Question

With reference to the Prime Minister of India, answer the following questions:

1. State any three qualifications which a person should possess to be eligible for appointment as Prime Minister.
2. What is the position of the Prime Minister under the Parliamentary system of government?
3. How is the Prime Minister a link between the Cabinet and the President?

Answer 1

1. Three qualifications which a person should possess to be eligible for appointment as Prime Minister are: 
   1. He or she must be an Indian citizen.
   2. He/she should be older than 25 years.
   3. The individual must be an elected member of Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha.
   4. He did not have a profit-making position before taking office.

2. Although the President is the nominal head of state, the Prime Minister is the true leader of the nation.

   1. Leader of the Lok Sabha: The Prime Minister is the leader of the Lok Sabha since he leads the majority party in Parliament.
   2. Spokesperson of the Government: The Prime Minister is the government's primary spokesperson in Parliament. He announces important national initiatives on the House floor.
   3. Defender of Government Policies: The Prime Minister defends the government's policies in Parliament. When a policy or Minister is under harm in Parliament, the Prime Minister responds to defend the topic.
   4. Intervention in the event of Controversy: Controversial issues such as language, Centre-State relations, price increases, and atrocities against women have caused members to lose their temper. When a problem occurs in one of the Houses, the Prime Minister usually intervenes to resolve it.
3. The Prime Minister acts as a link between the Cabinet and the President.
   1. According to the Constitution, the Prime Minister communicates all Council of Ministers decisions and legislative recommendations to the President.
   2. Ministers cannot debate national strategy with the President alone.