Difference between President and Prime Minister

People providing services in the government have a lot of responsibilities to perform. People who are IAS officers, IPS officers, or in the Army have the duty of protecting the citizens of the country. Two of the utmost important government officials are the Prime Minister and the President. Both have the responsibility of the whole nation. Decisions regarding various bills, policies, infrastructure, etc., are made by both President and Prime Minister. Both Prime Minister and President are the decision-makers of the nation. Apart from the President, the Prime Minister is responsible for whatever bills or policies are passed. He leads the government offices and ensures the smooth functioning of departments.

The nation's development depends upon the way and approach acquired by the President and Prime Minister to run the government. This is the reason we are always advised to choose our leaders wisely. We must be fully aware and conscious of choosing the leaders of our country. Now, before discussing any further, let us discuss the primary definition of these terms.

Difference between President and Prime Minister

President

A President is defined as the government official chosen in an assembly. The President is the Chief Official of the government and has the responsibility of performing several activities. The President is the head of the sovereign and the nation. The major role of the President is to ensure that the laws are fully executed, enforced, and followed by the people. The President has many roles to play. Out of them, seven roles are of utmost importance. These roles are:

  • Chief of Executive
  • Chief of State
  • Chief Citizen
  • Party Chief
  • Chief Administrator
  • Chief Diplomat
  • Chief Legislator

So, these are the roles played by a President. The President possesses different skills like a vision for developing the country, good communication skills, excellent management skills, integrity, etc.

Prime Minister

A Prime Minister is the government official who leads the cabinet of ministers. He is responsible for leading the ministers and officials of other executive departments. The government policies and bills are taken care of by the Prime Minister. The work of the cabinet is led by the Prime Minister. The President elects the Prime Minister and the people collectively. The Prime Minister is the head of the cabinet of ministers, and he/ she is responsible for electing and dismissing the members of the cabinet and council. A Prime Minister performs various functions. For instance, he/ she acts as the connecting link between the parliament and the President. The fundamental role of the Prime minister is to protect and follow the constitution. Now, let us look at the significant contrasting points between the President and Prime Minister.

S.NO.PRESIDENTPRIME MINISTER
1.A President is a government officer who leads the state, sovereign, or nation.On the other hand, Prime Minister is also a government official who leads the cabinet of ministers. He/ she is responsible for managing the government departments, ministers, and officials.
2.The members of the assembly elect the President.A Prime Minister is elected by the President.
3.A President enjoys various powers like:
  • CEO
  • First Citizen of the country
  • Chief Diplomat
  • Head of the State
  • Electing Cabinet Ministers and other government officials.
The Prime Ministers exercises powers like:
  • Head of Government
  • Passing of bills, laws, and policies.
  • Preserving the Constitution
  • Appointing members in government executive departments.
4.A President is the head of the nation.A Prime Minister leads the cabinet and council of ministers.
5.Any government official cannot pass any bill or policy without the opinion of the President.The Prime Minister decides the laws or bills that have to be passed.
6.The President exercises the judicial power of granting bail to the criminals who have been given the death punishment.On the other hand, the Prime Minister does not have judicial powers.
7.A President of any nation can be questioned upon their integrity and removed from the post. But for this, the majority of government officials have to vote for the removal. A President can only be removed if he/ she has violated the laws of the Constitution.The Prime Minister can be replaced upon a 'no-confidence motion.' This document has to be passed in the Lok Sabha upon the agreement of the majority of the members.
8.The President does not belong to any political party. He does not have any committee or party of his own.The Prime Minister has a political party who is a part of the Lok Sabha by obtaining the majority votes.
9.The President has the power to announce emergencies in the country.On the other hand, a Prime Minister does not have such powers. He/ she take care of the government policies and departments.
10.The first President of Independent India was Rajendra Prasad.The first Prime Minister of Independent India was Jawaharlal Nehru.

So, these are some of the major contrasting points between a President and the Prime Minister. Now, let us look at some functions performed by both these government officials.

Functions of a President

  1. A President is responsible for electing the Prime Minister.
  2. All the government activities take place after the approval of the President.
  3. Bills, policies, laws, and major decisions regarding the country are made by the President.
  4. The Chief Justice of India and all the judges of the Supreme Court only meet the President.
  5. All international treaties are made by the President.
  6. A bill becomes a law only after the approval of the President.

Functions of the Prime Minister

  1. The Prime Minister is the Chief Head of the nation.
  2. The Prime Minister leads the cabinet and council of ministers and is responsible for conducting several meetings with them.
  3. A Prime Ministers is the ambassador of the nation, and he/ she represents the nation nationally and internationally.
  4. The Prime Minister leads several organizations and programs of the government.
  5. A Prime Minister is the chief advisor of the President.

So, these are some of the functions performed by the Prime Minister and the President. Both are responsible for the development of the nations. They are the most important government officials in the country. Thus, both President and the Prime Minister are responsible for performing duties regarding the nation.






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