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Question 31 of 78 · Union Executive: President, VP & PM
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SSC

A resolution to impeach the President must be passed in each House by a majority of not less than what fraction of the total membership of that House?

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Answer: Option A — Two-thirds

Detailed Solution

Under Article 61, a resolution for the impeachment of the President must be passed by a majority of not less than two-thirds of the total membership of the House in which the charge is preferred. If the other House, after investigating the charges, also passes a resolution by a two-thirds majority of its total membership, the President stands removed.

Why total membership:

  • The majority is calculated on the total membership of the House, not just on the members present and voting.
  • This makes impeachment very difficult and protects the President from removal by a temporary or partisan majority.

Steps in the process:

  • At least 14 days' written notice signed by one-fourth of the members of the House is needed to move the resolution.
  • The first House passes the resolution by a two-thirds majority of its total membership.
  • The other House investigates the charges, and the President can appear and be represented.
  • If the other House passes a resolution by a two-thirds majority of its total membership, the President is removed.

Comparison with other special majorities:

  • Constitutional amendments under Article 368 need a majority of the total membership of each House and two-thirds of members present and voting.
  • Removal of judges needs a majority of the total membership and two-thirds of members present and voting in each House.
  • Removal of the Vice-President needs only an effective majority of the Rajya Sabha, agreed to by a simple majority of the Lok Sabha.
  • Removal of the Speaker needs a majority of all the then members of the Lok Sabha.

Nature of impeachment:

  • It is a quasi-judicial process in which both Houses take part equally.
  • No President has ever been impeached in India.

Who takes part:

Both elected and nominated members of Parliament take part.

Why not the other options?

  • ✗One-half, three-fourths and one-fourth are not the majority required to pass the resolution.
  • ✗One-fourth is the share of members who must sign the notice, not the majority required to pass the resolution.

Quick tip

Remember: Impeachment = 1/4 to sign the notice, 2/3 of total membership to pass the resolution in each House.

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Union Executive: President, VP & PM — Preparation

This question tests your understanding of Union Executive: President, VP & PM, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.

This topic covers the Union Executive: the President, the Vice-President, the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers, and the Attorney General. It includes their election or appointment, qualifications, powers, removal, and the relationship between the President and the Council of Ministers. Common questions cover the electoral college that elects the President, impeachment under Article 61, the President's ordinance-making power (Article 123) and pardoning power (Article 72), and the fact that the Vice-President is the ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. Lists of past Presidents and Prime Ministers are also tested. Practise the Union Executive questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.

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