Political executive
Topic: State, Government and Governance: Organs, Levels and the Citizen · NCERT: Class 7, Ch 6 "The State, the Government, and You"; Class 11, Ch 4 "Executive"
Meaning
The political executive is made up of the elected heads of government and their ministers: the Prime Minister and Union ministers, and the Chief Minister and state ministers. They decide policy and take overall responsibility for it. They serve limited terms and must answer to the legislature and to voters. In law, Union ministers hold office "during the pleasure" of the President, meaning the President can formally remove them (Art. 75(2)). In practice, they stay in office only while they keep the Lok Sabha's confidence. This is called collective responsibility (Art. 75(3)): the whole council of ministers stands or falls together.
Example
After a general election, the party or alliance with a Lok Sabha majority forms the government, and its leader becomes Prime Minister. Since the 91st Amendment (2003), the council of ministers can be at most 15% of the House (Arts. 75(1A) and 164(1A)).
Don't confuse with
- Permanent executive: civil servants chosen by the UPSC and state PSCs. They are not elected, they stay on after elections, and they give expert advice and carry out policy.
- Nominal executive: the President and Governors are heads in name only and act mainly on ministers' advice. The President is indirectly elected, and Governors are appointed.