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by shri_krishna 1026 days ago
> The guy is a megalomanic

The Prime Minister is the head of Department of Space, whose primary arm is ISRO. He is the boss. Literally every Prime Minister of India has attended ISRO launches and addressed ISRO after success/failure of launches.

> asked Modi to "bless us"

You probably aren't Indian but this is quite common in India where we seek blessings from elders.
2 comments
oxygen_crisis 1026 days ago
I can't think of any other space mission that devoted one of the control room screens to projecting the head of state's face throughout the landing...
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shri_krishna 1026 days ago
That might have been an issue with the control room getting the timing of the live feed wrong. No reason to read into it more than that. We have had previous missions where the Prime Minister's live feed was beamed after the event concluded
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throwaway_0823 1026 days ago
> He is the boss.

No, he's just an elected representative of the people, a government servant.

> You probably aren't an Indian

I am an Indian.

Modi, desperate to project himself, is overruling the President (who is the supreme commander of the armed forces), gotten himself "coronated" in the new Parliament building, gotten his picture put on every citizen's COVID vaccination certificate (as if he has invented the vaccine).

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mauryashivam 1026 days ago
He has to put his face on all positive news coming from the country. Anyways happy for ISRO and a step in better understanding Moon (chanda mama).
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goodbyesf 1026 days ago
> No, he's just an elected representative of the people, a government servant.

Yes. The elected leader is the boss of the executive branch of government. One doesn't negate the other.

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mzs 1026 days ago
PM is not the boss of the executive according to the constitution*. The fact that traditionally and more recently the President follows the whim of the PM does not negate the text that identifies the elected President as the head of the executive.

* https://www.mea.gov.in/Images/pdf1/Part5.pdf

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shri_krishna 1026 days ago
> identifies the elected President as the head of the executive.

Wrong. He is a "nominal head", or in other words, "in name only". The powers are vested in the Prime Minister not the President. So it does not make him the head of the executive. Read Article 53 (3)a of Indian Constitution which overrides 53(1) and resolves any ambiguity: https://indiankanoon.org/doc/1597349/

(3) Nothing in this article shall (a) be deemed to transfer to the President any functions conferred by any existing law on the Government of any State or other authority;

So the authority of Prime Minister, as defined by the Constitution, cannot be transferred to the President, even though he is a nominal head. This is as per 53 (3)a.

Article 74(1) further cements this: https://indiankanoon.org/doc/1951021/

"(1) There shall be a Council of Ministers with the Prime Minister at the head to aid and advise the President who shall, in the exercise of his functions, act in accordance with such advice: Provided that the President may require the council of Ministers to reconsider such advice, either generally or otherwise, and the President shall act in accordance with the advice tendered after such reconsideration"

Which means the President can only ask for advice (from PM + Council of Ministers) to be reconsidered, and after reconsideration, he still has to act on the advice. He cannot overrule it. Hence why a Bill can be passed by Parliament and sent back by President to be reconsidered only once. The second time the Bill is sent, the President is duty bound to assent else he can be impeached. The Prime Minister on the other hand cannot be impeached. The ruling Government can be brought down with a no-confidence motion or if enough members from ruling party defect. No other way to impeach a Prime Minister.

Also read Article 77:

77. (1) All executive action of the Government of India shall be expressed to be taken in the name of the President.

It is pretty clear that he has no "real" executive powers and is head in "name" only as the Government is taking actions in his name. The executive power rests with Government of India whose head is the Prime Minister.

It is also even more undermined by the fact that the President is not directly elected by the people (like in US where people vote for the President and representative votes are cast through their electoral college) but through an electoral college consisting of the elected representatives of the People. He has no real executive powers vested in him unlike the President of USA who can pass executive orders.

Tell me one executive order passed by President of India directly and unilaterally. There are none.

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shri_krishna 1026 days ago
> No, he's just an elected representative of the people, a government servant.

And he still is the boss of DoS whose arm is ISRO. You can cry all you want, it won't change facts.

> Modi, desperate to project himself, is overruling the President (who is the supreme commander of the armed forces), gotten himself "coronated" in the new Parliament building, gotten his picture put on every citizen's COVID vaccination certificate (as if he has invented the vaccine).

Nonsense.

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