<P> The president is responsible for appointing many high officials in India . These high officials include the governors of the 29 states; the chief justice; other judges of the supreme court and high courts on the advice of other judges; the Attorney general; the Comptroller and Auditor General; the Chief Election Commissioner and other election commissioners; the chairman and members of the Union Public Service Commission; the officers of the All India Services (IAS, IFoS and IPS) and central civil services in group' A'; and the ambassadors and high commissioners to other countries on the recommendations of the cabinet . </P> <P> The president, as the head of state, also receives the credentials of ambassadors from other countries, whilst the prime minister, as head of government, receives credentials of high commissioners from other members of the Commonwealth, in line with historical tradition . </P> <P> The president is the de jure commander - in - chief of the Indian Armed Forces . </P> <P> The President of India can grant a pardon to or reduce the sentence of a convicted person for one time, particularly in cases involving punishment of death . The decisions involving pardoning and other rights by the president are independent of the opinion of the prime minister or the Lok Sabha majority . In most other cases, however, the president exercises his or her executive powers on the advice of the prime minister . </P>

The duties and structure of the executive branch are found in apex