A Brief Understanding of Article 52

The president of India is the nation’s head and is also known as India’s first citizen. He is considered a part of the entire union Executive. The provisions of this executive are dealt with by different Articles from articles 52 – 72. The article about the president of India is specifically within the range of Article 52 to article 62. These Articles contain information about how the president is elected, the functions and power that the president might have, and so on. President is an important part of the Union Executive and contains and the topic is also important for the IAS exam. 

President of India

According to Article 52, the President of India is essentially the leader of the nation. He can be referred to as India’s first citizen. Further, the president of India is regarded as the symbol of integrity, solidarity, and Unity within the nation. He along with other officials such as the Prime Minister, Vice President, India’s Attorney General, and Council of Ministers is considered a part of the Union Executive. In this context, it should be mentioned that there is a specific process as to how the president of India is selected. The president of India is not selected by any direct method. The president is generally elected via the electoral college. The electoral college which is particularly responsible for the election of the President includes different members who have been elected under.

• Rajya Sabha as well as Lok Sabha
• The state’s legislative assemblies ( The legislative council particularly plays no rule)
• Legislative Assemblies are present in the Union Territories of Puducherry and Delhi.

Conditions within the President’s office

Any candidate who runs for the president has to maintain some conditions. The conditions regarding this matter have been mentioned in detail in Articles 52 to 62, specifically in Article 52. These conditions have been outlined in detail in the following. 

• The person running for the president’s office must not be a member of the Rajya Sabha or Lok Sabha. If the candidate is found to be a member of either of the two houses then the person must vacate his seat in the house on his first day as president. 
• Parliament decides privileges allowances and emoluments.
• The person cannot under any circumstance hold any office for profit. 
• The parliament is not given any right for diminishing the allowances and emoluments during the time he is serving within the office.
• The privileges, emoluments, and allowance of the candidate are decided by the parliament.
• The President is given immunity from different criminal proceedings, even on his act. 
• The President cannot be imprisoned or arrested. Civil proceedings against the President can only be initiated for the acts that have been committed by him. For this also two months of prior notice has to be given. 

Discussion about whether the President’s office can be vacant

When we are discussing Article 52 as well as the President of India, it should be mentioned that the president’s office can be vacant. There are different ways through which the president’s office can be vacant and these have been mentioned in the following. Firstly, the president’s office can be vacant when a particular president of India has served his 5 years within the office. Next, the president’s office can be vacant if at any particular time the president resigns by handing the resignation letter to the Vice President. Thirdly, the president’s office can be empty if the president dies. After this, the president’s office can also be empty if the Rajya Sabha or Lok Sabha initiates a charge of impeachment. Also if they stand valid to their impeachment then the president of India can be removed making the president’s office vacant. Lastly, the president’s office can also become vacant if the Supreme decides the election to be invalid. 

Conclusion

The complete article has been carried out on the core topic of Article 52. This article 52 holds an important position in the list of articles related to the president of India. Students should not skip this topic and should read it with care as many questions come in the UPSC exam from this topic. Throughout the article, the topic will be further discussed through the president of India, conditions within the president’s office, and discussion about when the president’s office can be vacant.