Indian Polity and Governance

As per the Articles 352, 356 and 360 in the Constitution of India, the President of India has been given extraordinary power to declare emergency to meet any kind of threat to the country. Those powers to the President of India in the constitution are called emergency provisions.

During elections, when there is a shortage of manpower, election commissions often compile lists of retired government officials who can be called upon to assist. These officials have prior experience in government administration and can help manage election duties. Retired officials are a common pool for temporary election-related staffing needs.

The National Development Council (NDC) is presided over by the Prime Minister and its Secretary is the Secretary of the Planning Commission (now NITI Aayog). This is an ex-officio position by virtue of their role.

The Press Council is headed by a Chairman: usually a retired judge of the Supreme Court of India (except for the first chairman, Justice J. R. Mudholkar, who was a sitting judge of Supreme Court of India in 1968).

Article 280 of the Indian Constitution mandates that the President constitutes the Finance Commission every 5 years. This constitutional body recommends financial relations between the Center and States, including tax distribution principles.

The President is elected by an electoral college consisting of elected members of Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, and State Legislative Assemblies. Nominated members of Parliament and State Legislatures do not participate in this election. The value of votes is weighted to ensure parity between MPs and MLAs.

Article 75(3) establishes the principle of collective responsibility of the Council of Ministers to the Lok Sabha. This means the ministry must enjoy the confidence of the Lok Sabha, and if it loses a majority, it must resign. This is a cornerstone of parliamentary democracy.

Article 207 and rules of procedure in state legislatures require that money bills can only be introduced with the prior recommendation/permission of the Governor. This executive check ensures financial discipline and allows the Governor to examine whether the bill complies with constitutional provisions before it's introduced.

The Speaker of Lok Sabha appoints committees and nominates members to them. This power is derived from Article 98 and the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha. The Speaker plays a key role in committee composition to ensure balanced representation and effective functioning of parliamentary committees.

The salary and allowances of the Governor are charged on the Consolidated Fund of the State (Article 158(3)). This means these expenditures are not voted upon by the state legislature and are automatically available to ensure the Governor can function independently without financial constraints. The Consolidated Fund of India is for central expenditures.

A Supreme Court judge can only be removed through impeachment under Article 124(4) and the Judges Inquiry Act. The process begins in either House, is investigated by a judicial committee, and requires a 2/3 majority present and voting plus absolute majority of total membership. The President then issues the removal order after this parliamentary process.

When a state legislature is dissolved or suspended under President's Rule (Article 356), the Parliament can assume the law-making power for that state. This allows the Union Parliament to make laws for that state even on subjects normally in the State List. The President or State Government does not gain law-making powers in this situation.