Which Article deals with the election of the President?

Correct — B. Article 54 carries the heading Election of President. It constitutes the electoral college: the elected members of both Houses of Parliament and the elected members of the Legislative Assemblies of the States.

The neighbouring Article 55 sets out the manner of election — proportional representation by single transferable vote, with each vote's value worked out from population and House strength.

None of 66, 74 or 72 concerns the President's election, so option (b).

Why the others are wrong

• (a)
  Article 66 — Article 66 is the Vice-President's election. Its electoral college is different — the members of both Houses of Parliament, with no State legislators in it at all.
• (c)
  Article 74 — Article 74 creates the Council of Ministers headed by the Prime Minister to aid and advise the President. It governs how the President acts in office, not how the President is chosen.
• (d)
  Article 72 — Article 72 is the President's pardoning power — pardon, reprieve, respite, remission and commutation of sentence. It is a power of the office, not a route into it.

The President is dealt with in Part V, Articles 52 to 62, and the numbers run in an order worth learning as one chain rather than as isolated facts.

52 creates the office, 54 the electoral college, 55 the manner of election, 56 the term, 57 eligibility for re-election, 58 the qualifications, 61 impeachment, 62 the filling of a vacancy.

Learn the sequence and the neighbouring Articles stop being usable as distractors, which is exactly how they are being used here.

Key facts

• Article 54 constitutes the electoral college for the election of the President.
• The electoral college has the elected members of both Houses of Parliament and the elected members of the State Legislative Assemblies, along with those of Delhi and Puducherry after the 70th Amendment Act, 1992.
• Nominated members of Parliament and members of State Legislative Councils do not vote in the President's election.
• Article 55 prescribes proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote, the voting being by secret ballot.

Common traps

• Confusing Article 54 with Article 55. One names the electors, the other prescribes the method.
• Counting nominated MPs or members of Legislative Councils in the electoral college. Only elected members vote.
• Reading Article 66 as a President provision because its heading also says election.

No directly related past PYQ was found.