PRIME MINISTER:
Appointment:
ü
Article 75 of the Indian Constitution specifies
that the Prime Minster is appointed by the President.
ü
The general principle is that the President
appoints the leader of majority party in the Lok Sabha as the Prime Minister
ü
If no party gets a clear majority then the
President may exercise his personal discretion in the appointment of the Prime
Minister.
ü
This power was first executed in India in the
year 1979 when Dr Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy appointed Charan Singh as the Prime
Minister after the collapse of the Janata Party Government.
ü
A Minster may be a member of either houses of
the Parliament.
ü
The Prime Minister may be a member of any of the
two houses of the Parliament.
ü
Indira Gandhi (1966)
ü
Deve Gowda (1996)
- I K Gujral (1997)
ü
Manmohan Singh (2004) were the members of Rajya
Sabha.
Term:
ü
The tem is not fixed.
ü
The Prime Minister holds the office during the
pleasure of the President.
ü
As long as the Prime Minister enjoys the
majority support in the Lok Sabha, he cannot be removed by the President.
Salary: This is determined by the Parliament
from time to time.
Resignation: The PM submits the resignation to
the President.
When the PM resigns or dies the Council of Ministers stands
dissolved.
FUNCTIONS OF THE PRIME MINISTER:
ü
The PM recommends to the President about the
members who can be appointed as the Ministers.
ü
Note: The President appoints only those persons
as Ministers who are recommended by the Prime Minister.
ü
The PM allocates various portfolios among the
Ministers.
ü
The PM reshuffles the portfolios.
ü
The PM asks a Minister to resign.
ü
The PM advises the President to remove a
Minister.
ü
The PM presides over the meeting of Council of
Ministers.
ü
The PM is the principal channel of communication
between the President and the Council of Ministers.
ü
Article 78: It shall be the duty of the Prime
Minister to communicate to the President all decisions of the Council of
Ministers relating to the administration of the affairs of the Government and
proposals for the legislation.
ü
The PM advises the President with respect to the
appointment of Attorney General, Union Public Service Commission Chairman and
Members, Comptroller and Auditor General, Chief Election Commissioner and other
Election Commissioners, Chairman and members of Finance Commission etc.
ü
The PM advises the President with regard to the
summoning and proroguing of the Parliament.
ü
The PM recommends the President for the
dissolution of Lok Sabha.
ü
The PM is the Chairman of Planning Commission,
National Development Council, National Integration Council, National Population
Council, Inter State Council, National Water Resource Council, National
Disaster management etc.
THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS:
ü
The Council of Ministers is headed by the PM.
ü
Article 74(1) of the Indian Constitution: There
shall be a Council of Ministers headed by the PM to aid and advice the
President.
APPOINTMENT:
ü
Article 75 (1): The PM is appointed by the
President and other Ministers are also appointed by the President on the advice
of the PM.
ü
A Minister (PM is also a Minister) must be a
member of either Loksabha or Rajya Sabha.
ü
Article 75 (5): If a person who is not a
member of either of the houses of the parliament is appointed as the Minister,
must become a member of either of the houses of the Parliament with in a period
of 6 months from the date appointment as the Minister.
ü
Article 75 (4): The oath of office of a Minister
is administered by the President.
STRENGTH:
ü
The original Constitution did not mention about
the strength of the Council of Ministers.
ü
After the 91st amendment act (2003) the
strength of the Council of Minister including the Prime Minister should not
exceed 15 percent of the total strength of the Lok Sabha (Article 75 (1A))
ü
(Note: Not the total strength of the
Parliament).
SALARY:
1.
This is decided by the Parliament from time to time.
2.
A minister gets the salary and allowances of that are
payable to a Member of Parliament. Additionally he gets a sumptuary allowance
according to his rank, free accommodation, Travelling allowance, medical
facilities etc.
ü A Minister is individually responsibility to the President.
ü
Article 75(2): A minister is individually
responsible to the President. It means a Minister hold the office during the
pleasure of the President. A Minister submits the resignation to the President.
The President can remove a Minister only on the advice of the PM.
ü
Article 75(3): The Council of Ministers is
collectively responsible to the Loksabha.
ü
The Prime Minister advices the President to
dissolve the Loksabha.
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER:
ü
The office the Deputy Minister is not mentioned
in the Constitution.
ü
Note: Except Prime Minister no other Minister
is minister is mentioned in the Constitution.
ü
So far 6 persons served as the Deputy Prime
Ministers of India.
ü
Sardar Vallbhbhai Patel
ü
Morarji Desai
ü
Charan Singh
ü
Babu Jagjeevan Ram
ü
Devi Lal
ü
LK Advani
The word “Cabinet” is not originally mentioned in the
Constitution. It was added in Article 352 in the year 1978 through 44th
amendment.
Prime ministers
Jawaharlal
Nehru 1947-1964
Gulzari
lal Nanda 1964 (Acting)
Lal
Bahadur Shasktri 1964-66
Gulzari
Lal Nanda 1966(Acting)
Indira
Gandhi 1966-1977
Morarji
Desai 1977-1979
Charan
Singh 1979-1980
Indira
Gandhi 1980-1984
Rajiv
Gandhi 1984-1989
Vishwanath
Pratap Singh 1989-1990
Chandra
Sekhar 1990-1991
P.V.Narasimharao 1991-1996
A.B.Vajpayee 1996 (for 13 days)
H.D.Deva
Gowda 1996-1997
I.K.Gujral 1997-1998
A.B.Vajpayee 1998-2004
Dr.
Manmohan Singh 2004 - 2014
Narendra Modi 2014 - till date
Narendra Modi 2014 - till date
MISCELLANEOUS:
ü Charan
Singh was the only Prime Minister, under whose regime
Parliament never met.
ü Guljari
Lal Nanda was the only interim Prime Minister for 2 times.
ü Sardar
Vallabhbhai Patel was the first Deputy Prime Minister of India from 1947 – 50.
ü Morarji
Desai was the first Deputy Prime Minister after the commencement of the
Constitution.
ü Devilal
was the Deputy Prime Minister for 2 times. 1989 and 1990 under the two Prime
Ministers V P Singh and Chandra Shekar.
ü L
K Advani was the last Deputy Prime Minister of India.