Union Executive of the India consists of President, Vice President, Prime Minister and his Council of Ministers. India is a democratic republic with a parliamentary form of government. The government at the Centre is called “Union Government” and at the State is known as “State Government”.
The Union Government has three organs:
  • The Executive
  • The Legislature
  • The Judiciary
Executive: The executive power of government is the one that has sole authority and responsibility for the daily administration of the state bureaucracy. The division of power into separate branches of government is central to the republican idea of the separation of powers.
Legislature: Legislative power in India is exercised by the Parliament, a bicameral legislature consisting of the President of India, the Rajya Sabha, and the Lok Sabha. Of the two houses of Parliament,  the former is considered to be the Upper House or the Council of states and consists of members appointed by the President and elected by the state and territorial legislatures.
Judiciary: Judiciary is the system of courts that interprets and applies the law in the name of the state. The Supreme Court of India consists of a Chief Justice and 30 associate justices, all appointed by the president on the advice of the Chief Justice of India. The judiciary consists of the Supreme Court of India, High Courts of India at the state level and District Courts and Sessions Courts at the district level.
Union Executive constitutes these following functions:
  • Distinguish between the nominal and real executive in a Parliamentary Democracy.
  • Recall that India is a republic with an elected head of state.
  • Describe the qualification and method of election of the President of India
  • Explain the executive, legislative, financial and judicial powers of the President.
  • Explain the position of the President.
  • Describe the role of the Vice- President in the Indian Political System.
  • Describe how the Prime Minister is appointed and how his/her Council of ministers is constituted.
  • Explain the powers and the functions of the Prime Minister and his/her Council of Ministers.
  • Analyze the meaning and implications of the individual and collective responsibility.