Article 53 — Executive Power of the Union

(1) The executive power of the Union shall be vested in the President and shall be exercised by him either directly or through officers subordinate to him in accordance with this Constitution. (2) Without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing provision, the supreme command of the Defence Forces of the Union shall be vested in the President and the exercise thereof shall be regulated by law.

Source: Constitution of India, as published by the Ministry of Law and Justice.

The vesting of executive power in the President is a formal legal device. In practice, Article 74 requires that the President act on the advice of the Council of Ministers. The combination of Articles 53 and 74 creates the constitutional architecture of parliamentary government in India: formal power in the President, real power in the Cabinet.

• Article 52
• Article 74
• Article 75
• Article 356

Last reviewed: 3 July 2026