Describe the powers anf functions of the prime minister of india.

Prime minister can be called as the most important institution in a democratic country like India because Prime Minister is the real executive head of the state as compared to the president who is the nominal head of the state. He heads the Party in power in parliament. He is the head of Council of minister. Being the head of council of minister he is also called as "first among equals". He has the power to shuffle his council of ministers as and when he feels necessary. He can demand the resignation of ministers who does not cooperate with him .He acts as a link between the President and Council of ministers. He distributes the major port folios among the cabinet ministers who head the major structures of our country like finance, defense, railways etc.

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Role and power of the Prime Minister

The Prime Minister leads the functioning and exercise of authority of the Government of India. He is invited by the President of India in the Parliament of India as leader of the majority party to form a government at the federal level (known as Central or Union Government in India) and exercise its powers. In practice the Prime Minister nominates the members of their Council of Ministers ^[2]^[3]^[4] to the President. They also work upon to decide a core group of Ministers (known as the Cabinet)^[2] as in-charge of the important functions and ministries of the Government of India.

The Prime Minister is responsible for aiding and advising the President in distribution of work of the Government to various ministries and offices and in terms of the Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules, 1961.^[5] The co-ordinating work is generally allocated to the Cabinet Secretariat ^[6] which in turn acts as a nodal agency for the functioning of the various Ministries. While generally the work of the Government is divided into various Ministries, the Prime Minister may retain certain portfolios if they are not allocated to any member of the cabinet.

The Prime Minister, in consultation with the Cabinet, schedules and attends the sessions of the Houses of Parliament and is required to answer the question from the Members of Parliament ^[7] to them as the in-charge of the portfolios in the capacity as Prime Minister of India.^[8]

Some specific ministries/department are not allocated to anyone in the cabinet but the Prime Minister himself. The Prime Minister is usually always in-charge/head of:

The Prime Minister represents the country in various delegations, high level meetings and international organizations that require the attendance of the highest government office ^[9] and also addresses to the nation on various issues of national or other importance.^[10] They also have exclusive jurisdiction over disposal of two national funds, (i) the PM's National Relief Fund,^[11] and (ii) the PM's National Defence Fund,^[12] which they use at their discretion attain the objectives behind the establishment of these funds.