A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some countries, a government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to that of a vice president, but is significantly different, though both positions are "number two" offices. The position of deputy prime minister should not be confused with the Canadian office of the Deputy Minister of the Prime Minister of Canada, which is a non-political civil servant position (Nor does the Deputy Prime Minister of Canada act as a "number two"). The states of Australia and provinces of Canada each have the analogous office of deputy premier. In the devolved administrations of the United Kingdom, an analogous position is that of the deputy first minister.

A deputy prime minister traditionally serves as acting prime minister when the real prime minister is temporarily absent or incapable of exercising his/her power. For this reason the deputy prime minister is often asked to succeed to the prime minister's office following the prime minister's sudden death or unexpected resignation, although this is not necessarily constitutionally mandated.

A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime minister is the presiding member and chairman of the cabinet. In a minority of systems, notably in semi-presidential systems of government, a prime minister is the official who is appointed to manage the civil service and execute the directives of the head of state.

In parliamentary systems fashioned after the Westminster system, the prime minister is the presiding and actual head of the government and head of the executive branch. In such systems, the head of state or the head of state's official representative (i.e. the monarch, president, or governor-general) usually holds a largely ceremonial position, although often with reserve powers.

The prime minister is often, but not always, a member of parliament and is expected with other ministers to ensure the passage of bills through the legislature. In some monarchies the monarch may also exercise executive powers (known as the royal prerogative) which are constitutionally vested in the crown and may be exercised without the approval of parliament.

Arun Jaitley (Hindi:अरुण जेटली ) (born 28 December 1952) is a prominent Indian politician and a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is currently the largest Opposition party in India. He is the leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha and has previously served as the Union Minister for commerce, industry, law and justice of the Government of India.

He was born to Kishen and Ratan Prabha Jaitley. Born to a lawyer father, he did his schooling at St. Xavier's School, New Delhi from 1969-70.^{[citation needed]} He graduated in Commerce from Shri Ram College of Commerce, New Delhi in 1973. He passed his Law degree from the Faculty of Law, University of Delhi, in 1977. During his career as a student, he was the recipient of several distinctions for his outstanding performances both in academics and extra curricular activities. He was President of the Students Union of Delhi University in 1974.

Jaitley was an Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) student leader in the Delhi University Campus in the seventies and rose to be President of the University Students' Union in 1974. During the period of proclamation of Internal Emergency (1975–77) when civil liberties were suspended, he was under preventive detention for a period of 19 months. He was a prominent leader of a movement against corruption launched in the year 1973 by Raj Narain and Jai Prakash Narayan. He was the Convenor of the National Committee for Students and Youth organisation appointed by Jai Prakash Narayan. He was also active in civil rights movement and helped found PUCL Bulletin along with Satish Jha and Smitu Kothari. After being released from jail he joined Jan Sangh.

Parkash Singh Badal (Punjabi: ਪਰਕਾਸ਼ ਸਿੰਘ ਬਾਦਲ) is an Indian politician who has been Chief Minister of the state of Punjab since 2007. He previously served as Chief Minister from 1970 to 1971, from 1977 to 1980, and from 1997 to 2002.

He was born December 8, 1927 in the village of Abul Khurana, near Malwa (Punjab), to Raghuraj Singh and Sundri Kaur in a Jatt Sikh family. In 1959 he married Surinder Kaur, they have two children, Sukhbir Singh Badal and Parneet Kaur. His wife died in 2011.

He entered politics in 1947 and was first elected to Punjab Vidhan Sabha in 1957. He was re-elected in 1969 serving as Minister for Community Development, Panchayati Raj, Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries. He has served as Punjab Chief Minister for three terms the first time in 1969 when he became the youngest Chief Minister of an Indian state. He was Leader of the Opposition in 1972, 1980 and 2002. He was first detained in the Karnal jail in connection with Civil Liberties Agitation later under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act during the Indian Emergency. He was President of the Akali Dal from 1996 to 2008.

Havildar Parkash Singh VC (31 March 1913 – 23 March 1991) was a Sikh recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

Parkash Singh was born on 31 March 1913 in Sharikar village, in the Lyallpur District of what was British India (now modern Pakistan). During the Second World War, Singh was a 29 year old Havildar serving in the Bren Gun Carrier Platoon of 5th Battalion 8th Punjab Regiment, British Indian Army (now 5th Battalion The Baloch Regiment of Pakistan Army). In January 1943, his battalion was engaged in fighting on the Mayu Peninsula in the Arakan, Burma, against Japanese forces, when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC:

Singh later achieved the rank of Major in post-independence Indian Army. He died in 1991, while on a visit to England, at Ealing, London. His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Imperial War Museum, London.