Which of the following correctly describes the executive power of the Union…

Under Article 53(1) of the Constitution of India, the executive power of the Union is a power formally vested in a single constitutional office. That office may exercise it personally, or delegate it to officers who act as its subordinates -- a standard drafting technique that names one ultimate holder of authority while still permitting administrative delegation of day-to-day work.

Article 53(1) states: "The executive power of the Union shall be vested in the President and shall be exercised by him either directly or through officers subordinate to him in accordance with this Constitution." Applying this rule directly to the question, the Union's executive power is vested in the President, and it is exercised directly by the President or through officers subordinate to the President.

This rules out the other statements:

• Exercised only during a national emergency -- incorrect: Article 352 additionally activates related provisions such as Articles 353-359 once a national emergency is proclaimed; the ordinary vesting of executive power under Article 53(1) is continuous and does not depend on any emergency being in force.

• Equally shared between the President and the Chief Justice -- incorrect: the judiciary, headed by the Chief Justice, exercises judicial functions under a separate part of the Constitution; the Union's executive power is not split with the judicial branch.

• Fully vested in the Prime Minister -- incorrect: the Prime Minister heads the Council of Ministers, which aids and advises the President under Article 74 and runs day-to-day governance in practice, but the Constitution's formal vesting of executive power under Article 53(1) names the President, not the Prime Minister.

So the executive power of the Union is vested in the President, exercised directly or through officers subordinate to the President.