Context: 

• As the US President Donald Trump is heading for second impeachment, we would compare the procedure to impeach the US and Indian presidents. 

 

US - How does impeachment work?: 

• Impeachment history: No US President has ever been removed as a direct result of impeachment. The House did impeach two Presidents - Andrew Johnson (1968) and Bill Clinton (1998) - but the Senate did not convict them. 

 

Bringing charges: 

• A misconception about impeachment is that it refers to the removal of a president from office. 
• In fact, impeachment refers only to the bringing of charges against a president engaged in a high crime, by the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of Congress. 

 

 

Impeachment of the president of India:

Procedure for Impeachment

• Article 61 of the constitution provides for the Impeachment of the President of India. The President can be removed from office by impeachment for violation of the Constitution. The charges of impeachment can be initiated in either house of the Parliament. The charges need to be signed by 1/4th of the members of the House and a 14 day notice should be given to the President. After the impeachment resolution is passed by a majority of the two-thirds of the majority of that House, it is sent to the other to investigate upon the charges.
• If the other house also passes the resolution for impeachment by a majority of two-thirds of the total membership of that House, the President then stands impeached from his office from the date on which the resolution has been passed.