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Is it time for India to switch over to Presidential form of government??
India requires political leader ship with a vision that looks beyond caste, communal and regional politics.
Indian political leadership need to focus on good governance that leverage the skills of its people and resources.

Endowed with massive human resource talent as well as enormous natural resources, India could have achieved much more than what it has achieved so far. But unfortunately, India is a country of contradictions. India got nuclear bombs, warships, huge army, vast IT talent and skilled workforce, but India is also place for millions and millions of people who have no access to pure drinking water, proper health care, reasonable shelter and social security. India continues where equality of opportunity on the basis of merit is a far cry. In terms of human development index India still has to do a lot of catching up. India with a billion + population is not even a permanent member of the Security Council which speaks of the failure of the system of governance.

One of the factors for the underdevelopment despite vast human and natural resources is the system of governance that the country chose after independence where members of parliament elect the prime minister to head the cabinet.
The political parties in India are ever busy in protecting or hijacking the vote banks caring little for good governance. Keeping in power has become the key concern of the political parties instead of giving good governance and bettering the lot of people at large. The system got so much corrupted that only a few competent people enter the political arena.
Of late things have much worsened with the coalition governments becoming the order of the day. The political compulsions to remain or gain power often force the political parties into unholy election alliances that are shaky. Governance has been given a go bye.
The parliamentary democracy failed to deliver fruits to the population and the bad governance has resulted in the following situations
1. Regional Politics: India stands more divided on regional basis today. There are many parties stoking the regional sentiments and clamoring for further division of the country into more and more states. The ulterior motive of the regional forces is to gain power. For them getting the states divided is more important than bettering the lives of people. Due to political expediency, even larger parties tie up with the regional parties to secure power at the center or in the states though their ideals never match.
2. Caste Politics: Most of the political parties have to survive by playing the caste card in selecting the candidates for the contest as well as nominating the successful candidates to the ministries on the basis of their caste affiliation than any other merit. So caste has become a dividing factor in India and the political parties are compelled to keep the caste primacy in governance there by effecting the quality of governance.
3. Religious Politics: Political parties work over time for winning the confidence of especially minority vote. They feel that playing the religious card and getting votes is much easier than seeking votes on merit. Since they constitute solid vote bank all the parties play the religious card.
4. The conflicting interests of political parties mar the parliamentary proceedings often and time is wasted on end less debates, boycotts, walkouts on any or every issue.

By switching over to Presidential Form of Government, people will know before hand in whose hands their destiny is safe and may vote on the basis of merit of the presidential candidate.
With the executive powers in hand, a suitable and competent person can focus on good governance and solving the problems of the people with a vision un- impaired by the party politics playing Damocles’ sword over his head. With a proper vision, such a President can give right direction to governance, overlooking caste, regional, religious consideration. Presidential candidates can seek votes on the strength of his pole promises and merit. The parliament can act as watch dog and effectively check the abuse of power and ensure good governance. Such form of governance will free the ruling establishment from their focus on surviving in power and may enable the elected person to give good governance. Presidential form of government gives choice to the President to choose his Cabinet on merits instead of the regional, caste or religious basis.
Presidential form of government is eminently suited for a large country like India and with the right vision for the President India can soon propel into society of nations to claim its rightful place.
Like wise elected governors in the states will free the state governance equally better.
Together the union and the states can prosper with the right climate and right policies that are the need of the hour. Effective governance will improve the delivery system of aid to the needy and public spending more accountable.
Only when India provides affordable health, pure drinking water and reasonable shelter to its teeming millions and tackles the unemployment problem effectively it qualifies itself for the right place in the comity of nations and to achieve this India needs to switch to a system of governance that bridge the divide within on caste, communal, regional basis and give the population a sense of one ness and improve the lot of the common man.
A serious debate need to be started on the issue. Instead of applying balm to a person who suffers daily, is it not better to treat the ailment that cures the symptoms of the disease. With proper governance in force, India can fully realize the human resource and natural resource potential and occupy its due place in the comity of nations.

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