Sri Lankan and Indian Leadership Systems

Sri Lankan and Indian President and Prime Minister

• Sri Lanka has a semi-presidential system while India has a parliamentary system.
• In a semi-presidential system, there are both a President and a Prime Minister, unlike the parliamentary system where the President has primarily ceremonial duties.
• In Sri Lanka, the President can possess significant day-to-day powers, while the Prime Minister is the head of government.
• India's President holds a position of authority during periods of instability, while Sri Lanka's President has greater power.

Impeachment of the President in India and Sri Lanka

• In India, the President can be impeached with a resolution passed by both the Lok Sabha (House of the People) and Rajya Sabha (Council of States), with a majority vote.
• In Sri Lanka, if a significant number of parliament members file a claim against the President, and the Speaker verifies the claim, they can report the matter to the Supreme Court.
• The power of the Supreme Court in Sri Lanka is significant in the impeachment process, unlike in India where it is the Parliament that handles impeachment.

Parliamentary System in various Countries

• The parliamentary system is used in many countries, including Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and Portugal.
• This system often has a President or Monarch acting as the head of state, with primarily ceremonial duties.
• In a parliamentary system, the Prime Minister, alongside the cabinet, holds the real power.

Powers of the Indian Prime Minister

• The Indian Prime Minister is elected from the Lok Sabha, the Lower House of Parliament.
• The PM is ultimately responsible for the government’s decisions and policies.
• The Prime Minister is responsible for communicating decisions of the Council of Ministers to the President.
• The Prime Minister is involved in critical decisions regarding the nation’s administration and legislation.

Coalition Governments in India

• Since 1989, India has seen numerous coalition governments where no single party holds a majority in the Lower House.
• These coalitions have led to greater presidential influence in selecting Prime Ministers.
• Coalition governments require more consultation among political partners, potentially weakening the Prime Minister's authority.
• The increased role of the President can further weaken the authority of the Prime Minister.

Indian Bureaucracy

• The Indian bureaucracy operates under the control of the Indian government.
• The government is responsible for supervising and controlling administrative officers in the states.
• The civil service recruitment process is designed to be non-partisan and meritocratic.
• The Union Public Service Commission oversees the recruitment of civil servants.
• The bureaucracy is designed to be neutral, meaning it should not favor any political stance.
• Reservations for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, women, Other Backward Classes (OBC), and Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) help to ensure a diverse and inclusive bureaucracy.
• State Public Service Commissions handle the appointment of most state officers.
• IAS (Indian Administrative Service) and IPS (Indian Police Service) officers appointed by the UPSC form the backbone of the higher bureaucracy in the states.
• The bureaucracy is responsible for implementing government policies and welfare programs.

How the Indian Bureaucracy is Politically Accountable

• The Indian government is responsible for supervising the bureaucracy.
• The bureaucracy is expected to be politically neutral.
• The bureaucracy should efficiently implement the policies of the elected government.
• The government is expected to control the bureaucracy to ensure the well-being of the citizens.

Explore the differences between the leadership structures of Sri Lanka and India, focusing on the roles of their Presidents and Prime Ministers. This quiz also covers the impeachment processes for Presidents in both countries, highlighting the political frameworks in place.