What went wrong when the king rode under the arch?

It was too low and knocked off his crown

How does the chain of blame unfold in the poem?

Each accused person blames another, ending with the king's own changes

What is the executive and what does it do?

It is the organ of government responsible for the implementation and administration of the laws and policies adopted by the legislature.

Distinguish the political executive from the permanent executive.

The political executive (ministers, heads of government) is responsible for policy; the permanent executive (civil servants) handles day-to-day administration.

Why did India adopt a parliamentary executive?

To keep the executive answerable to and controlled by the legislature, and to guard against the personality cult possible under a presidential system.

What does Article 74(1) state about the President's powers?

The President acts on the binding advice of the Council of Ministers, but may ask it to reconsider the advice once.

Name the situations in which the President can use discretion.

Sending back advice for reconsideration, exercising veto (including the pocket veto), and choosing the Prime Minister when no party has a clear majority.

What is the pocket veto?

Since no time limit is prescribed for assent, the President can keep a bill pending indefinitely, as happened with the Indian Post Office (Amendment) Bill.

To whom is the Council of Ministers collectively responsible?

To the Lok Sabha; a ministry that loses its confidence must resign.

What did the 91st Amendment provide about the Council of Ministers?

That the Council shall not exceed 15 per cent of the total membership of the House.

How is the bureaucracy made representative and neutral?

It is recruited on merit by the UPSC, is expected to be politically neutral, and includes reservation for SCs, STs, OBCs, women and EWS.

Executive

Q: How is the President of India elected?

Indirectly, by elected MPs and MLAs, through proportional representation with a single transferable vote.

Class 11 Political Science · Indian Constitution at Work · Chapter 4

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Summary

This chapter discusses the executive — the organ that implements the laws and policies adopted by the legislature. It distinguishes the political executive (ministers and heads of government, responsible for policy) from the permanent executive (civil servants who run day-to-day administration). It compares parliamentary, presidential and semi-presidential systems, noting that India adopted a parliamentary executive to keep the executive answerable to and controlled by the legislature and to guard against a personality cult. In India the President is the formal Head of State, elected indirectly by MPs and MLAs through proportional representation with a single transferable vote, and exercises powers on the advice of the Council of Ministers headed by the Prime Minister; Article 74(1) makes that advice binding, though the President can ask for one reconsideration. The President has limited discretionary powers — to send back advice, a veto (including the "pocket veto"), and the choice of Prime Minister when no party has a clear majority. The real executive is the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers, collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha; the 91st Amendment caps the Council at 15 per cent of the House. The chapter ends with the permanent executive — the politically neutral, professionally recruited bureaucracy, including the All-India Services (IAS, IPS) selected by the UPSC.

Executive

Key terms

Executive

the organ of government responsible for implementing laws and policies.

Political executive

the heads of government and ministers, with overall responsibility for policy.

Permanent executive

the civil servants (bureaucracy) responsible for day-to-day administration.

Parliamentary system

a system in which the executive is drawn from and answerable to the legislature.

Council of Ministers

the body, headed by the Prime Minister, that exercises real executive power and is collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha.

Pocket veto

the President's informal power to keep a bill pending without assent, as there is no time limit prescribed.

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The executive is the organ of government responsible for:

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Executive

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