what are the powers of pm
Answers
Powers and functions of the Prime Minister;
The Prime Minister performs many significant functions in the Indian political system and exercises vast powers to his advantage. He is the chief executive of the nation and works as head of the Union Government.
"The Prime Minister is according to Nehiir, "The Linch-Pin of the Government" and as such his powers and I functions are following :
(1) Head of Government:
The President of India is Head of state while PRIME MINISTER is Head of Government. Although the President of India is vested with many executive powers, in actual practice he or she acts only at the advice of the Prime Minister and the cabinet.
All major appointments of the Union Government are virtually made by the Prime Minister and all the major decision-making bodies likes the Union Cabinet, Planning Commission, Cabinet Committee functions under his supervision and direction.
(2) Leader of the Cabinet:
The Prime Minister is the leader of the cabinet. According to Article 74(i), "There shall be I a council of ministers with the Prime Minister at the head." Like I the feritish Prime Minister he is not only primus inter pares but to use Ivor Jeanings phrase, a sun around which other ministers revolve like planets. It is he who selects the other ministers. It is he who distributes portfolios among them.
It is he who presides over meetings of the cabinet and determines what business shall be transacted at these meetings. He can change the personel of the cabinet at any time by demanding a minister's resignation or having him dismissed by the President. Mukherjee, Mathai, Neogy, Ambedkar, and C.D. Deshmukh resigned mainly because of personal differences with Nehru.
The Prime Minister, as Chairman of the cabinet can influence cabinet decisions which are made by consensus more often than by voting. It is for the Prime Minister to sum of the sense of the meeting and declare the consensus. His resignation involves the resignation of all ministers.
Laski's dictum, "the Prime Minister is central to the formation of the council of ministers, central to its life and central to its death is as true of the Prime Minister of India as of his British counterpart.
(3) Link between President and the cabinet:
Article 78 of the constitution defines the duties of the Prime Minister, and in the discharge of those duties reacts as a link between the President and the cabinet.
The duties defined in this Article are. (a) to communicate to the President all decisions of the council of ministers, (b) to furnish such information relating to the administration of the affairs of the union and proposals for legislation as the President may call for; and (c) if the President so requires, to submit for the consideration of the council of ministers any matter of which a decision has been taken by a minister but which has not been considered by the council.
(4) Leader of the Parliament:
The Prime Minister is the leader of the Parliament. He determines the dates of its meetings, as also its programmes for the session. He decides when the Houses is to be prorogued or dissolved. He is the chief spokes man of the Government in the House and it is he who usually keeps it informed about the Government's intentions.
As leader of the House, the Prime Minister is in a special position of special advantage. He makes announcement of principal Government policies and answers questions on super-departmental lines.
He can correct the errors made by his ministers on the floor of the House and can even rebuke and reprimand them. He can carry the House with him on all matters of importance. He represents the cabinet as a whole unlike any other members of the Government.
(5) Chief Spokesman in foreign relations:
In International relations the Prime Minister is regarded as chief spokesman of the country. His statements are, for the outside world; statements of policies of the nation. In international conferences it is he who speaks for the nation.
In dealing with non-aligned countries and conference he likes the lead our Prime Minister have had a special interest in Foreign affairs and this has helped then to strengthen their position of have also.
(6) Leader of Party:
The Prime Ministers in India have tried to woo and cajole the party but they have also tried to dominate the party by conscious manipulation and manicuvre. Nehru forced Tandon to resign as congress President and took over the command of the party.