World leaders come with many titles such as premier, chancellor etc. But two of the most widely used titles are President and Prime Minister.
The roles and responsibilities of a President and Prime Minister are subject to the country in question. Two forms of government decide whether a country should have one or both executives. They are the Presidential and Parliamentary forms of government.
Since India has a Parliamentary form of government there exist both the President and Prime Minister. For a better understanding, the differences between President and Prime Minister will be highlighted within the context of the IAS Exam.
Difference Between Prime Minister and President
Given below is the detailed difference between the President and the Prime Minister in terms of their role, responsibilities, and power. Aspirants can refer to the tabulated difference between the two, given below:
Differences between the Prime Minister and President
| Prime Minister |
President |
| The Prime Minister of India is the leader of the executive and the most powerful individual in the country | The President of India is the first citizen of the country and holds the highest office. |
| The Prime Minister is the Head of the Cabinet, and the Council of Minister | The President is the ceremonial head of the country |
| The Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers are in charging of deciding what policies and bills to pass | Bills cannot be passed without the assent and recommendation of the President |
| The Prime Minister has no authority over matters concerning the Judiciary | The furthest extent of the President’s judicial power is granting amnesty to criminals on death row |
| A Prime Minister can be removed from office if the Lok Sabha passes a ‘no-confidence motion’ | The President can only be removed by the process of impeachment, which requires a special majority for the removal of the President |
| The Prime Minister of India is appointed by the President | On the other hand, the President is elected by members of the parliament and legislative assembly. This impeachment process only arises if the President is found to be in violation of the Constitution of India |
| The Prime Minister belongs to the party that has secured the majority of votes in the Lok Sabha | The President does not have to belong to any party |
| The Prime Ministers does not have the powers to declare a state of emergency. | The President has the power to declare a state of emergency |
| Jawaharlal Nehru was the first Prime Minister of Independent India (November 14th 1889 – May 27th 1964) | Rajendra Prasad was the first President of Independent India (3 December 1884 – 28 February 1963) |
In the UPSC Polity Segment of the UPSC Exams, the ‘President’ and ‘Prime Minister’ are recurring terms. To study this about this segment, aspirants can refer to the following links given below:
- Indian Polity Notes for UPSC
- Functions of the Parliament of India
- Polity Syllabus and Strategy for UPSC
- Important Books for Political Science Optionals
- Article 356 & President’s Rule in India
- Difference Between Presidential and Parliamentary Forms of Government
- Difference Between Lok Sabha And Rajya Sabha
- Difference Between Censure And No-Confidence Motions
- Difference Between Legislative And Executive
- Difference Between Unicameral And Bicameral Legislature
UPSC Aspirants can visit the Difference Between Articles page and get over 100 difference between articles for various subjects and fields for the upcoming exam preparation.
Difference Between President and Prime Minister – Download PDF Here
Frequently Asked Questions on Difference Between President and Prime Minister
Q 1. What is the basic difference between the President and Prime Minister?
Q 2. What is the difference between the President and Prime Minister in India?
Q 3. Is there a difference between the President and Prime Minister’s tenure in India?
Q 4. What is the difference between the method of appointment of the President and the Prime Minister in India?
For more UPSC Exam related preparation materials visit the following links given below:
Related Links
| NCERT Books | UPSC Exam Pattern | Current Affairs Quiz |
| Current Affairs PDF | World Current Affairs | Panipat Third War |
| Indian Revenue Service | Pradhan Mantri Matritva Vandana Yojana | JNPT Port |
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