Compare and contrast the President’s power to pardon in India and in the USA. Are there any limits to it in both the countries? What are ‘preemptive pardons’?

The power to pardon is an essential sovereign function, allowing the Head of State to grant clemency and show mercy, in the interest of justice, humanity, or public welfare.

Difference

However, there are a few similarities

Preemptive Pardons

Pardons granted before conviction or even before formal charges are filed, protecting from future prosecution.

Eg- President Gerald Ford’s 1974 pardon of Richard Nixon in the Watergate scandal.

While the power to pardon is vital as a safety valve of justice, it must be exercised with restraint, transparency, and caution.