Key Points

The executive is one of the three organs of government, responsible for the implementation of laws and policies adopted by the legislature. It is in charge of administration and governance.

The political executive includes the heads of government and ministers who are responsible for policy, while the permanent executive consists of civil servants (bureaucracy) responsible for day-to-day administration.

There are three main types: Presidential (USA), where the President is both head of state and government; Parliamentary (India), where the Prime Minister is head of government; and Semi-Presidential (France), with both a President and a Prime Minister.

India chose a parliamentary executive to ensure the government is accountable to the elected representatives in the legislature. This system was preferred over the presidential system to prevent the rise of a personality cult.

The President is the formal Head of State, elected indirectly for a five-year term. While executive power is vested in the President, it is exercised in reality on the advice of the Council of Ministers.

According to Article 74 (1), the advice of the Council of Ministers is binding on the President. The President can ask the Council to reconsider its advice once, but must accept the reconsidered advice.

The President has discretionary powers in three situations: reconsidering the advice of the Council of Ministers, withholding assent to a bill (pocket veto), and appointing the Prime Minister when no party has a clear majority.

The Prime Minister is the head of government and the real executive authority. The Prime Minister heads the Council of Ministers and is the leader of the majority party or coalition in the Lok Sabha.

The Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha. This means that if a vote of no-confidence is passed against even one minister, the entire council must resign.

The 91st Amendment Act of 2003 limits the size of the Council of Ministers to 15 percent of the total number of members in the House of the People (Lok Sabha).

The Vice President is elected for a five-year term and serves as the ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. He or she acts as President during a vacancy until a new President is elected.

The bureaucracy, or civil service, is the administrative machinery that helps formulate and implement government policies. It is expected to be professional, politically neutral, and selected on the basis of merit.

Civil services in India are classified into All-India Services (like IAS, IPS), Central Services (like IFS), and State Services. The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) recruits for All-India and Central services.

Since 1989, coalition governments have increased the President's discretionary role in appointing the Prime Minister and have often limited the Prime Minister's authority in choosing ministers and making policies.