Prime Minister
Article 75 of the Indian Constitution mentions that a Prime Minister is one who is
appointed by the President. There is no specific procedure for his election or
appointment. Article 74(1) states that there shall be a Council of Ministers with a Prime
Minister at the head to aid and advise the President. Thus, the Indian Constitution itself
recognizes a Council of Ministers.
President of India appoints a person as the Prime Minister who is either the leader of the
party which holds a majority of seats in the Lok Sabha or is a person who is able to win
the confidence of the Lok Sabha by gaining the support of other political parties. All
other ministers are appointed by the President on the advice of the Prime Minister.
President can also appoint Prime Minister on his own discretion but only when no party
has a clear majority in the Lok Sabha.
Power and Function of Prime Minister
Prime Minister of India serves the country by following various functions. He performs
his functions taking responsibilities as:
The leader of the Country: The Prime Minister of India is the Head of the
Government of India.
Portfolio allocation: The Prime Minister has the authority to assign portfolios to
the Ministers.
Chairman of the Cabinet: The Prime Minister is the chairman of the cabinet and
presides the meetings of the Cabinet. He can impose his decision if there is a
crucial opinion difference among the members.
Official Representative of the country: Prime minister represents the country for
high-level international meetings
The link between the President and the Cabinet: The Prime Minister acts as the
link between President and cabinet. He communicates all decisions of the Cabinet
to the President which is related to the administration of the affairs of the Union
and proposals for legislation.
Head: The Prime Minister is the head of Nuclear Command Authority, NITI
Aayog, Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, Department of Atomic Energy,
Department of Space and Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions.
Chief Advisor: He acts as the chief advisor to the President
To become an Indian prime minister one has to be
A citizen of India.
A member of either Rajya Sabha or Lok Sabha
He should have completed his 30 years if he is a member of the Rajya Sabha or
can be 25 years of age if he is a member of the Lok Sabha
Right from the days of the first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the Prime
Minister is treated at a much higher pedestal. His preeminence rests on his
commanding position in the Cabinet, coupled with fact that he is the leader of the
majority party.
All these positions of power when combined in one person make him rank much
above an ordinary Minister. The death or resignation of the Prime Minister
automatically brings about the dissolution of the Council of Ministers. It generates a
vacuum. The demise, resignation or dismissal of a Minister creates only a vacancy
which the Prime Minister may or may not like to fill. The Government cannot
function without a Prime Minister but the absence of a Minister can be easily
compensated.
