The President of India
India's head of state, elected indirectly for five years by MPs and MLAs, who acts on the Council of Ministers' advice.
What the paper can ask
- Elected indirectly by an electoral college of elected MPs and MLAs by single transferable vote; term five years, re-election allowed.
- Droupadi Murmu is the 15th President, in office since 25 July 2022; Rajendra Prasad was the first. (as of 23 Oct 2026)
- Assent to bills, ordinances under Article 123 and pardons under Article 72 are among the powers.
- Must be qualified for election to the Lok Sabha and meet the minimum age.
Latest
On 12 October 2026 the President appointed six Governors, including Sudha Yadav (Karnataka), Dhal Singh Bisen (Uttarakhand), Dushyant Gautam (Sikkim) and Braj Mohan Ram (Odisha), and moved Om Prakash Mathur to Keralam and R. V. Arlekar to Tamil Nadu.
Why exams ask
The electoral college, the first woman President, the Articles on pardons and ordinances, and impeachment are asked.
The full story
The President of India is the head of state, first citizen and Supreme Commander of the armed forces. The President is elected for five years by an electoral college of elected MPs and elected MLAs of the states, Delhi and Puducherry, using proportional representation by single transferable vote with weighted votes. A candidate must be a citizen who meets a minimum age.
In the news
Test yourself
1.Who became the first woman President of India in July 2007?
Correct. Pratibha Patil took the oath on 25 July 2007 and served until 2012. She had earlier been Governor of Rajasthan.
Not quite. Pratibha Patil took the oath on 25 July 2007 and served until 2012. She had earlier been Governor of Rajasthan. It goes into your error book.
2.The minimum age for election as President of India is
Correct. Article 58 requires a candidate to be a citizen of India, to have completed 35 years of age and to be qualified for election to the Lok Sabha.
Not quite. Article 58 requires a candidate to be a citizen of India, to have completed 35 years of age and to be qualified for election to the Lok Sabha. It goes into your error book.
3.Who administers the oath of office to the President of India?
Correct. Article 60: the President takes the oath before the Chief Justice of India or, in his absence, the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court available.
Not quite. Article 60: the President takes the oath before the Chief Justice of India or, in his absence, the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court available. It goes into your error book.