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Q44 (IAS/2015) Polity & Governance › Union Executive › Powers of Prime Minister Official Key

Consider the following statements : 1. The Executive Power of the Union of India is vested in the Prime Minister. 2. The Prime Minister is the ex officio Chairman of the Civil Services Board. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Result
Your answer: —  ·  Correct: D
Explanation

The correct answer is option D because both statements are incorrect.

The Constitution vests the executive power of the Union in the President, not the Prime Minister[3]. In reality, the President exercises these powers through the Council of Ministers headed by the Prime Minister[3], but constitutionally, the executive power is formally vested in the President under Article 53.

Regarding the second statement, the Cabinet Secretary is the ex-officio Chairman of the Civil Services Board,[5] not the Prime Minister[4]. The Cabinet Secretary, as the administrative head of the Cabinet Secretariat, holds this position.

Therefore, since Statement 1 incorrectly attributes executive power to the Prime Minister instead of the President, and Statement 2 incorrectly identifies the Prime Minister as Chairman of the Civil Services Board instead of the Cabinet Secretary, neither statement is correct.

Sources
  1. [1] Introduction to the Constitution of India, D. D. Basu (26th ed.). > Chapter 11: The Union Executive > 2. Powers and Duties of the President > p. 209
  2. [2] Laxmikanth, M. Indian Polity. 7th ed., McGraw Hill. > Chapter 18: President > 200 ,yj' lndian Polity > p. 200
  3. [3] Indian Constitution at Work, Political Science Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 4: EXECUTIVE > PARLIAMENTARY EXECUTIVE IN INDIA > p. 84
  4. [4] https://cabsec.gov.in/aboutus/functions/
  5. [5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabinet_Secretary_(India)
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Don’t just practise – reverse-engineer the question. This panel shows where this PYQ came from (books / web), how the examiner broke it into hidden statements, and which nearby micro-concepts you were supposed to learn from it. Treat it like an autopsy of the question: what might have triggered it, which exact lines in the book matter, and what linked ideas you should carry forward to future questions.
Q. Consider the following statements : 1. The Executive Power of the Union of India is vested in the Prime Minister. 2. The Prime Minister i…
At a glance
Origin: Books + Current Affairs Fairness: Moderate fairness Books / CA: 5/10 · 5/10
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Statement 1 is a fundamental Constitutional check (Article 53); if you miss this, you are out of the race. Statement 2 tests the hierarchy of the Permanent Executive vs. Political Executive. The strategy is to memorize the 'Ex-officio Chairmen' list for all major bodies (NITI, Zonal Councils, CSB, ISC).

How this question is built

This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.

Statement 1
Under the Constitution of India, in whom is the executive power of the Union vested?
Origin: Direct from books Fairness: Straightforward Book-answerable
From standard books
Introduction to the Constitution of India, D. D. Basu (26th ed.). > Chapter 11: The Union Executive > 2. Powers and Duties of the President > p. 209
Presence: 5/5
“The Constitution says that the "executive power of the ~~t~:~~!:~:e~~wers Union shall be vested in the President" [Article 53]. The President of India shall thus be the head of the "executive power" of the Union. The "executive power" primarily means the execution Of the laws enacted by the Legislature, but the business of the Executive in a modern State is not as simple as it was in the days of Aristotle. Owing to the manifold expansion of the functions of the State, all residuary functions have practically passed into the hands of the Executive. The executive power may, therefore, be shortly defined as "the power of carrying on the business of government" or "the administration".”
Why this source?
  • Directly quotes Article 53: 'the executive power of the Union shall be vested in the President'.
  • Explicitly identifies the President as the head of the 'executive power' of the Union.
Laxmikanth, M. Indian Polity. 7th ed., McGraw Hill. > Chapter 18: President > 200 ,yj' lndian Polity > p. 200
Presence: 5/5
“common between the form of government prevalent in America and the form of government adopted under the Indian Constitution. The American form of government is called the presidential system of government, and what the Indian Constitution adopted is the parliamentary system. Under the presidential system of America, the President is the chief head of the Executive and administration is vested in him. In estimating the constitutional position of the President, particular reference has to be made to the provisions of Articles 53, 74 and 75. These are: • 1. The executive power of the Union shall be vested in President and shall be exercised by him/her either directly or through officers subordinate to him / her in accordance with this Constitution (Article 53). • 2.”
Why this source?
  • States Article 53 wording that the executive power of the Union shall be vested in the President.
  • Clarifies that this power may be exercised by the President directly or through subordinate officers, reinforcing vesting in the President.
Indian Constitution at Work, Political Science Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 4: EXECUTIVE > PARLIAMENTARY EXECUTIVE IN INDIA > p. 84
Presence: 4/5
“and the Council of Ministers, which run the government at the national level. At the State level, the executive comprises the Governor and the Chief Minister and Council of Ministers. The Constitution of India vests the executive power of the Union formally in the President. In reality, the President exercises these powers through the Council of Ministers headed by the Prime Minister. The President is elected for a period of five years. But there is no direct election by the people for the office of President. The President is elected indirectly. This means that the president is elected not by the ordinary citizens but by the elected MLAs and MPs.”
Why this source?
  • Confirms the Constitution vests executive power of the Union formally in the President.
  • Adds practical context that the President exercises these powers through the Council of Ministers, but the vesting remains with the President.
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SIMILAR QUESTIONS

CDS-II · 2007 · Q7 Relevance score: 7.59

Consider the following statements 1. The Union Executive consists of the President and the Council of Ministers with the Prime Minister as the head. 2. The President may, by writing under his hand-addressed to the Vice-President, resign his office. 3. Executive power of the Union is vested in the Prime Minister. Which of the statements given above is/ are correct/

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Consider the following statements : 1. The Prime Minister of India is the ex-officio Chairman of the Planning Commission. 2. The Union Finance Minister is the ex-officio Chairman of the Finance Commission. Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

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Consider the following statements: 1. The Council of Ministers in the Centre shall be collectively responsible to the Parliament. 2. The Union Ministers shall hold the office during the pleasure of the President of India. 3. The Prime Minister shall communicate to the President about the proposals for legislation. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

CDS-I · 2017 · Q94 Relevance score: 5.53

Which of the following statements relating to the powers of the President of India is/are correct? 1. The executive power of the Union shall be vested in the President. 2. The executive power shall be exercised by the President only through officers subordinate to him. 3. The supreme command of the defence forces of the Union shall be vested in the President. Select the correct answer using the code given below.