Discuss the power of the prime minister of india in the light of the epithet " the position of the prime minister can be described as the sun around which all other planets revolve." insights
Answers
Powers Of The Prime Minister And The Cabinet
Prime Minister
Power to appoint the Authorities
Prime Minister has the right to give advice to the President in relation to the appointment of the Government Authorities.
Such authorities include The Comptroller and Auditor General of India, Attorney General Of India, Solicitor General Of India, Election Commissioners, Chairman and Members Of The Finance Commission.
Prime Minister also has the right to give advice to the President on the appointment of The Council Of Ministers and The Cabinet Ministers.
Power as the Leader of the House Of Parliament
Prime Minister is the Leader of the Lower House Of Parliament i.e The Lok Sabha.
He advises President with regard to the summoning of the sessions of The Parliament.
The Prime Minister can recommend the President for the dissolution of the Lok Sabha.
Prime Minister in consultation with the Speaker of the lower house decides the Agenda of the House.
Aid and Advice the President
Prime Minister is the Chief Advisor of The President.
The Prime Minister advises The President in all the matters of the state.
Prime Minister Informs The President regarding all the decisions taken in the Cabinet Meeting.
The Prime Minister advises and gives all the information to The President regarding the emergency situation or any changes in the foreign policy.
Prime Minister advises the President to take necessary steps in the economic, financial, political and developmental situations of the country.
Power as the Chairman of The Cabinet
The Prime Minister is the Leader of The Cabinet.
The Prime Minister presides over the meetings and decides the agenda of the meetings.
All the decisions of the Cabinet meetings are decided by the approval and consent of The Prime Minister.
The reject or accept of the proposal of the Cabinet discussions is in the hand of The Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister guides, directs, controls and coordinates all the activities of the Minister.
The Prime Minister allocates various portfolios and ministries among the Ministers.
In case of any wrongdoing and difference in the opinion, the Prime Minister can ask a Minister to resign or advise The President to dismiss the Power of the Minister.
Is the Chairman of the NITI Aayog National Development Council, National Integration Council, Inter-State Council, National Water Resources Council.
Power to Remove The Minister
The Minister remains in the office according to the pleasure of The Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister can demand resignation from any Ministers at any time and the Minister is duty bound to accept it.
In April 2010 when Manmohan Singh was the Prime Minister, Shashi Tharoor, the Minister of State for External Affairs had to resign from his office under the allegation of the corruption in the IPL case. (see here)
Emergency Powers
The President declares the emergency only under the advice of the Prime Minister.
Under Article 352 of The Indian Constitution, The President can declare an emergency on the basis of the written request by the Prime Minister.
In the year 1975-1977, the then President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed with the written request and consent from the Then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi imposed emergency. The reason behind this was threat to National Security and bad economic conditions.
Thus, the Prime Minister has the power to impose an emergency when the situation is as such.
Coordinating Power
The Prime Minister is the chief coordinator between the President and the Cabinet.
The Prime Minister communicates the President all the decisions of the Cabinet and puts before the Cabinet the decisions of the President, thus acting as the medium of the communication.
It is the responsibility of the Prime Minister to coordinate the activities of all the department and to secure the cooperation among the ministers.
Other Powers
Prime Minister is the Leader of the Nation. The general elections of the country are fought in his name.
Plays a key role in determining Indian Foreign Policy and relations with other countries.
Power to allocate and change the department of the Ministers