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THE CONSTITUTION, MADE UNDERSTANDABLE

Article 56
Term of office of President

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26 Parts12 Schedules506 indexed article entries, including historical omissions
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Source edition: as on 1 May 2026. Omitted and struck-down reference entries remain labelled. Open the authoritative PDF ↗

Article 56 / Part V

Term of office of President

included in edition
THE PLAIN-LANGUAGE GUIDE

What does this mean?

The President ordinarily holds office for five years, with rules on resignation, removal and continuing until a successor takes office. A five-year term is therefore not the only fact governing a vacancy.

The Union's President, ministers, Parliament, Supreme Court and Comptroller and Auditor-General.

PURPOSE & CONTEXT

Why is this provision here?

The office needs predictable rules on selection, eligibility, continuity and accountability. This Article supplies the particular part of that framework described above.

Historical evidence

This Article number belongs to the original constitutional framework, but its present wording may include later amendments or substitutions. A provision-specific original Assembly debate has not been verified here. The explanation of function above is editorial inference from the text, not an attributed single motive of the framers. The original draft-making archive is a research resource, not proof of a particular historical reason.

The explanation of purpose is an editorial reading of the provision. A drafting motive is attributed only where a linked historical source supports it.

Limits, exceptions & reading carefully

Educational summary of the linked source text. Exceptions, provisos, implementing laws and applicable judgments must be read before applying it to a real case.

Read the official constitutional text
56. Term of office of President.—(1) The President shall hold office for a term of five years from the date on which he enters upon his office: Provided that— (a) the President may, by writing under his hand addressed to the Vice-President, resign his office; (b) the President may, for violation of the Constitution, be removed from office by impeachment in the manner provided in article 61; (c) the President shall, notwithstanding the expiration of his term, continue to hold office until his successor enters upon his office. (2) Any resignation addressed to the Vice-President under clause (a) of the proviso to clause (1) shall forthwith be communicated by him to the Speaker of the House of the People.

Extracted from the Legislative Department’s May 2026 edition. Page footnotes may refer to neighbouring provisions; check their markers in the PDF. Inclusion in this edition does not by itself establish commencement or judicial effect.