President, Prime Minister and civil servants

The President is the Head of State and the nominal (in-name) head of the Executive. The Prime Minister and Council of Ministers actually run the government. Think of a respected grandparent at home: everything is done in their name and they are consulted, but the family does the daily work.

'Nominal' does not mean powerless. The President appoints the Prime Minister and other ministers, summons Parliament, and gives assent to bills. The Council of Ministers aids and advises the President.

And in special situations, especially political crises such as when no party has a clear majority after a Lok Sabha election, the President can use discretionary powers (their own judgement).

The Prime Minister is the de facto (real, in practice) executive authority: appointed as leader of the majority party or coalition in the Lok Sabha, and staying in office with the support of a majority of MPs.

The PM leads the Council of Ministers, advises the President, coordinates the work of the ministries, and shapes national policies. Most bills that come to Parliament are started by the government.

Behind the ministers is a permanent group of officials: civil servants (also called administrators or bureaucrats), who carry out laws and policies under the ministers and keep departments running. Ministers change with elections; civil servants do not, which gives government continuity.

The chapter's table draws the line clearly:

It ends with an example of what responsibility can mean. In 1956, Railway Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri resigned after a train accident. He was not blamed for it, but he believed a minister must take moral responsibility for anything that happens in their ministry. Nehru refused the resignation at first; Shastri insisted, and it was finally accepted.