

• **Article 56** = states that the President holds office for 5 years and must address their resignation letter to the Vice-President. • **VP then notifies Speaker** — the Vice-President must immediately communicate the resignation to the Speaker of the Lok Sabha. • 💡 Option B (Prime Minister) is not the recipient of a Presidential resignation — the PM is appointed by the President, not the other way round. Option C (Speaker of Lok Sabha) is notified by the VP after the resignation but is not the direct recipient. Option D (Chief Justice of India) administers the oath but is not the resignation recipient.