Prime Minister of India
| Prime Minister of the Republic of India भारत के प्रधानमंत्री |
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| Flag of India | |
| Incumbent Narendra Modi |
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| Government of India Prime Minister’s Office |
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| Style | The Honourable (Formal) His Excellency (diplomatic) |
| Member of | Cabinet NITI Aayog Parliament of India |
| Reports to | Parliament of India President of India |
| Residence | 7, Race Course Road |
| Seat | South Block, New Delhi, India |
| Appointer | President of India by convention, based on appointee’s ability to command confidence in the Lok Sabha |
| Term length | At Lok Sabha’s pleasure Lok Sabha term is 5 years unless dissolved sooner No term limits specified |
| Inaugural holder | Jawaharlal Nehru |
| Formation | 15 August 1947; 68 years ago |
| Salary | ₹20 lakh (US$29,000) (annual, including ₹960,000 (US$14,000) MP’s salary) |
| Website | Prime Minister’s Office |
The Prime Minister of India (Hindi: भारत के प्रधानमंत्री, Bhārat kē Pradhānmantrī), as addressed in the Constitution of India, is thechief of government, chief adviser to the President of India, head of the Council of Ministers and the leader of the majority party in the Lok Sabha. The Prime Minister leads the executive branch of the Government of India. The incumbent Prime Minister of India isNarendra Modi of the Bharatiya Janata Party.
The Prime Minister is the senior member 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. The resignation or death of the prime minister dissolves the cabinet.
The Union cabinet headed by the Prime Minister is appointed by the president to assist the latter in the administration of the affairs of the executive. Union cabinet is collectively responsible to the House of the People as per Article 75(3). The Prime Minister shall always enjoy the confidence of Lok Sabha and shall resign if he/she is unable to prove majority when instructed by the President.
Contents
- 1Origins and history
- 2Constitutional framework and position of prime minister
- 3Role and power of the prime minister
- 4Appointment
- 1Eligibility
- 2Oath
- 5Remuneration
Origins and history
India follows a parliamentary system in which the prime minister is the presiding, actual head of the government and chief 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 shall become a member of parliament within six months of beginning his/her tenure, if he/she is not a member already. He/She is expected to work with other central ministers to ensure the passage of bills by the Parliament.
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, 74 and 75 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
The Prime Minister shall be appointed by the President and the other Ministers shall be appointed by the President on the advice of the Prime Minister.
— Article 75(1), Constitution of India
Like most parliamentary democracies, a President’s duties are mostly ceremonial as long as the constitution and the rule of law is obeyed by the Union Cabinet and the Legislature. The Prime Minister of India is the head of government and has the responsibility for executive power.
Role and power of the prime minister
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)[2] as in-charge of the important functions and ministries of theGovernment 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 While generally the work of the Government is divided into various Ministries, the prime minister may retain certain portfolios if they are not allocated to any member of the cabinet.
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. Some specific ministries/department are not allocated to anyone in the cabinet but the prime minister himself. The prime minister is usually always in-charge/head of:
- Appointments Committee of the Cabinet;
- Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions;
- Ministry of Planning;
- Department of Atomic Energy; and
- Department of Space.
The prime minister represents the country in various delegations, high level meetings and international organisations that require the attendance of the highest government office and also addresses to the nation on various issues of national or other importance.
Appointment
Eligibility
According to Article 84 of the Constitution of India, which sets the principal qualifications for member of Parliament, and Article 75 of the Constitution of India, which sets the qualifications for the minister in the Union Council of Minister, and the argument that the position of prime minister has been described as ‘first among equals’,[10] A prime minister must:
- be a citizen of India.
- be a member of theLok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha. If the person chosen as the prime minister is neither a member of the Lok Sabha nor the Rajya Sabha at the time of selection, he or she must become a member of either of the houses within six months.
- be above 25 years of age if he or she is a member of Lok Sabha or above 30 years of age if he or she is a member of the Rajya Sabha.
- not hold 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.
If however a candidate is elected as the prime minister he/she must vacate their post from any private or government company/ sector and may take up the post only on completion of his /her term
Oath
The Prime Minister is required to make and subscribe in the presence of President of India before entering office, the oath of office and secrecy, as per the Third Schedule of the Constitution of India.
Oath of office:
I, <name>, do swear in the name of God/solemnly affirm that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of India as by law established, that I will uphold the sovereignty and integrity of India, that I will faithfully and conscientiously discharge my duties as prime minister for the Union and that I will do right to all manner of people in accordance with the Constitution and the law, without fear or favour, affection or ill-will.
— Constitution of India, Third Schedule, Part I
Oath of secrecy:
I, <name>, do swear in the name of God/solemnly affirm that I will not directly or indirectly communicate or reveal to any person or persons any matter which shall be brought under my consideration or shall become known to me as prime minister for the Union except as may be required for the due discharge of my duties as such Minister.
— Constitution of India, Third Schedule, Part II
Remuneration
By Article 75 of the constitution of India, remuneration of the prime minister as well as other ministers are to be decided by the Parliament and is renewed from time to time. The original remuneration for prime minister and other ministers were specified in the Part B of the second schedule of the constitution, which was later removed by an amendment.
In 2010, the prime minister’s office reported that he did not receive a formal salary, but was only entitled to monthly allowances. That same year The Economist reported that, on a purchasing-power parity basis, the prime minister received an equivalent of $4106 per year. As a percentage of the country’s per-capita GDP (Gross Domestic Product), this is the lowest of all countries The Economist surveyed.
| Prime Minister monthly pay and allowances | ||
| Salary in Oct 2009 | Salary in Oct 2010 | Salary in Jul 2012 |
| ₹100000 (US$1,500) | ₹135000 (US$2,000) | ₹160000 (US$2,400) |
| Sources. | ||
Prime Minister’s Office (India)
| Prime Minister’s Office | |
| Secretariat Building, South Block | |
| Agency overview | |
| Jurisdiction | Republic of India |
| Headquarters | South Block, Secretariat Building Raisina Hill, New Delhi |
| Agency executive | · Nripendra Misra, Principal Secretary |
| Website | pmindia.nic.in |
The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) consists of the immediate staff of the Prime Minister of India, as well as multiple levels of support staff reporting to the Prime Minister. The PMO is headed by the Principal Secretary, currently Nripendra Misra. The PMO was originally called the Prime Minister’s Secretariat until 1977, when it was renamed during the Morarji Desai administration.
It is part of the Government of India located in the South Block of the Secretariat Building.
Contents
- 1Function
- 2The Office
- 3Organisation
- 1Department of Atomic Energy (DAE)
- 4Important officers in the PMO
Function
The PMO provides secretarial assistance to the Prime Minister. It is headed by the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister. The PMO includes the anti-corruption unit and the public wing dealing with grievances. The office houses the Prime Minister and few selected officers of Indian Civil Service who work with him to manage and coordinate government and his office. The Prime Minister through his office coordinates with all ministers in the central union cabinet, minister of independent charges and governors and ministers of state government. The PMO is located at the South Block of the Secretariat Building.
The subject-matter of files required to be submitted to the Prime Minister depends on whether he is holding direct charge of the Ministry or whether there is a Cabinet Minister or Minister of State (Independent Charge) in charge of the Ministry. In the case of the latter, most matters are dealt with by the Cabinet Minister / Minister of State-in-charge. Only important policy issues, which the Minister concerned feels should be submitted to the Prime Minister for orders or information, are received in the PMO.
In cases where the Prime Minister is the Minister-in-charge, all matters requiring Ministerial approval not delegated to the Minister of State / Deputy Minister, if any, are submitted for orders. The Prime Minister has traditionally been the Minister-in-charge of the Departments of Space, Atomic Energy, and Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions.
Some of the important matters that require the Prime Minister’s personal attention include the following:
- Important defence-related issues;
- Decorations, both civilian and defence, where Presidential approval is required;
- All important policy issues;
- Proposals for appointment of Indian Heads of Missions abroad and requests for grant of agreement for foreign Heads of Missions posted to India;
- All important decisions relating to the Cabinet Secretariat;
- Appointments to State Administrative Tribunals and the Central Administrative Tribunal, UPSC, Election Commission, Appointment of members of statutory/constitutional Committees, Commissions attached to various Ministries;
- All policy matters relating to the administration of the Civil Services and administrative reforms;
- Special Packages announced by the Prime Minister for States are monitored in the PMO and periodical reports submitted to Prime Minister; and
- All judicial appointments for which Presidential approval is required.
Parliament Questions
Parliament Questions relating to the Ministries and Departments of which Prime Minister is the Minister-in-charge are answered by a Minister of State nominated for the purpose or by Prime Minister himself.
PM’s Funds
The Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) and the National Defence Fund (NDF) are operated directly from the PMO. The Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund was established in January 1948 as Trust, by then Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, with public contributions to assist displaced persons from Pakistan, due to partition of India. In the year, 2013-2014, the Fund received donations worth Rs. 377.04 crore.
The Office
The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) located in South Block, overlooking the grandeur of Rashtrapati Bhawan. Though in the 1990s I.K. Gujral and some of his predecessors, usedPrime Minister’s Residence (PMR) spread over a 10-acre complex as office. It is sandwiched between the cabinet secretariat on one side and the ministries of external affairs and defence on the other. The 20-room PMO is equipped to provide both infrastructural and manpower support to the nation’s chief executive. Hi-tech accessories and sophisticated communication devices were installed to monitor domestic and international developments.
In 2012, the PMO had a staff of 404 officials, with annual budget Rs 29.3 crore (2012–13), 70% or Rs 20 cr. was spent on salaries.
Organisation
The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) directly comes under PMO.
Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) Regulatory Boards
- Atomic Energy Regulatory Board(AERB), Mumbai, Maharashtra
- Atomic Energy Commission(AEC) Mumbai, Maharashtra
- Board of Radiation and Isotope Technology(BRIT), Mumbai, Maharashtra
- Public Sector
- Electronics Corporation of India(ECIL), Hyderabad
- Indian Rare Earths Limited(IREL), Mumbai
- Nuclear Power Corporation of India(NPCIL), Mumbai, Maharashtra
- Uranium Corporation of India,Singhbhum
- Research & Development Sector
- Bhabha Atomic Research Centre(BARC), Mumbai; the following research institutions are affiliated to BARC:
- Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research(AMD), Hyderabad
- Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research(IGCAR), Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu
- Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology,Indore
- Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre(VECC), Calcutta
- Aided Sector
- Atomic Energy Education Society(AEES), Mumbai
- Tata Institute of Fundamental Research,Mumbai
- Tata Institute of Fundamental Research,Hyderabad
- Tata Memorial Centre,Mumbai
- Center for Excellence in Basic Sciences, Mumbai
- Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics(SINP), Calcutta
- Institute of Physics,Bhubaneswar
- Harish-Chandra Research Institute(HRI), Allahabad
- Institute of Mathematical Sciences(IMSc or Matscience), Chennai
- Institute for Plasma Research, Gandhinagar
- National Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhubaneswar
- Industries and Mining Sector
- Nuclear Fuel Complex(NFC), Hyderabad
- Heavy Water Board(HWB), Hyderabad
- Bhabha Atomic Research Centre(BARC), Mumbai; the following research institutions are affiliated to BARC:
Important officers in the PMO
- From October 2011, the post of Secretary under Prime Ministers office has been eliminated as per policy.
| Office of the Prime Minister of India | ||
| Name | Designation | Rank |
| Ajit Kumar Doval | National Security Adviser | Minister of State Rank |
| Nripendra Misra | Principal Secretary | |
| Rajeev Topno | Private Secretary | |
| Sanjiv Singla | Private Secretary | |
| Anurag jain[ | Joint Secretary | |
| Deputy Prime Minister of India भारत के उप प्रधानमन्त्री |
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| Emblem of India | |
| Incumbent Vacant |
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| Appointer | President on the advice of the Prime Minister |
| Inaugural holder | Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel |
| Formation | 15 August 1947 |
The Deputy Prime Minister of India is a member of the Union Cabinet in the Government of India. Not technically a constitutional office, it seldom carries any specific powers. A deputy prime minister usually also holds a key cabinet portfolio such as home minister or finance minister. In the parliamentary system of government, the prime minister is treated as the “first among equals” in the cabinet; the position of deputy prime minister is used to bring political stability and strength within a coalition government or in times of national emergency, when a proper chain of command is necessary.
The first Deputy Prime Minister of India was Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who was also home minister in Jawaharlal Nehru’s cabinet. The office has since been only intermittently occupied. The seventh and last deputy prime minister was L. K. Advani, who took on the role in addition to his home ministership from 2002 to 2004 in Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s government. The current government does not have a Deputy Prime Minister.
Many times there arose a proposal to make this post permanent, but nothing happened. The same goes to the post of Deputy Chief Minister in state level,
List of Deputy Prime Ministers of India
Colour key
- Indian National Congress
- Janata Party
- Janata Party (Secular)
- Indian National Congress (Socialist)
- Janata Dal
- Samajwadi Janata Party
- Bharatiya Janata Party
| № | Deputy Prime Minister (Portfolio) |
Portrait | Term of office | Political party (Alliance) |
Prime Minister | ||
| 1 | Sardar Vallabhai Patel સરદાર વલ્લભભાઈ પટેલ (Minister of Home Affairs) |
15 August 1947 | 15 December 1950 | Indian National Congress | Jawaharlal Nehru | ||
| 2 | Morarji Desai મોરારજી દેસાઈ (Minister of Finance) |
21 March 1967 | 6 December 1969 | Indian National Congress | Indira Gandhi | ||
| 3 | Charan Singh चरण सिंह (Minister of Home Affairs & Minister of Finance) |
24 March 1977 | 28 July 1979 | Janata Party | Morarji Desai | ||
| 4 | Jagjivan Ram जगजीवन राम (Minister of Defence) |
24 March 1977 | 28 July 1979 | Janata Party | |||
| 5 | Yashwantrao Chavan यशवंतराव चव्हाण (Minister of Home Affairs) |
28 July 1979 | 14 January 1980 | Indian National Congress (Socialist) | Charan Singh | ||
| 6 | Chaudhary Devi Lal चौधरी देवी लाल |
2 December 1989 | 21 June 1991 | Janata Dal (National Front) |
V. P. Singh | ||
| Chandra Shekhar | |||||||
| 7 | L. K. Advani ايل. ڪي. آڏواڻي एल.के. आडवाणी (Minister of Home Affairs) |
5 February 2002 | 22 May 2004 | Bharatiya Janata Party (NDA) |
Atal Bihari Vajpayee | ||