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ICSE Question Bank
2017Q1(f)The Union Executive: The President and the Vice-President
Short answerModerate1 mark
1

Answer briefly each of the questions (a) to (j):

When can the President use his Discretionary power to appoint the Prime Minister?

Topic: Discretionary power of the President

Previous-year question practice database

Answer

Exam answer

When NO SINGLE PARTY secures an absolute majority in the Lok Sabha — a hung house — there is no obvious leader to invite, and the President must use his own judgement in deciding whom to call upon to form the government. (He may also use it when a serving Prime Minister dies suddenly and the ruling party has not yet chosen a successor.)

Explanation

The essential words are that no party has a MAJORITY. Normally the President has no discretion at all: by convention he must invite the leader of the majority party. That is why this is called a discretionary power — it arises only when the ordinary convention breaks down, which shows how narrow the President’s real powers are.

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