polity hard true/false

The President of India has no discretionary powers and must always act on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers.

  1. True
  2. False

Answer: False

While Article 74(1) mandates President to act on Cabinet advice, Supreme Court in Shamsher Singh (1974) and subsequent cases recognized limited situational discretion: (a) appointing PM in hung parliament, (b) dismissing ministry losing majority, (c) dissolving Lok Sabha if no alternative government possible. These are 'constitutional necessities', not personal whims.

Topic President - Discretionary Powers
Exam Relevance Nuanced executive power question for UPSC Mains and advanced SSC exams

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