Question

The President of India can be removed from the office by

• A. an order of a High Court
• B. vote of no confidence
• C. impeachment
• D. An order of the Supreme Court of India

Hint:

Key facts about Impeachment (Article 61):
- Ground: Violation of the Constitution (not defined in the constitution).
- Initiated in: Either House of Parliament.
- Majority required: 2/3rd of the total membership of the House (the toughest majority in the Constitution!).

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Understanding the Question:
The question is based on the Constitutional removal process of the President of India.
We need to identify the exact constitutional mechanism used to remove the President from office before the expiry of their term.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:

• The President of India is elected for a term of 5 years.

• However, they can be removed from office before the completion of their term through a special quasi-judicial process in Parliament called Impeachment.

• According to Article 61 of the Constitution, the President can only be impeached on the sole ground of "violation of the Constitution".
- The impeachment charges can be initiated in either House of Parliament (Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha).
- The resolution must be passed by a special majority of not less than two-thirds of the total membership of each House after a thorough investigation of the charges.

• Let us evaluate the options:
-

Option (A): "an order of a High Court" - High Courts do not have any role in the removal of the President.
-

Option (B): "vote of no confidence" - This is used by the Lok Sabha to remove the Prime Minister and their Council of Ministers, not the President.
-

Option (C): "impeachment" - This is the exact constitutional terminology and process under Article 61.
-

Option (D): "An order of the Supreme Court of India" - Although the Supreme Court resolves disputes regarding presidential elections, it cannot directly remove a sitting President.


Step 3: Final Answer:
The President of India can be removed from office by impeachment, which matches Option (C).