What are the roles and responsibilities of India's president?
India's presidency is different from those of other countries around the world. Many say that the president in India is a "mere rubber stamp"—a figurehead. Given the duties performed by President Ram Nath Kovind compared to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, you may find yourself agreeing to these criticisms. So, what does the president of India actually do?
What is the president's role in the Indian political set-up?
India has a parliamentary form of government which implies that the president is the head of state while the PM is the head of the government. The president is also the supreme commander of the armed forces and has powers to prorogue or dissolve the parliament. They further make appointments to important posts including the PM, state governors, and Supreme Court/High Court judges.
What does Indian presidency symbolize?
Indian presidency is symbolically similar to the British monarchy. While the real power, at most times, resides with the legislature, the monarch's role is that of a "political referee." Similar presidencies also exist in Israel and Germany.
So, what does the presidency entail?
"Indian Presidents are not entirely rubber stamps," opines James Manor—a professor at London's Institute of Commonwealth Studies. Along with urging ministers to reconsider their actions, the president can through public speeches hint at discordance with the legislature and sway public opinion accordingly. Where no party secures a majority after elections, the president has the freedom to dissolve the parliament and call for fresh elections.
Who says presidency is a rubber stamp?
While India's first president, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, is known to have frequently disagreed with then PM Jawaharlal Nehru, the seventh President, Giani Zail Singh, is known to have a rocky relationship with PM Rajiv Gandhi. K R Narayanan—India's tenth president—famously told the parliament that he is "not a rubber stamp" while returning a proposal calling for the imposition of president's rule in Uttar Pradesh.
When Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed agreed to 1975 Emergency
Ahmed is believed to have succumbed to Indira Gandhi's wishes and signed the papers proclaiming an emergency at midnight. A popular cartoon—which appeared on The Indian Express the next day—depicted Ahmed signing the papers sitting in a bathtub, referring to the absurdity of the situation.
When Pranab Mukherjee almost triggered a constitutional crisis
According to Professor Manor, Pranab Mukherjee was more assertive than any of his predecessors. Although he is known to have rejected 28 mercy petitions (a record number), he commuted four sentences, in defiance of the government's wishes, and refrained from sending those back to the government for reconsideration. The cabinet didn't make an issue out of it as his term was to end soon.
