Prime Minister of India

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search
Prime Minister of India

Emblem of India
Incumbent
Manmohan Singh

since 22 May 2004
Residence 7, Race Course Road, New Delhi
Appointer President
Term length 5 Years
Inaugural holder Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru
Formation 1947
Website http://pmindia.nic.in/

The Prime Minister of India (Hindi: प्रधान मंत्री) is the head of government of the Republic of India, and head of the Council of Ministers, appointed by the President to assist the latter in the administration of the affairs of the executive in India. The Prime Minister is responsible for the discharge of the functions and power vested in the President in terms of the Constitution of India. He is appointed by the President, being recognized as the leader of the majority party in the two Houses of the Parliament of India.

Contents

[edit] Constitutional framework and position of Prime Minister

The Constitution envisages a scheme of affairs in which the President of India is technically 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; {{quote|The executive powers of

[edit] Role of the Prime Minister

This article is part of the series:
Politics and government of India


Other countries ·  Politics Portal
Government of India Portal
 view  talk  edit 

The Prime Minister leads the functioning and exercise of authority of the Government of India. He or she is invited by the President as leader of the majority party in the Parliament of India 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 his or her Council of Ministers [1] [2] [3] to the President. He or she also works upon to decide a core group of Ministers (known as the Cabinet)[1] as in-charge of the important functions and ministries of the Government of India.

As the head of the government, the Prime Minister is responsible for distribution of work of the Government to various ministries and offices and in terms of the Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules, 1961 [4] whereunder the Prime Minister's Office [5] allocates the work to be performed by various Ministries. The work is generally allocated to the Cabinet Secretariat [6] which in turn acts as a nodal agency for the functioning of the various Ministries. While generally the entire work of the Government in divided into various Ministries, the Prime Minister may retain certain portfolios with himself or herself.

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 put to him by the Members of Parliament [7] to him or her as the in-charge of the portfolios he holds or in his or her capacity as the Prime Minister of India. [8] The Prime Minister is also the ex officio Chairman of the Planning Commission of India. He or she also appoints 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 [9] and also addresses to the nation on various issues of national or other importance. [10] He or she also has to his or her exclusive jurisdiction the disposal of two national funds, (i) the PM's National Relief Fund [11], and (ii) the PM's National Defence Fund [12], which he or she uses in his or her discretion to the attainment of the objectives behind the establishment of these funds.

[edit] List of Prime Ministers of India

The pattern of Prime Ministers elected for Republic of India shows its well natured tradition of unity in diversity, India has elected Prime Ministers from various linguistic backgrounds, various cultures, religious or political faiths and there is no difference on the basis of gender as well.

No. Name Portrait Entered office Left office Birth Death Political party/alliance Election year
1 Jawaharlal Nehru 15 Aug 1947c 27 May 1964 1 14 Nov 1889 27 May 1964 Indian National Congress 1951
1957
1962
2 Gulzarilal Nanda 27 May 1964 9 Jun 1964 * 4 Jul 1898 15 Jan 1998 Indian National Congress
3 Lal Bahadur Shastri 9 Jun 1964 11 Jan 1966 1 2 Oct 1904 11 Jan 1966 Indian National Congress
4 Gulzarilal Nanda 11 Jan 1966 24 Jan 1966 * 4 Jul 1898 15 Jan 1998 Indian National Congress
5 Indira Gandhi 24 Jan 1966 2 c 24 Mar 1977 19 Nov 1917 31 Oct 1984 Indian National Congress 1967
1971
6 Morarji Desai 24 Mar 1977 28 Jul 1979 4 29 Feb 1896 10 Apr 1995 Janata Party 1977
7 Charan Singh 28 Jul 1979 14 Jan 1980 3 23 Dec 1902 29 May 1987 Janata Party
8 Indira Gandhi 14 Jan 1980 2 31 Oct 1984 1 19 Nov 1917 31 Oct 1984 Indian National Congress 1980
9 Rajiv Gandhi 31 Oct 1984 c 2 Dec 1989 20 Aug 1944 21 May 1991 Indian National Congress (Indira) 1984
10 Vishwanath Pratap Singh 2 Dec 1989 10 Nov 1990 3 25 Jun 1931 27 Nov 2008 Janata Dal
National Front
1989
11 Chandra Shekhar 10 Nov 1990 21 Jun 1991 1 Jul 1927 8 Jul 2007 Samajwadi Janata Party
National Front
12 P. V. Narasimha Rao 21 Jun 1991 c 16 May 1996 28 Jun 1921 23 Dec 2004 Indian National Congress 1991
13 Atal Bihari Vajpayee 16 May 1996 1 Jun 1996 3 25 Dec 1924 Alive Bharatiya Janata Party 1996
14 H. D. Deve Gowda 1 Jun 1996 21 Apr 1997 3 18 May 1933 Alive Janata Dal
United Front
15 Inder Kumar Gujral 21 Apr 1997 19 Mar 1998 4 Dec 1919 Alive Janata Dal
United Front
16 Atal Bihari Vajpayee 19 Mar 1998 c 22 May 2004 25 Dec 1924 Alive Bharatiya Janata Party
National Democratic Alliance
1998
1999
17 Dr. Manmohan Singh 22 May 2004c Incumbent 26 Sep 1932 Alive Indian National Congress
United Progressive Alliance
2004
2009
  • * Interim - It is debatable whether Mr. Gulzari Lal Nanda was a Prime Minister or an Acting Prime Minister. The constitution does not have a position of acting Prime Minister. Mr. Nanda was sworn in as the Prime Minister of India. In contrast, the constitution provides for an acting President who discharges the duties of a President. Hence, constitutional experts and historians now count Mr. Nanda as the second Prime Minister of India.

c-indicates a full term

  • 1 Assassinated or Died in Office
  • 2 Returned to Office
  • 3 Resigned
  • 4 Dismissed by President following a no-confidence motion

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ a b "Prime Minister and the Cabinet Ministers". pmindia.nic.in. http://pmindia.nic.in/team.htm. Retrieved on 2008-06-05. 
  2. ^ "Ministers of State (Independent Charge)". pmindia.nic.in. http://pmindia.nic.in/mos_ind.htm. Retrieved on 2008-06-05. 
  3. ^ "Ministers of State (without Independent Charge)". pmindia.nic.in. http://pmindia.nic.in/mos.htm. Retrieved on 2008-06-05. 
  4. ^ "(Allocation of Business) Rules 1961". cabsec.nic.in. http://cabsec.nic.in/abr/welcome.html. Retrieved on 2008-06-05. 
  5. ^ "Prime Minister's Office". pmindia.nic.in. http://pmindia.nic.in/. Retrieved on 2008-06-05. 
  6. ^ "Cabinet Secretariat,Govt.of India". cabsec.gov.in. http://cabsec.gov.in/. Retrieved on 2008-06-05. 
  7. ^ "Member of Parliament - Wikipedia". en.wikipedia.org. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Members_of_Parliament#India. Retrieved on 2008-06-05. 
  8. ^ "PM's answers to Parliamentary Questions". pmindia.nic.in. http://pmindia.nic.in/parl.htm. Retrieved on 2008-06-05. 
  9. ^ "Recent Visit of the Prime Minister". pmindia.nic.in. http://pmindia.nic.in/visits.htm. Retrieved on 2008-06-05. 
  10. ^ "Recent National Messages of the PM". pmindia.nic.in. http://pmindia.nic.in/message.htm. Retrieved on 2008-06-05. 
  11. ^ "PM's National Relief Fund". pmindia.nic.in. http://pmindia.nic.in/relieffund.htm. Retrieved on 2008-06-05. 
  12. ^ "PM's National Defence Fund". pmindia.nic.in. http://pmindia.nic.in/fundnationalbody.htm. Retrieved on 2008-06-05. 

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

Personal tools