Editing President of India (section)

== Origin ==
India achieved independence from the British on [[Independence Day (India)|15 August 1947]], initially as a [[dominion]] within the [[Commonwealth of Nations]] with [[George VI]] as king, represented in the country by a [[Governor-General of India|governor-general]].<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/specials/india/470815independence-day.html "India and Pakistan Become Nations; Clashes Continue" – New York Times] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130401064557/http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/specials/india/470815independence-day.html|date=1 April 2013}} Retri2013.</ref> Following independence, the [[Constituent Assembly of India]], under the leadership of [[B. R. Ambedkar]], undertook the process of drafting a completely new constitution for the country. The [[Constitution of India]] was eventually enacted on 26 November 1949 and came into force on 26 January 1950,<ref name="SharmaB.k.2007">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=srDytmFE3KMC|title=Introduction to the Constitution of India|last=Sharma|first=Brij Kishore|publisher=PHI Learning|year=2007|isbn=978-81-203-3246-1|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151231231217/https://books.google.com/books?id=srDytmFE3KMC|archive-date=31 December 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>{{rp|26}} making India a [[republic]].<ref name="Jai2003">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=r2C2InxI0xAC|title=Presidents of India, 1950–2003|last=Jai|first=Janak Raj|publisher=Regency Publications|year=2003|isbn=978-81-87498-65-0|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160611044617/https://books.google.com/books?id=r2C2InxI0xAC|archive-date=11 June 2016|url-status=live}}</ref>{{rp|9}} The offices of monarch and governor-general were replaced by the new office of President of India, with [[Rajendra Prasad]] as its first incumbent.<ref name=Jai2003 />{{rp|1}} India retained its Commonwealth membership per the [[London Declaration]], recognising The King as "the symbol of the free association of its independent member nations and as such the Head of the Commonwealth."<ref>{{Cite web |title=London Declaration, 1949 |url=https://thecommonwealth.org/london-declaration-1949 |access-date=15 October 2022 |website=Commonwealth |language=en |archive-date=15 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221015013714/https://thecommonwealth.org/london-declaration-1949 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The Indian constitution accords to the president the responsibility and authority to defend and protect the Constitution of India and its rule of law.<ref name="const">{{cite web|url=http://lawmin.nic.in/olwing/coi/coi-english/coi-indexenglish.htm|title=The Constitution of India|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120402064301/http://lawmin.nic.in/olwing/coi/coi-english/coi-indexenglish.htm|archive-date=2 April 2012|url-status=dead|access-date=21 March 2012}}</ref> Invariably, any action taken by the executive or legislature entities of the constitution shall become law only after the president's assent. The president shall not accept any actions of the executive or legislature which are unconstitutional. The president is the foremost, most empowered and prompt defender of the constitution (Article 60), who has pre-emptive power for ensuring constitutionality in the actions of the executive or legislature. The role of the judiciary in upholding the Constitution of India is the second line of defence in nullifying any unconstitutional actions of the executive and legislative entities of the Indian Union.