In the context of India, which of the following principles is/are implied institutionally in the par

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UPSC Prelims is a competitive examination conducted in India. This question is from the 2013 UPSC Prelims Indian Polity & Governance paper.

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Question

In the context of India, which of the following principles is/are implied institutionally in the parliamentary government?Members of the Cabinet are Members of the Parliament.Ministers hold the office till they enjoy confidence in the Parliament.Cabinet is headed by the Head of the State.Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

Accepted Answer

Correct Answer: A — 1 and 2 onlyStep-by-step Solution:Statement 1 — Cabinet members are Members of Parliament: This is correct. Under Article 75(5) of the Indian Constitution, a minister who is not a member of either House of Parliament for a period of six consecutive months shall cease to be a minister. In practice, all Cabinet ministers must be members of the Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha. The principle of ministerial membership in Parliament is a defining feature of parliamentary government — it creates the fusion between executive and legislative branches. ✓Statement 2 — Ministers hold office as long as they enjoy Parliamentary confidence: This is correct. Under Article 75(3), the Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha (House of the People). This means the Cabinet can continue in office only as long as it commands the confidence (majority support) of the Lok Sabha. If a vote of no-confidence is passed, the entire Council of Ministers must resign. This principle of confidence/responsible government is the defining characteristic of parliamentary democracy. ✓Statement 3 — Cabinet is headed by the Head of State: This is incorrect. The Cabinet is headed by the Head of Government — the Prime Minister — not the Head of State. In India: the President is the constitutional Head of State (formal/nominal executive); the Prime Minister is the Head of Government (real/effective executive). The Prime Minister chairs the Cabinet. The President, while nominally the head of the executive branch (Article 53), acts on the advice of the Council of Ministers headed by the PM. Confusing Head of State with Head of Government is the classic trap here. ✗Key Concept: Parliamentary government features: Executive is drawn from legislature (fusion); PM is leader of majority party/coalition in Lok Sabha; Cabinet is collectively responsible to Lok Sabha; Individual ministers are responsible for their departments; President/Head of State acts on PM's advice; Double membership — ministers must be MPs; PM can advise President to dissolve Lok Sabha. Compare: Presidential system (USA) — strict separation of powers; executive is NOT drawn from legislature; President is both Head of State AND Head of Government; President is directly elected; fixed term. India chose parliamentary model (as in UK) over presidential model, primarily because Indians had experience with it under colonial government and it was seen as more accountable.

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