President of India(List of President and their Eligibility)

Important points about the President of India

• Article 53 of the Indian constitution appoints the president of India as the formal head of the state and a representative for the nation.
• The main responsibility of the President of India is to ensure that the
  proceedings of the nation are in accordance with the Constitution.
• The president is in essence, a ceremonial head i.e. the president holds the supreme authority when it comes to holding executive powers but she/he is bound by the constitution to only exercise them on the recommendation of the Prime Minister.
• The President is elected indirectly elected by the members of the
  Parliament ( MP’s) of India and the state legislative assemblies (MLA’s) for a tenure of 5 years

Powers and Responsibilities

• The president has the responsibility to ensure that all legislative proceedings are constitutional and hence she/he has various powers in the legislation process.
  a) The president is responsible for calling the parliament sessions and can dissolve the Lok Sabha if the circumstances warrant it.
  b) Bills passed in the parliament can become laws only after they have been approved by the President. The President can send back non-money bills to the parliament for reconsideration or choose to withhold his approval if he deems the bill to be unconstitutional (Pocket Veto).
  c) 12 notable personalities from different fields such as art, literature, science and social services are appointed as members of the Rajya Sabha by the President.
• The President is responsible for appointing the following posts:

a) The Prime Minister his the council of ministers
b) The Chief Justice of India along with the Supreme Court and High
Court judges.
c) Attorney General of India
d) Chairperson and members of UPSC
e) Members of the Election Commission
f) Members of the Finance Commission
g) Comptroller and Auditor General of India
h) Governors of the states of India
However, it is to be noted that these appointments are done on advisory of
the legislature and the judiciary. The President only formally appoints them after ensuring that entire process is constitutional.

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• The President is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces which constitutes of the Indian Air Force, Indian Army and the Indian Navy. The President is instilled with the power to proclaim war and peace but only on the recommendation of the council of ministers.

• The president has the power to grant a ‘presidential pardon’ through which she/he can pardon a punishment sentence for an offense against the Law if it deems necessary.

• The President controls the official power to declare a national, state and financial emergency in the country on the recommendation of the council of ministers.

Eligibility Of President

To stand for the post of the President of India, The candidate needs to comply with the following requirements:

• The candidate should be a citizen of India
• The candidate should be of 35 years of age or above
• The candidate should be qualified to become a member of the  Lok Sabha

However, certain office-holders can stand as presidential candidates. These are:

• The vice-president
• The governor of any state
• A Minister of the Union or of any state

Interesting Facts

• The President resides at the Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi.
• The President has an official retreat in Hyderabad known as the Rashtrapati Nilayam.
• The Air India One is the official aircraft which is used by the president for diplomatic trips and travel.

List of notable Presidents

1. Dr. Rajendra Prasad(January 26, 1950 – May 13, 1962) – 1 st president of India who was elected twice in a row and the leader of the Indian
   independence movement
2. Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (May 13, 1962 – May 13, 1967 )– a notable scholar who’s birthday is celebrated as teacher’s day across the country.
3. Dr. Zakir Husain (May 13, 1967 – May 03, 1969) –India’s First Muslim
   President who passed away during his tenure.
4. Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed (August 24, 1974 – February 11, 1977) – the
   President to impose National Emergency on Indira Gandhi’s
   recommendation who also passed away during his tenure
5. Giani Zail Singh (July 25, 1982 – July 25, 1987) – used pocket veto for Indian Post-Office bill
6. K.R Narayan( July 25,1997 – July 25, 2002) – 1 st Dalit President of India
7. Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam(July 25, 2002 – July 25, 2007) -1 st scientist to become an Indian President. He is also known as the ‘Missile Man of India’
8. Shrimati Pratibha Singh Patil (July 25,2007- July 25, 2012) – 1 st female Indian President
9. Ram Nath Kovind (July 25,2017- Present) – Current President of the
   Country

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