India Elects Untouchable President From Lowest Dalit Caste

[Jose Garcia]

Source: NBC News

LONDON — India chose an “untouchable” as its next president Thursday after the first contest in which both candidates were from the lowest tier of the country's caste system.

Ram Nath Kovind, nominated by the ruling BJP party, had been clear favorite for the largely ceremonial post, which is decided by 4,800 lawmakers across the country.

Under India’s constitution, the prime minister and his ministers wield executive power but the president sometimes plays a role such as deciding which party should form a government if a general election is inconclusive.

Kovind, 72, is not the first president to be “Dalit,” a term that means “oppressed” in Sanskrit and refers to members of the lowest caste. Kocheril Raman Narayanan took office in 1997 more than half a century after Gandhi pledged to end the country’s ancient system of discrimination.

Read more: http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/india-elects-untouchable-president-ram-nath-kovind-lowest-dalit-caste-n784726

[Astraea]

1. too bad he represents the BJP

[sandensea]

2. Good for India. The caste system is indeed a touchy subject.

[Nitram]

3. My first thought on reading this was,"I bet the president of India has little real power"

Not knowing much at all about the Indian political structure, I went to that old standby, Wikipedia. this is what I found:

"However, the role of the president of India is highly ceremonial. All the powers of the president mentioned above are exercised on recommendation of the Union Cabinet, and the president does not have much discretion in any of these matters. The president also does not have discretion in the exercise of his executive powers, as the real executive authority lies in the cabinet."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_India