Identify the incorrect statement about term of office of the President of India?

Question

Accepted Answer

The correct option is 1:

The incorrect statement regarding the term of office of the President of India is Option 1: "The President term of office is five years from the date on which vacancy occurs." This statement is factually incorrect as per Article 56(1) of the Indian Constitution, which governs the term of the President's office. The correct constitutional provision states that the President shall hold office for a term of five years **from the date on which he enters upon his office**, not from the date on which the vacancy occurs. The date the vacancy occurs is generally relevant for scheduling the next election, but the President's term officially begins the moment the elected individual assumes charge by taking the oath. Since the question asks to identify the *incorrect* statement, this option is the correct answer. The five-year term is counted from the day the new President is sworn in and assumes the duties of the office.

The incorrect option is 2:

Option 2 states: "The President is eligible for re-election." This is a **correct** statement, derived from Article 57 of the Constitution. The Indian Constitution places no limit on the number of terms a person can serve as President; they are eligible for re-election indefinitely. This contrasts with the US Presidency, which limits a person to only two terms. The first President of India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, was, in fact, re-elected for a second term, setting an important precedent. Since this statement is factually correct, it is not the answer to the question asking for the *incorrect* statement.

The incorrect option is 3:

Option 3 states: "The President may be impeached only for violation of the constitution." This is also a **correct** statement, based on Article 61 of the Constitution. The Constitution clearly defines the grounds for impeaching the President, which is explicitly limited to "violation of the Constitution." No other ground, such as incapacity, misconduct, or corruption, is legally admissible for the formal impeachment procedure. The impeachment process itself is a quasi-judicial procedure initiated by either House of Parliament. Therefore, because the statement is accurate, it cannot be the intended answer to the question.

The incorrect option is 4:

Option 4 states: "The President may resign in writing under his hand addressed to the Vice President of India." This is a **correct** constitutional provision as stipulated in Article 56(1)(a). The Constitution requires that if the President wishes to resign before the completion of the five-year term, the resignation letter must be addressed to the Vice President of India. Furthermore, Article 56(2) mandates that the Vice President must immediately communicate this resignation to the Speaker of the House of the People (Lok Sabha). Since this statement is a correct description of the procedure for the President's resignation, it is not the incorrect statement the question seeks to identify.