Are We Heading for Presidential Form of Government in India?

India has always been a country known for its rich culture and traditions. The nation has also been honoured for being one of the countries that have maintained a democratic system of governance for a very long time. It is also known for being a country that has maintained a very stable economy for a very long time. Because of these reasons, India is often regarded as the largest democracy in the world. However, from time to time, questions are raised about whether India should switch to a presidential form of Government or not.

What is the Presidential form of Government?

A presidential system is sometimes also known as a legislative system. It refers to a form of Government where the President serves as the Chief Executive and is directly elected by the people. As a result, the head of Government exists apart from the legislature. It is a type of Government in which the three branches (legislature, executive, and judiciary) operate independently and cannot be dismissed or dissolved. While the legislative creates laws, the President enforces them, and the courts are in charge of carrying out judicial tasks. 

What type of Government is present in India?

The Indian Government is a parliamentary democracy, implying that the executive branch is held accountable to the legislative branch. India has both a President, the Head of State and a Prime Minister, who is the Chief Executive of the executive branch, under this form of Government. This nation is divided into 28 states and eight territories. This form of Government consists of three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. This idea is also used at the state level. This article looks at the several branches of Government in India. This country is split into 28 states and eight  territories. This type of Government has three branches: legislative, executive, and judiciary. This concept is also employed at the state level. This article examines the several branches of Government in India. 

Do we need a Presidential form of Government:

To answer this question , firstly we should have a look at the advantages and disadvantages of Having presidential form of government

Advantages of Having a Presidential form of Government:

• The people in most Presidential systems directly choose the President. This generates greater credibility than an indirect appointment of a leader.
• Because the branches of government function separately in a Presidential system, keeping the system’s checks and balances in place is more superficial than that of a parliamentary government.
• Because the President selects his cabinet and the executive does not have to be lawmakers, the President can appoint specialists in many professions to lead appropriate ministries in his administration. This guarantees that only skilled and knowledgeable individuals serve in government positions.
• When the election is over, and the President takes office, the entire country accepts him or her. Political rivalries are forgotten, and individuals approach problems from a national rather than a party perspective.
• A presidential administration is more stable than a Parliamentary Government. This is because the President’s tenure is set and is not subject to parliamentary majority approval. As a result, he or she does not have to be concerned about losing the Government.

Disadvantages of Having Presidential Government:

• The total separation of the legislative and the executive may result in tensions and a stalemate between the executive and the legislature. The legislative can refuse to accept the administration’s policies, whereas the executive can refuse to agree to Acts enacted by the legislature, and the President can even veto them.
• The Presidential system of Government is controlling because it concentrates a great deal of authority in the hands of one person, the President. Furthermore, the President is not subject to the authority of the legislature.
• This system allows the President the authority to appoint members of his cabinet to form the Government. The President may abuse this authority by selecting his family, business associates, and so on, which may impact the state’s political functioning. 

If the presidential system of Government is established in India, the executive and legislative branches will be separated, and ministers will not be recruited from the legislature, as is now the case. In such a circumstance, India’s prior history suggests that decision-making would be frequently impeded due to gridlock between two legislatures, frequently motivated by populist and short-term actions.

Furthermore, most of the criticism of the Indian political system may be addressed if election changes are implemented. If correct electoral reforms are implemented, dynastic politics, criminalization of politics, electoral malpractices, voter indifference, overspending in elections, and other issues can be eliminated.

Conclusion:

Both the presidential and parliamentary forms of governance have advantages and disadvantages, and such regimes’ success depends on the conscience of the office-bearers.

Thus, the necessity of the hour in India is to clean up the country’s political system by instituting fundamental changes. Changing the system from a Parliamentary to a Presidential style of administration without first cleaning it up will just spark a debate about whether India should return to a Parliamentary system or adopt a Presidential one.