1.1. President as a part of Parliament

The Indian Constitution has followed the British pattern, rather than the American one. The British Parliament consists of House of Lords (Upper House), House of Commons (Lower House) and the Crown (King or Queen). The President of India, like the English Crown, is not a member of either House of Parliament. However, he is an integral part of the Parliament and performs the following functions:

i. A bill passed by both Houses of Parliament cannot become a law without the

President’s assent

ii. He/she summons and prorogues both the House, dissolves the Lok Sabha, addresses both the Houses, issues ordinances when they are not in session etc.

The Parliamentary system of government emphasizes the interdependence between the Legislature and the Executive. Thus, India has a President-in-Parliament system. On the other hand, America follows the Presidential system, wherein emphasis is more on separation of powers and less on interdependence between the Executive and the Legislature.