What is The President of India ?

The President of India is the formal head of the executive, legislature and judiciary of India and is the commander-in-chief of the Indian Armed Forces.The current president is Pranab Mukherjee.

The President is indirectly elected by the people through elected members of the Parliament of India (Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha) as well as of the Legislative Assemblies in States of India (Vidhan Sabha) and the each Union Territories, i.e. Delhi, Puducherry etc.; and serves for a term of five years.Historically, ruling party (majority in the Lok Sabha) nominees (for example, United Progressive Alliance nominee Pranab Mukherjee) have usually been elected unanimously. Incumbent presidents are permitted to stand for re-election. A formula is used to allocate votes so there is a balance between the population of each state and the number of votes assembly members from a state can cast, and to give an equal balance between State Assembly members and the members of theParliament of India. If no candidate receives a majority of votes, then there is a system by which losing candidates are eliminated from the contest and their votes are transferred to other candidates, until one gains a majority. The oath of the President is administered by the Chief Justice of India, and in his absence, by the most senior judge of the Supreme Court.

Although Article 53 of the Constitution of India states that the President can exercise his powers directly or by subordinate authority, with few exceptions, all of the executive authority vested in the President are, in practice, exercised by the Government of India. This Executive power is exercised by the Prime Minister with the help of the Council of Ministers. The President opens Parliament with an address. In addition to that, the President summons and prorogues the two Houses of Parliament from time to time. While the House of States is a continuing body, the power to dissolve the Lower House vests in the President. The President has the right to address either or both the Houses of Parliament. In case of a deadlock between the two houses or in a case where more than six months lapse in the other house, the President may summon a joint session of the two houses which is presided over by the Speaker of the Lower House. Budget is presented in Lower House on a day as the President directs.

The President of India resides in an estate in New Delhi known as the Rashtrapati Bhavan (which roughly translates as President's Palace). The presidential retreat is The Retreat in Chharabra, Shimla and Rashtrapati Nilayam (President's Place) in Hyderabad.

The 13th and current President is Pranab Mukherjee, who was elected on 22 July 2012, and sworn in on 25 July 2012. He is also the first Bengali to be elected as President. He took over the position from Pratibha Patil, who was the first woman to serve in the office.