Question map
Consider the following statements: 1. The Council of Ministers in the Centre shall be collectively responsible to the Parliament. 2. The Union Ministers shall hold the office during the pleasure of the President of India. 3. The Prime Minister shall communicate to the President about the proposals for legislation. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Explanation
Statement 1 is incorrect because Article 75(3) of the Constitution specifies that the Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to the House of the People (Lok Sabha), not the entire Parliament. Statement 2 is correct as Article 75(2) explicitly states that Union Ministers hold office during the pleasure of the President [2]. While the President acts on the Prime Minister's advice, the legal tenure is at the President's pleasure [1]. Statement 3 is correct under Article 78(a), which mandates the Prime Minister to communicate to the President all decisions of the Council of Ministers relating to the administration of the affairs of the Union and proposals for legislation. Since statements 2 and 3 are accurate while statement 1 is technically flawed regarding the specific house of responsibility, option 2 is the correct choice.
Sources
- [1] Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 21: Central Council of Ministers > Individual Responsibility > p. 216
- [2] Laxmikanth, M. Indian Polity. 7th ed., McGraw Hill. > Chapter 21: Central Council of Ministers > Individual Responsibility > p. 216