Prime Minister of India

The Prime Minister of India (Hindi: प्रधान मंत्री) is the chief of government, head of the Council of Ministers and the leader of the majority party in parliament. The Prime Minister leads the executive branch of the Government of India.
The prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. The prime minister selects and can dismiss other members of the cabinet; allocates posts to members within the Government; is the presiding member and chairman of the cabinet and is responsible for bringing proposal of legislation.
The Prime Minister is appointed by the President to assist the latter in the administration of the affairs of the executive. The incumbent prime minister is Manmohan Singh, in office since 22 May 2004.

Origins and History

The Prime Minister of India is, in practice, the most powerful person in the government of India and is technically outranked by the President of India, but because the President's duties are largely ceremonial, the Prime Minister has effective responsibility for government.
India follows a parliamentary system of government. In parliamentary systems fashioned after the Westminster system, the prime minister is the presiding and actual head of the government and head of the executive branch. In such systems, the head of state or the head of state's official representative (i.e. the monarch, president, or governor-general) usually holds a purely ceremonial position.
The prime minister is always, a member of parliament and is expected with other ministers to ensure the passage of bills through the legislature.

Constitutional framework and position of Prime Minister

The Constitution envisages a scheme of affairs in which the President of India is the head of the executive in terms of Article 53 with office of the Prime Minister as heading the Council of Ministers to assist and advise the President in the discharge of the executive power. To quote, Article 53 and 74 provide as under;

The executive powers of the Union shall be vested in the President and shall be exercised either directly or through subordinate officers, in accordance with the Constitution.
— Article 53(1), Constitution of India

There shall be a Council of Ministers with the Prime Minister at the head to aid and advise the President who shall, in the exercise of his functions, act in accordance with such advice.
— Article 74(1), Constitution of India

like most parliamentary democracies the Head of State's duties are only ceremonial, the Prime Minister of India is the head of government and has the responsibility for executive power. With India following a parliamentary system of government the Prime Minister is generally the leader of a party (or coalition of parties) that has a majority in the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Parliament of India. The Prime Minister either has to be a current member of one of the houses of Parliament, or be elected within six months of being
appointed.

Role and Power of the Prime Minister

Further information: List of Prime Ministers of India

Republic of India

This article is part of the series:

The Prime Minister leads the functioning and exercise of authority of the Government of India. He is invited by the President of India in the Parliament of India as leader of the majority party to form a government at the federal level (known as Central or Union Government in India) and exercise its powers. In practice the Prime Minister nominates the members of their Council of Ministers to the President. They also work upon to decide a core group of Ministers (known as the Cabinet) as in-charge of the important functions and ministries of the Government of India.
The Prime Minister is responsible for aiding and advising the President in distribution of work of the Government to various ministries and offices and in terms of the Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules, 1961 . The co-ordinating work is generally allocated to the Cabinet Secretariat which in turn acts as a nodal agency for the functioning of the various Ministries. While generally the work of the Government is divided into various Ministries, the Prime Minister may retain certain portfolios.
The Prime Minister, in consultation with the Cabinet, schedules and attends the sessions of the Houses of Parliament and is required to answer the question from the Members of Parliament to them as the in-charge of the portfolios in the capacity as Prime Minister of India. The Prime Minister is also the ex officio Chairman of the Planning Commission of India. They also appoint the Deputy Chairman of the Commission, who is responsible for the functioning of the Commission and reports to the Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister represents the country in various delegations, high level meetings and international organizations that require the attendance of the highest government office ^[ and also addresses to the nation on various issues of national or other importance. They also have exclusive jurisdiction over disposal of two national funds, (i) the PM's National Relief Fund , and (ii) the PM's National Defence Fund , which they use at their discretion attain the objectives behind the establishment of these funds.

Selection process

Eligibility

Article 84 of the Constitution sets the principle qualifications one must meet to be eligible to the office of the Prime Minister. A Prime Minister must be:

a citizen of India
should be a member of the Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha
of 25 years of age (in the case of a seat in the House of the People) or above 30 years of age (in the case of a seat in the Council of States)

A person shall not be eligible for election as Prime Minister if he holds any office of profit under the Government of India or the Government of any State or under any local or other authority subject to the control of any of the said Governments.