Consider the following statements:The Council of Ministers in the Centre shall be collectively respo

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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

Consider the following statements:The Council of Ministers in the Centre shall be collectively responsible to the Parliament.The Union Ministers shall hold the office during the pleasure of the President of India.The Prime Minister shall communicate to the President about the proposals for legislation.Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Accepted Answer

Correct Answer: B — 2 and 3 onlyStep-by-step Solution:Statement 1 — Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to Parliament: This is incorrect. This is a subtle but critical constitutional distinction. Under Article 75(3), the Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to the House of the People (Lok Sabha) — NOT to the Parliament as a whole. Parliament comprises both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, but collective ministerial responsibility is specifically to the directly elected lower house (Lok Sabha). The government needs the confidence of only the Lok Sabha — not the Rajya Sabha — to remain in power. A no-confidence motion can only be introduced in the Lok Sabha. ✗Statement 2 — Union Ministers hold office at the pleasure of the President: This is correct. Under Article 75(2), the Ministers shall hold office during the pleasure of the President. In practice, this means the President can dismiss ministers — but only on the advice of the Prime Minister (who advises the President). In the parliamentary system, the PM has the actual power to hire and fire ministers, with the President acting formally. This provision gives constitutional flexibility for the removal of ministers. ✓Statement 3 — PM communicates to President about proposals for legislation: This is correct. Under Article 78(a), it is the duty of the Prime Minister to communicate to the President all decisions of the Cabinet relating to the administration of the affairs of the Union and proposals for legislation. This communication duty is one of the constitutional obligations of the PM — keeping the President informed, so the President can discharge his/her constitutional duties and exercise discretionary powers where applicable. ✓Key Concept: Article 75 — PM and Council of Ministers: (1) PM appointed by President; (2) Other ministers appointed by President on PM's advice; (3) Council of Ministers collectively responsible to Lok Sabha [NOT Parliament]; (4) Members of CoM must be MPs within 6 months; (5) Ministers' salaries fixed by Parliament. Article 78 — Duties of PM: (a) communicate to President all Cabinet decisions + legislative proposals; (b) furnish information as the President may call for; (c) submit to President for consideration any matter on which a minister has made a decision but CoM has not considered it. The distinction between Lok Sabha (lower house) and Parliament (both houses) in the context of collective responsibility is a frequently tested subtlety.

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