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Q84 (IAS/2022) Polity & Governance › Union Executive › Union Council of Ministers Official Key

Consider the following statements : 1. The Constitution of India classifies the ministers into four ranks viz. Cabinet Minister, Minister of State with Independent Charge, Minister of State and Deputy Minister. 2. The total number of ministers in the Union Government, including the Prime Minister, shall not exceed 15 percent of the total number of members in the Lok Sabha. Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

Result
Your answer: —  ·  Correct: B
Explanation

The correct answer is Option 2.

Statement 1 is incorrect: The Constitution of India does not define or classify the ranks of ministers. While Article 74 mentions a Council of Ministers and Article 75 outlines their appointment, the four-fold classification (Cabinet, Minister of State with Independent Charge, Minister of State, and Deputy Minister) is based on British parliamentary conventions and the Rules of Business, not constitutional provisions.

Statement 2 is correct: This provision was inserted by the 91st Constitutional Amendment Act, 2003. It added Clause (1A) to Article 75, which explicitly mandates that the total number of ministers, including the Prime Minister, in the Union Council of Ministers shall not exceed 15 percent of the total strength of the Lok Sabha. This was intended to prevent jumbo cabinets and ensure administrative efficiency.

Therefore, only the second statement is factually and constitutionally accurate.

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Don’t just practise – reverse-engineer the question. This panel shows where this PYQ came from (books / web), how the examiner broke it into hidden statements, and which nearby micro-concepts you were supposed to learn from it. Treat it like an autopsy of the question: what might have triggered it, which exact lines in the book matter, and what linked ideas you should carry forward to future questions.
Q. Consider the following statements : 1. The Constitution of India classifies the ministers into four ranks viz. Cabinet Minister, Minister…
At a glance
Origin: Mixed / unclear origin Fairness: Moderate fairness Books / CA: 5/10 · 0/10
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This is a classic 'Source Authority' trap. UPSC loves asking if a well-known practice (like ministerial ranks) is explicitly written in the Constitution or just a convention. Statement 1 tests your precision on 'Constitutional text vs. Administrative practice', while Statement 2 is a standard static fact from the 91st Amendment.

How this question is built

This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.

Statement 1
Does the Constitution of India classify Union ministers into four ranks: Cabinet Minister, Minister of State (Independent Charge), Minister of State, and Deputy Minister?
Origin: Weak / unclear Fairness: Borderline / guessy
Indirect textbook clues
Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 32: State Council of Ministers > COMPOSITION OF THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS > p. 332
Strength: 5/5
“The Constitution does not specify the size of the state council of ministers or the ranking of ministers. They are determined by the chief minister according to the exigencies of the time and requirements of the situation. Like at the Centre, in the states too, the council of ministers consists of three categories of ministers, namely, cabinet ministers, ministers of state, and deputy ministers. The difference between them lies in their respective ranks, emoluments, and political importance. At the top of all these ministers stands the chief minister, supreme governing authority in the state. At times, the council of ministers may also include a deputy chief minister.”
Why relevant

Explicitly states the Constitution does not specify the size or ranking of state ministers and then describes three categories (cabinet ministers, ministers of state, deputy ministers).

How to extend

A student could generalise that constitutional silence on ranking at state level may imply a similar silence at the Union level and thus check Union-specific constitutional text or practice.

Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 21: Central Council of Ministers > COMPOSITION OF THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS > p. 216
Strength: 5/5
“The council of ministers consists of three categories of ministers, namely, cabinet ministers, ministers of state, and deputy ministers. The difference between them lies in their respective ranks, emoluments, and political importance. At the top of all these ministers stands the Prime Minister—the supreme governing authority of the country. At times, the council of ministers may also include a deputy prime minister. The deputy prime ministers are appointed mostly for political reasons. The Cabinet ministers head the important ministries of the Central government like Home, Defence, Finance, External Affairs and so forth. They are members of the cabinet, attend its meetings and play an important role in deciding policies.”
Why relevant

Says the council of ministers (Central) consists of three categories: cabinet ministers, ministers of state, and deputy ministers.

How to extend

Use this rule to suspect that a four-tier classification is not constitutionally prescribed at the Centre and then examine statutory/administrative sources for 'independent charge' usage.

Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 92: World Constitutions > 2022 TEST PAPER > p. 762
Strength: 4/5
“When a Constitution Amendment Bill is presented to the President of India, it is obligatory for the President of India to give his/her assent. Which of the statements given above are correct? (a) 1 and 2 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 1 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 4. Consider the following statements: 1. The Constitution of India classifies the ministers into four ranks viz. Cabinet Minister, Minister of State with Independent Charge, Minister of State and Deputy Minister. 2. The total number of ministers in the Union Government, including the Prime Minister, shall not exceed 15 percent of the total number of members in the Lok Sabha.”
Why relevant

Contains the exact four-rank formulation as a proposition in an examination question, showing the claim exists in secondary sources/practice as an asserted classification.

How to extend

Treat this as an example of a commonly asserted list and cross-check primary constitutional provisions or official lists to verify if it is constitutional or doctrinal.

Laxmikanth, M. Indian Polity. 7th ed., McGraw Hill. > Chapter 16: Inter State Relations > INTER-STATE COUNCILS > p. 169
Strength: 4/5
“169 • (iv) Administrators of union territories not having legislative assemblies • (v) Governors of States under President's rule • (vi) Six Central cabinet ministers, including the home minister, to be nominated by the Prime Minister. Five Ministers of Cabinet rank / Minister of State (independent charge) nominated by the Chairman of the Council (i.e., Prime Minister) are permanent invitees to the Council. The council is a recommendatory body on issues relating to inter-state, Centre-state and Centre-union territories relations. It aims at promoting coordination between them by examining, discussing and deliberating on such issues.”
Why relevant

Uses the term 'Minister of State (independent charge)' when describing permanent invitees to an inter‑state council, evidencing that the phrase is used in practice/administrative contexts.

How to extend

A student could infer that 'independent charge' is an administrative/political designation (not necessarily constitutional) and then check constitutional text for an explicit mention.

Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 92: World Constitutions > Table of Precedence > p. 713
Strength: 4/5
“Chief Justice of India Speaker of Lok Sabha • 7. Cabinet Ministers of the Union Chief Ministers of States within their respective States Vice-Chairperson, NITI Aayog Former Prime Ministers Leaders of Opposition in Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha • ? A. Holders of Bharat Ratna decoration Chief Ministers of States outside their respective States Governors of States outside their respective States | 9. Judges of Supreme Court | 9A. Chairperson, Union Public Service Commission | Chief Election Commissioner | Comptroller & Auditor General of India | 10. Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha | Deputy Chief Ministers of States | Deputy Speaker, Lok Sabha | Members of the NITI Aayog | Ministers of State of the Union (and any other Minister in the Ministry of Defence for defence matters) | 11 .”
Why relevant

Table of precedence distinguishes 'Cabinet Ministers of the Union' and 'Ministers of State of the Union', indicating practical ranking distinctions in protocol.

How to extend

Combine this protocol-based distinction with the constitutional silence noted above to hypothesize that ranking may be conventional/iofficial rather than constitutionally mandated.

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SIMILAR QUESTIONS

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With reference to Union Government, consider the following statements: 1. The Constitution of India provides that all Cabinet Ministers shall be compulsorily the sitting members of Lok Sabha only. 2. The Union Cabinet Secretariat operates under the direction of the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

NDA-II · 2016 · Q96 Relevance score: 2.55

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With reference to Union Government, consider the following statements : 1. The Ministries/Departments of the Government of India are created by the Prime Minister on the advice of the Cabinet Secretary. 2. Each of the Ministries is assigned to a Minister by the President of India on the advice of the Prime Minister. Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

IAS · 2013 · Q93 Relevance score: 2.39

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?

NDA-I · 2008 · Q70 Relevance score: 2.35

Consider the following statements: 1. Salary and allowances of the Speaker of Lok Sabha are charged on the Consolidated Fund of India 2. In the Warrant of precedence, the Speaker of Lok Sabha ranks higher than all the Union Cabinet Ministers other than Prime Minister Which of the statements given above is/are correct?