Prime Minister in India: Primus Inter Pares or Inter Stella Luna Minores? | UPSC Current Affairs
Summary
TLDRThis video script from Legacy I Academy discusses the roles of the Indian President and Prime Minister within the parliamentary system. It explains the President's position as a figurehead with ceremonial duties, contrasting it with the Prime Minister's significant power as the 'first among equals' or 'Moon among stars.' The script further explores the dynamics of the Prime Minister's role, highlighting how it can shift between being dominant or overshadowed by cabinet ministers, depending on the individual's strength and the party's position in Parliament. Historical examples are provided to illustrate these concepts.
Takeaways
- 🏛 The Indian political system is a parliamentary democracy, which means the President is an integral part of the Parliament.
- 🌟 The President of India is often likened to a 'lamp', symbolizing a position of dignity and representation of the nation, rather than the main source of power.
- 🛠️ In a parliamentary setup, the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers are part of the legislative branch, unlike in a presidential system where the executive is separate.
- 🤔 The role of the President can be significant during deadlocks between the two houses of Parliament, acting as a philosopher, guide, and friend.
- 👥 The British model of governance influenced India's parliamentary system, with the Queen's three rights—right to be informed, right to advise, and right to warn—mirrored in the President's role.
- 🌟 The Prime Minister's position is described as 'Primus inter pares' or 'first among equals', suggesting a leadership role among cabinet ministers.
- 🔑 The strength of the Prime Minister's position can vary, depending on whether it's a Prime Ministerial form of government (strong PM) or a Cabinet Ministerial form (strong cabinet ministers).
- 📊 The effectiveness of the Prime Minister's role is influenced by two main factors: the personality of the PM and the position of their party in Parliament.
- 🔄 Historical examples illustrate the shift between strong Prime Ministers like Indira Gandhi and periods where the cabinet system was less powerful, such as during Rajiv Gandhi's tenure.
- 🤝 In coalition governments, the Prime Minister's position can become weaker due to the need for consensus among multiple parties, but this can vary based on the PM's personality and leadership skills.
- 🔮 The script suggests that the power dynamics between the Prime Minister and the cabinet ministers can change over time, reflecting the evolving nature of the parliamentary system.
Q & A
What type of democracy has India adopted according to the script?
-India has adopted a parliamentary democracy model.
Why is the President considered an integral part of the Indian Parliament?
-The President is considered an integral part of the Indian Parliament due to the parliamentary democracy model chosen by India, influenced by British rule and the need for representation of every section of Indian society.
What is the role of the President in the Indian parliamentary setup?
-The President in the Indian parliamentary setup is like a 'lamp,' symbolizing dignity and representing the nation. The President is a constitutional head and acts as a philosopher, guide, and friend, especially in case of deadlocks between two houses.
How does the script describe the role of the Prime Minister in comparison to the President?
-The script describes the Prime Minister as the 'main power' in comparison to the President, who is likened to a 'lamp,' suggesting that the Prime Minister has a more active role in governance.
What are the three rights of the British Queen that are also applicable to the Indian President?
-The three rights of the British Queen that are also applicable to the Indian President are the right to be informed, the right to advise, and the right to warn in case the Council of Ministers does not function properly.
What is the difference between a Prime Ministerial form of government and a Cabinet Ministerial form of government according to the script?
-In a Prime Ministerial form of government, the Prime Minister dominates, whereas in a Cabinet Ministerial form of government, the cabinet ministers dominate and have a greater say in front of the Prime Minister.
Why does the script mention the term 'Primus inter pares' or 'Inter alia luna minor' in relation to the Prime Minister's position in India?
-The term 'Primus inter pares' or 'Inter alia luna minor' is used to illustrate the debate over whether the Prime Minister is 'first among equals' or 'Moon among stars,' indicating the varying dynamics of power within the government.
What factors determine whether the Prime Minister is 'first among equals' or 'Moon among stars'?
-The factors that determine the Prime Minister's position as 'first among equals' or 'Moon among stars' are the personality of the Prime Minister and the position of his party in Parliament.
How does the script describe the role of the Prime Minister during Indira Gandhi's time?
-During Indira Gandhi's time, the script describes the role of the Prime Minister as having a Prime Ministerial form of government, indicating a strong Prime Minister who dominated and led to the development of authoritarian trends.
What challenges does the script suggest for the Prime Minister in a coalition government?
-The script suggests that the position of the Prime Minister in a coalition government can become weak due to the lack of a single party majority, although this depends on the personality of the Prime Minister and their ability to lead a diverse coalition.
What does the term 'diarchy' refer to in the context of the script's discussion on the Indian government during Manmohan Singh's time?
-In the context of Manmohan Singh's time, 'diarchy' refers to the emergence of two centers of power, with responsibility in the hands of the Prime Minister and power with the head of the Congress party.
Outlines
🏛️ Indian Presidential and Parliamentary Systems
The speaker introduces the topic of the video, focusing on the roles of the President and Prime Minister in the Indian political system. They explain that India follows a parliamentary democracy model, influenced by British rule, which necessitates representation from all sections of Indian society. The President is an integral part of the Parliament, and the video will explore the nuances of this position, contrasting it with the executive branch led by the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers.
👥 Role and Significance of the Indian President
This paragraph delves into the role of the Indian President, who is likened to a 'lamp' in the political setup, highlighting the President's symbolic and dignified position. The President represents the nation and is considered the constitutional head of state. The speaker refutes the notion that the President is merely a 'rubber stamp' and emphasizes the President's role as a philosopher, guide, and friend, especially during deadlocks between the two houses of Parliament. The paragraph also draws a parallel with the British monarchy, which has a similar nominal head with limited powers.
🌟 Prime Ministerial and Cabinet Ministerial Forms of Government
The speaker discusses the two forms of government within a parliamentary setup: Prime Ministerial and Cabinet Ministerial. The former is characterized by a dominant Prime Minister, while the latter sees cabinet ministers holding significant power. Examples are given from Indian history, including the governments of Indira Gandhi and Manmohan Singh, to illustrate these forms. The paragraph also touches on the concept of the Prime Minister being 'first among equals' or 'Moon among stars,' indicating the PM's position relative to other ministers.
🤔 Factors Influencing the Prime Minister's Position
The paragraph explores the factors that determine whether the Prime Minister is 'first among equals' or 'Moon among stars.' It emphasizes that this status depends on multiple factors, primarily the personality of the Prime Minister and the position of their party in Parliament. Historical examples are provided, from Nehru's time when the PM was considered first among equals, to Indira Gandhi's era, which saw a strong Prime Ministerial form of government with authoritarian tendencies.
🔄 Changes in Cabinet System and the Role of Loyalists
This paragraph examines the evolution of the cabinet system in India, particularly during the tenures of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, where the cabinet's power diminished, and loyalists and technocrats gained more influence. The speaker notes a shift from elected representatives to unelected advisors and bureaucrats, indicating a change in the balance of power within the government.
🌐 Diarchy and the Impact on the Prime Minister's Role
The final paragraph discusses the concept of diarchy, where power is divided between two centers—the Prime Minister and the head of the ruling party. This situation was particularly evident during Manmohan Singh's tenure, where a lack of strong leadership in the second term led to a resurgence of diarchy. The speaker concludes by reiterating that the Prime Minister's role as 'first among equals' or 'Moon among stars' is contingent upon their personality and leadership qualities.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Parliamentary Democracy
💡President
💡Prime Minister
💡Cabinet Ministers
💡Council of Ministers
💡Lok Sabha
💡Judiciary
💡Prime Ministerial Form of Government
💡Cabinet Ministerial Form of Government
💡Diarchy
💡Coalition Government
Highlights
Introduction to the discussion on the roles of the President and Prime Minister in India's political system.
India's choice of a parliamentary democracy model influenced by British rule and societal diversity.
The President of India is an integral part of the Parliament, unlike in the presidential system.
Differentiation between the parliamentary and presidential systems of government.
The President is often seen as a 'lamp' in the Indian setup, symbolizing a figurehead role.
The Prime Minister holds the main power, with the President's role being more ceremonial.
The President's role as a constitutional head, representing the nation with dignity.
President's role in parliamentary deadlocks, acting as a philosopher, guide, and friend.
Comparison of the British Queen's rights to those of the Indian President, emphasizing the nominal head status.
The concept of Prime Ministerial and Cabinet Ministerial forms of government in a parliamentary setup.
Examples of strong Prime Ministers like Indira Gandhi and weak ones like Manmohan Singh.
The impact of the Prime Minister's personality and party position on their role in government.
The transformation of the parliamentary system into a Prime Ministerial system during Indira Gandhi's tenure.
The collapse of the cabinet system under Rajiv Gandhi, leading to the rise of technocrats and loyalists.
The challenges of the Prime Minister's role in a coalition government and its dependency on personal leadership.
The emergence of diarchy during Manmohan Singh's tenure, with power divided between the PM and the party head.
The importance of a charismatic leader for a strong Prime Ministerial role in the government.
Conclusion summarizing the key points discussed about the roles of President and Prime Minister in India.
Transcripts
hello and welcome everyone on this
official platform of Legacy I Academy so
today in this session I'm going to
discuss one of the most important issue
which is also there in the news with
respect to position of president in
Indian setup as well as the position of
prime minister in parliamentary setup so
first of all we are going to discuss
about the position of Indian
president okay so
position
of president
in Indian
setup okay now first of all
president who is also considered as
integral part of
parliament integral part
of
param as India has chosen the model that
is parliamentary
democracy
so
India
has chosen a
model called as
parliamentary
democracy clear and president is an
integral part of
parliament because of British rule in
India and diversity of India because
each and every section of Indian Society
has to give representation in Indian
Parliament that is why India has chosen
parliamentary setup so let me tell
you
okay now try to
understand
now as you can see this model here and
another model is here okay this
is
legislature okay and this is
executives
that is Council of ministers and this is
judiciary now so there are two models
okay one this and another model is this
so which one is related to
parliamentary setup parliamentary model
of democracy
so when we say parliamentary model of
democracy that
means ministers are also Al part of
parliament subpart of legislature
because in
India elections of legislature comes
first then we elect government that mean
loksabha elections and then we elect
then we choose government getting my
point so we elect our
representatives for Lo saaba clear so
here you can see executives are subpart
of legislature so executives are subpart
of legislature clear because to become a
minister you have to be a
parliamentarian first so in case of
India executives are subart of
legislature clear so this is called as
parliamentary
setup
parliamentary setup because president is
an integral part of parliament now if
you see this model here legislature is
totally different executives are
independent and Judiciary are
independent getting my point that means
this setup is called as presidential
system of
government
presidential
model for example in United States of
America this is in case of
India clear now what is the position of
president in Indian setup so let me tell
you the position of Indian
president okay this one is clear
now
position of
president in Indian
setup so let me tell you president is
like a l
lamp president is like a lamp in Indian
setup getting my point and prime
minister is the main power president is
like a lamb and prime
minister is the main
power clear so when so when the main
power
or the main switch is off then lamb
comes into the picture so when the main
switch is
off
Main switch is
off then you will see the role of lamb
that is
present
then the
role of
lamp can be
understood that is
President clear so it is wrong to say
that president is just a rubber stem
getting my point so it is wrong to
say
president is
just a rub
stem okay so it
is wrong to
say so when you analyze the role of
President okay when you analyze the role
of president president is the post of
dignity
president is the
post of
dignity
okay president represents
nation
president
represents the whole
nation okay so it is correct to say
president is a constitutional Ed
president
is a constitutional
head clear so in a parliamentary setup
not try to
understand
that in a parliamentary
setup parliamentary setup
okay
president has the role of
philosopher
guide and
friend so in a parliamentary set of
president is a philosopher friend and
guide getting my point if deadlock
happens between two houses then
president comes into the
picture Okay so there are three rights
of Queen in Britain
also three rights of
Queen in Britain
so British queen is like President of
India nominal head getting my point so
British queen is having three rights one
right to
informed that what is going on right to
informed right
to
advice and right to war if Council of
Minister does not works properly then
president is also having a right to warn
them right to
warn these three
rights SMUD is
clear okay
now
now
now this is the prime
minister and these are his cabinet
ministers
cabinet
ministers okay all these are cabinet
ministers now let me tell you when prime
minister
dominates in the cabinet that kind of
government is called as Prime
ministerial form of
government Prime
ministerial form of
government
clear
and another diagram again prime
minister and these are cabinet
ministers
okay when cabinet ministers
dominate okay in front of prime minister
so
when
cabinet
ministers
dominate so it would be called as
cabinet ministerial form of
government
cabinet ministerial form of
government this much is clear to all of
you so in a parliamentary setup there
are two kind of government when prime
minister is strong then Prime
ministerial form of government when
cabinet ministers are strong then
cabinet ministerial form of government
this is the
example this is the example of Indira
Gandhi this is the example of present
Modi
government clear this is the example of
Manmohan sing's government Manmohan
Singh was not a strong prime minister
cabinet was dominating at that time so
Manmohan
Singh okay so in a parliamentary setup
two types of governments are there okay
especially Prime ministerial and cabinet
ministerial form of government I hope
this much is clear to all of you okay
now so there is an issue now you can see
here that the position of prime minister
in India is of Primus
interus or interel luna minors what does
it means that the position of prime
minister is in India is first among
equals or Moon among stars this is Moon
Moon among stars so let me tell
you so primers interferes means first
among
equals clear or interel luna minor it
means Moon among
stars now this is the issue clear now we
need to understand this statement
getting my point this statement shows
the position of prime minister as well
as other
ministers so this
statement this
statement talks about the
position of prime minister as well as
other
ministers okay so if you want to
understand the position of prime
minister as well as other minister we
need to consider other factors also
whether prime minister is first among
equals or Moon among stars so it will
depend on multiple Factor so whether
pm
is first among
equals
or Moon
among
stars so this depends on multiple
factors multiple factors are there clear
so basic basically there are two
important thing okay remember this thing
so two important
factors so it depends on the personality
of
PM
personality
of PM and second thing position of his
party in
Parliament
position
of his
party in
Parliament so two important factors
position of his party in Parliament okay
now we need to understand these two
factors okay the
answer okay the answer is hidden behind
these factors only clear so first we'll
try to understand with the ex examples
so we'll take some examples since the
time of neheru
clear
so
during prime minister
neheru so till Sardar wab pel till
Sardar wab by
Patel
alive at that time PM was first among
equals okay till Sardar Patel was alive
at that time the position of PM was
first among equal the position of PM was
first among equal because Sardar wabh
Patel was a strong Minister strong
leader getting my point remember this
thing and after that after the death of
Sardar wab B Patel PM became Moon among
stars
so
after death
of Sardar wabh
pel PM became
Moon among
stars clear then after javahar Lal nehu
prime minister indraa
Gandhi now prime minister Indra Gandhi
was having prime ministerial form of
government that means strong prime
minister she was dominating okay so
during her time the parliamentary form
of government or the parliamentary
system changed into Prime ministerial
form of government clear so in actual
functioning there was a development of
authoritarian Trends clear so during the
time period of indraa Gandhi
okay parliamentary
system parliamentary system trans
formed
into Prime ministerial
system okay that
means there
was a
development in
authoritarian
Trends this much is clear to all of you
okay so this is the kind of government
during the time period of Indira Gandhi
getting my point and after indraa Gandhi
Rajiv Gandhi came okay so both indraa
Gandhi and Rajiv
Gandhi so both indraa Gandhi and Rajiv
Gandhi there was a collapse of cabinet
system that means there
was at that time cabinet system was not
powerful okay so collapse of cabinet
system and Loyalist those who were loyal
to the prime ministers they have their
greater say so
collapse of a cabinet system collapse
of cabinet system means here that
cabinet system was not powerful loyalist
have greater
SE
loyalist
have greater
say technocrats have greater
say have
greater role rather than cabinet
ministers clear so technocrats have
given huge importance over elected
representatives during the time period
of Rajiv Gandhi so they were
given huge
importance
over elected
representatives
getting my point even bureaucracy was
more powerful loyal bureaucrats were
there getting my point this is the real
scenario now what is the position of PM
in coalition
government
position of prime minister in
coalition
government okay cision government means
when no single party got majority in
elections getting my point so however
the position of PM in Coalition becomes
weak
PM in
Calis becomes weak
clear so it is not necessary that always
PM will uh becomes weak okay so it
depends on the personality of the PM
also if you see the personality of atel
bihari bajpayi he could provide the
leadership of Coalition also he managed
23 parties Coalition so it basically
depends on the personality of PM it
depends
on the
personality of PM for
example atel bihari
bajp could
provide
leadership getting my point point and if
you see on the other hand Manmohan Singh
he could provide leadership in the first
term but unfortunately he could not
provide leadership in second term
getting my point this is the main
feature so if you see Manmohan
Singh former prime
minister so he was a prime minister for
two
terms first term he could provide
leadership second
unable to
provide
leadership getting my point this is the
main feature okay
why this is so because during the time
period of Manmohan Singh diarchy was
emerged during his time
period the main reason was
diarchy now diarchy was Ed diarchy means
two centers of powers were there getting
my point that means
responsibility was in the hands of PM
and
power is with the head of congress party
getting my point diarchy was
there clear so
responsibility was in the hands of
PM
power was in the
hands of head of congress
party congress party this much is clear
to all of
you
so whether PM is first among equal or
Moon among stars it depends on the
personality of a
leader getting my point it depends on
the personality of the a leader
charismatic personality if a leader is
strong then strong leadership would be
there getting my point so the power will
be in the then the power will be in the
hands of prime minister if the leader is
weak then the power will be in the hands
of cabinet ministers getting my point so
this is the scenario this is the issue
which is also there in the news clear
everyone so I hope this much is clear to
all of you okay we have discussed this
issue in a very simple manner clear so
for more such videos you can like And
subscribe our channel that is legacy is
Academy thank you thank you so
much
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