Chapter – 4

Executive

In this post we have given the detailed notes of Class 11 Political Science Book 4 Chapter 4 (Executive) in English. These notes are useful for the students who are going to appear in Class 11 board exams.

Chapter 4: Executive

Introduction

• The government is divided into three main parts: the legislature, the executive, and the judiciary.
• These branches work together to manage the country, enforce laws, and take care of the people’s well-being.
• The Constitution makes sure that these branches work together and maintain a balance of power.
• In a parliamentary system like India’s, the executive and legislature are interconnected.
• The legislature oversees the executive, which in turn, is influenced by the legislature.

What is an Executive?

• The executive branch of the government is responsible for putting laws and policies made by the legislature into action.
• It handles the daily administration of the country.
• The executive branch consists of the President, Prime Minister, Council of Ministers, and the administrative machinery (civil servants).
• The President, Prime Minister, and Council of Ministers form the political executive, responsible for government policy.
• The civil servants are the permanent executive, responsible for daily administration.

Types of Executive

• There are different types of executive systems:
  • Parliamentary System: The head of government is the Prime Minister, who is accountable to the legislature.
    • Constitutional Monarchy: The head of state is a monarch, whose role is mostly ceremonial.
    • Parliamentary Republic: The head of state is a President, whose role is mostly ceremonial.
  • Presidential System: The President is both head of state and head of government and is not accountable to the legislature.
  • Semi-Presidential System: Has both a President (head of state) and a Prime Minister (head of government), with varying degrees of power. The President and Prime Minister may belong to the same or different political parties.

Relevant Articles:

• Article 74: Deals with the Council of Ministers and their role in aiding and advising the President.
• Article 75: Lays out the appointment and qualifications of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers.

Parliamentary Executive in India

• India chose the parliamentary system because of its familiarity with the system under British rule and the desire for a government that is answerable to the people.
• The President is the official head of state, while the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers hold the real executive power.
• The President is elected indirectly by elected MLAs and MPs, for a 5-year term.
• The President can be removed through impeachment by Parliament for violating the Constitution.
• The President acts on the advice of the Council of Ministers, which is binding.
• The President has some discretionary powers, such as asking the Council of Ministers to reconsider advice, exercising veto power on bills, and choosing the Prime Minister when no party has a clear majority.
• The Vice President is elected for a 5-year term and acts as the ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.
• The Vice President assumes the role of the President if the office becomes vacant.

Relevant Articles:

• Article 52: States that there shall be a President of India.
• Article 53: Vests the executive power of the Union in the President.
• Article 54: Defines the electoral college for the President’s election.
• Article 56: Specifies the term of office of the President.
• Article 61: Lays down the procedure for impeachment of the President.
• Article 63: States that there shall be a Vice-President of India.
• Article 64: Specifies that the Vice-President shall be the ex-officio Chairman of the Council of States.
• Article 65: Deals with the Vice-President acting as President or discharging his functions during casual vacancies in the office of the President.
• Article 72: Grants the President the power to grant pardons, reprieves, respites or remissions of punishment or to suspend, remit or commute the sentence of any person convicted of any offence.  

Prime Minister and Council of Ministers

• The Prime Minister is the head of government and the most powerful figure in the executive branch.
• The Prime Minister must have the support of the majority in the Lok Sabha.
• The Prime Minister chooses the Council of Ministers and allocates their ranks and portfolios.
• The Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha, meaning they must resign if they lose the Lok Sabha’s confidence.
• The Prime Minister plays a crucial role in coordinating between the Council of Ministers, the President, and Parliament.

Relevant Articles:

• Article 75: Lays out the appointment and qualifications of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers.
• Article 77: Deals with the conduct of business of the Government of India.
• Article 78: Lays down the duties of Prime Minister as respects the furnishing of information to the President, etc.

Permanent Executive: Bureaucracy

• The bureaucracy, or administrative machinery, is responsible for implementing policies and assisting ministers.
• The bureaucracy is expected to be politically neutral and impartial.
• The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and State Public Service Commissions are responsible for recruiting civil servants based on merit.
• The Constitution provides for reservation in jobs for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, women, Other Backward Classes (OBC), and Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) to ensure representation of all sections of society.

Relevant Articles:

• Article 309: Empowers Parliament and state legislatures to regulate the recruitment and conditions of service of persons serving the Union or a State.
• Article 310: Deals with the tenure of office of persons serving the Union or a State.
• Article 311: Lays down the procedure for dismissal, removal or reduction in rank of persons employed in civil capacities under the Union or a State.
• Article 312: Empowers Parliament to create All-India Services common to the Union and the States.
• Article 315: Establishes the Union Public Service Commission and State Public Service Commissions.   

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