The principle of ‘collective responsibility’ under parliamentary democracy implies that 1. a motion of no-confidence can be moved in the Council of Ministers as a whole as well as an individual minister 2. no person shall be nominated to the Cabinet except on the advice of the Prime Minister 3. no person shall be retained as a member of the Cabinet if the Prime Minister says that he shall be dismissed Select the correct answer using the code given below.

The principle of collective responsibility is a cornerstone of parliamentary democracy, implying that the Council of Ministers is a unified body. Statement 1 is incorrect because a motion of no-confidence can only be moved against the Council of Ministers as a whole, not against an individual minister [4]. Individual ministers are instead subject to the principle of individual responsibility [5]. Statements 2 and 3 are correct as collective responsibility is achieved through the instrumentality of the Prime Minister [4]. The Prime Minister has the statutory authority to nominate and dismiss ministers; no person is appointed to the Cabinet except on their advice, and a minister cannot remain in the Cabinet if the Prime Minister advises their dismissal [5]. This ensures cabinet solidarity, requiring all members to publicly support collective decisions or resign [2].

Sources

1. [4] Laxmikanth, M. Indian Polity. 7th ed., McGraw Hill. > Chapter 21: Central Council of Ministers > Individual Responsibility > p. 216
2. [5] https://delhiassembly.delhi.gov.in/dlas/no-confidence-motions
3. [1] Indian Constitution at Work, Political Science Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 4: EXECUTIVE > Size of the Council of Ministers > p. 92
4. [2] Laxmikanth, M. Indian Polity. 7th ed., McGraw Hill. > Chapter 32: State Council of Ministers > Collective Responsibility > p. 332