The President of India: List, Election, Powers & Impeachment

Since independence, India has had 15 individuals serve as President. Tap any card below to expand the key facts about that President.

01Dr. Rajendra Prasad(1950–1962)Only President with two terms

02Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan(1962–1967)Philosopher · Teachers' Day

03Dr. Zakir Husain(1967–1969)First to die in office

04V. V. Giri(1969–1974)Acting → elected President

05Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed(1974–1977)Signed the 1975 Emergency

06Neelam Sanjiva Reddy(1977–1982)Elected unopposed

07Giani Zail Singh(1982–1987)Used the pocket veto

08R. Venkataraman(1987–1992)

09Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma(1992–1997)

10K. R. Narayanan(1997–2002)First Dalit President

11Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam(2002–2007)The Missile Man

12Pratibha Patil(2007–2012)First woman President

13Pranab Mukherjee(2012–2017)

14Ram Nath Kovind(2017–2022)

15Droupadi Murmu(2022–Incumbent)First tribal President

The President is elected indirectly by an Electoral College, not directly by the people. This is one of the most frequently asked topics in exams.

The Electoral College Art. 54

The Electoral College consists of:

Manner of election Art. 55

The election is held by the system of proportional representation using a single transferable vote, and voting is by secret ballot. To ensure uniformity, the value of votes is calculated with a fixed formula.

The population figure is frozen at the 1971 Census (by the 84th Amendment) to keep the value stable. A candidate must secure a fixed quota — more than 50% of the total value of valid votes — to be declared elected.

Qualifications to become President Art. 58

A candidate must be a citizen of India, have completed 35 years of age, be qualified for election to the Lok Sabha, and not hold any office of profit. The nomination must also be backed by 50 proposers and 50 seconders from the Electoral College.

The President can be removed before the end of the term only through impeachment, a quasi-judicial process. The only ground is "violation of the Constitution" — a term the Constitution does not define.

The Constitution vests vast authority in the President, exercised primarily on the aid and advice of the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers Art. 74.

1. Executive & Appointing Powers

All executive powers of the Union are vested in the President Art. 53 and exercised in their name. The President appoints the Prime Minister, the Union Council of Ministers, State Governors, Supreme Court and High Court Judges, the Comptroller & Auditor General, the Attorney General, and members of the Election Commission and Finance Commission.

2. Legislative Powers

The President is an integral part of the Union Legislature. They can summon or prorogue Parliament and dissolve the Lok Sabha, and address either or both Houses.

Assent to Bills Art. 111: A bill passed by both Houses becomes an Act only after the President's assent. The President may give assent, withhold it, or return it (except a Money Bill) for reconsideration — but if Parliament passes it again, assent becomes obligatory.

Ordinance-making Art. 123: When Parliament is not in session, the President can promulgate Ordinances that carry the same force as an Act. They must be laid before Parliament and cease to operate six weeks from its reassembly.

3. Financial Powers

No Money Bill can be introduced in Parliament without the President's prior recommendation, and the Union Budget (Annual Financial Statement) is laid before Parliament on the President's behalf. The President also constitutes the Finance Commission every five years.

4. Judicial & Pardoning Powers Art. 72

The President can grant pardons, reprieves, respites, remissions, or commute sentences. This power extends to:

5. Military & Diplomatic Powers

As Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, the President appoints the chiefs of the service branches and can declare war or conclude peace (subject to parliamentary approval). Diplomatically, all international treaties and agreements are concluded in the President's name, and they send and receive ambassadors and diplomats.

The President's power over bills is exercised through three types of veto. India has no "qualified" veto (that exists in the USA).

The President can proclaim three types of emergency, each with distinct triggers and effects.

Following the 42nd (1976) and 44th (1978) Constitutional Amendment Acts, the President acts strictly as a constitutional figurehead, bound by the aid and advice of the Prime Minister and the Cabinet.

However, the President is by no means a mere rubber stamp. Especially in the era of coalition politics, the President uses judgment and wisdom to ensure constitutional rectitude — acting as a symbol of national unity and the guardian of the Constitution.