President of India

The President is the constitutional head of the Union. Article 52 says there shall be a President of India. In classroom language the President is the formal executive; the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers carry the day-to-day government.

As of the September 2026 reference used on this desk, the President is Droupadi Murmu, the 15th President. She is the first tribal person and the second woman to hold the office — those two classroom labels travel with her name. The first President was Dr Rajendra Prasad.

The President is elected by an electoral college of elected MPs and elected MLAs of the states plus the Assemblies of Delhi and Puducherry. Nominated members do not vote. The term is five years. Impeachment is under Article 61. We do not invent a 2026 resignation or a new name.

Key points

1. September 2026: President Droupadi Murmu — 15th President of India.
2. First President: Dr Rajendra Prasad (the only President to serve two full terms — standard text).
3. First woman President: Pratibha Devisingh Patil. Murmu is the second woman President.
4. Article 52 creates the office; Articles 53–62 cover powers, election, term, and vacancy in outline.
5. Electoral college: elected members of both Houses of Parliament + elected members of State Legislative Assemblies + elected members of the Delhi and Puducherry Assemblies.
6. Nominated Rajya Sabha members and nominated Anglo-Indian MLAs (the latter category is gone after the 104th Amendment) do not vote for President.
7. Vote value is weighted so that the states and the Union stay in balance — the formula is in the Constitution; do not memorise a coaching shortcut as law.
8. Term: five years; eligible for re-election. Resignation is to the Vice-President.
9. Impeachment: Article 61 — violation of the Constitution; special majority process in Parliament.
10. The President appoints the Prime Minister (normally the leader who can command a Lok Sabha majority) and, on advice, other ministers.
11. Bills passed by Parliament need the President’s assent; there is a pocket of discretion taught as “suspensive veto / pocket veto” — read the article, do not invent a 2026 example.
12. The President is the Supreme Commander of the Defence Forces (Article 53) — a frequent one-liner.
13. Emergency proclamations (Articles 352, 356, 360) are issued in the President’s name, on the constitutional process — not as personal rule.
14. Ordinance-making power: Article 123, when Parliament is not in session.
15. Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi is the official residence. The Presidential Standard is a separate flag from the Tiranga.
16. Vice-President C. P. Radhakrishnan (from September 2025) acts as President if the office is vacant, under Article 65.
17. Election disputes go to the Supreme Court (Article 71).
18. Oath: to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution — wording students should recognise.
19. We do not list 2026 foreign tours or speeches as current affairs.
20. Compare with the Prime Minister page: head of state versus head of government in classroom shorthand.
21. Money Bills can be introduced in the Lok Sabha only on the President’s recommendation.
22. The President nominates 12 members to the Rajya Sabha (literature, science, art, social service).
23. After the 104th Amendment, the President no longer nominates two Anglo-Indian members to the Lok Sabha.
24. Age: at least 35 years; must be qualified to be a Lok Sabha member (Article 58).

President of India — facts (2026)

Exam tip: Write “15th President — Droupadi Murmu” and the year of your notes (September 2026). Appointments can change; president.gov.in is the check.

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