Context: Prime Minister tenure in India
India has no constitutional limit on the Prime Minister’s tenure; with weakening institutional checks, long incumbency raises concerns of concentrated executive power.
Core Argument
No term limit works only if Parliament + elections act as strong checks, but these checks have weakened, making prolonged tenure a concern.
Key Points
- No term limit for PM → unlike many countries; only an informal limit exists for President.
- Original safeguard (Ambedkar’s view) → accountability through Parliament (questions, no-confidence) + elections.
- Tenth Schedule impact → anti-defection law weakens MPs’ independence → no-confidence becomes ineffective.
- Elections as main check → but incumbency gives advantage (control over institutions, narrative, policy continuity).
- Risk → gradual concentration of power, not sudden authoritarianism.
- Way ahead → strengthen parliamentary accountability (reform anti-defection) or consider term limits.
