Concept:The President of India can dissolve the Lok Sabha before its term ends, but this power is not discretionary. It must be exercised on the advice of the Council of Ministers headed by the Prime Minister.
Explanation:Assertion (A) is true. As per Article 85 of the Constitution, the President has the authority to dissolve the Lok Sabha before its five-year term. This happens when the government loses majority or the Prime Minister advises dissolution for fresh elections.
Reason (R) is also true. Under Article 74(1), the President must act on the advice of the Council of Ministers with the Prime Minister as its head. The President cannot dissolve the Lok Sabha independently; the decision is made only on that advice.
Thus, the Reason directly explains why the Assertion holds. The President’s power to dissolve is not an independent one—it is tied to the advice of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Therefore, both statements are correct, and R is the correct explanation of A.
Answer:Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A. Option A.