President and Vice President – Current Affairs June 2025 | TNPSC Group 1 Polity

President Droupadi Murmu completes three years in office – constitutional role revisited

President Droupadi Murmu, the 15th President of India, marks three years in office in July 2025. She is the first tribal woman to hold the office. Her tenure has seen active use of the address power under Article 87 and regular assent to key legislation. The President is elected by an Electoral College comprising elected members of both Houses of Parliament and elected members of State Legislative Assemblies under Article 54.

GS Paper IIPresident and Vice President → Election of President → Article 54 and 55

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar’s role as Rajya Sabha Chairman draws constitutional attention

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar continues to serve as ex-officio Chairman of Rajya Sabha under Article 64. Recent parliamentary sessions saw procedural disputes in the Upper House, highlighting the Vice President’s discretionary powers to maintain order, decide on admissibility of bills, and rule on points of order. He was elected as the 14th Vice President in August 2022.

GS Paper IIPresident and Vice President → Vice President → Article 63, 64, 66

President grants pardon in high-profile cases – Article 72 in focus

The pardoning power of the President under Article 72 remained in the news in mid-2025 with petitions pending before Rashtrapati Bhavan. Article 72 empowers the President to grant pardons, reprieves, respites, or remissions of punishment, especially in cases involving court-martial and death sentences. The Supreme Court has held that this power is subject to judicial review if exercised arbitrarily (Epuru Sudhakar case, 2006).

GS Paper IIPresident and Vice President → Powers of President → Pardoning Power → Article 72

President’s address to joint sitting of Parliament under Article 87 – Budget Session 2025

President Droupadi Murmu addressed the joint sitting of both Houses at the commencement of the Budget Session 2025 as mandated under Article 87(1). The address outlines the government’s policy for the year. This is distinct from Article 86 which allows the President to address either House separately. TNPSC frequently asks the difference between Article 86 and Article 87 addresses.

GS Paper IIPresident and Vice President → Legislative Powers → Article 86 and Article 87

Debate on President’s pocket veto and withholding assent to State Bills resurfaces

Constitutional scholars and opposition parties raised debate in June 2025 over the President’s withholding of assent to certain State Bills reserved by Governors under Article 201. The Supreme Court’s April 2025 ruling in the Tamil Nadu Governor case clarified that the President must act on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers and cannot indefinitely withhold assent, reinforcing the constitutional convention that the President is a constitutional head.

GS Paper IIPresident and Vice President → Veto Power → Article 111 and Article 201 → Pocket Veto