Council of Ministers

The New Council of Ministers, comprising 30 cabinet ministers, five Ministers of State (Independent Charge) and 36 Ministers of State, took their oath recently.

About the Central Council of Ministers

• The Real Executive Authority: The Central Council of Ministers is effectively the real executive authority led by the Prime Minister in accordance with the parliamentary system of government in India.
• Constitutional Provision: 
  • Article 74: “There shall be a Council of Ministers with the Prime Minister at the head to aid and advise the President who shall, in the exercise of his functions, act in accordance with such advice”
  • Article 75 (Collective Responsibility): The Council of Ministers shall be collectively responsible to the House of the People i.e. The Lok Sabha.
  • Article 75 (Appointment): The President appoints the Prime Minister and based on the PM’s recommendation, the President also appoints other ministers. 
    • Strength: The maximum size of the Council of Ministers is fixed and should not exceed 15% of the strength of the Lok Sabha, or the House of the people.
  • Article 88 (Participation): It empowers the ministers to speak or otherwise participate in proceedings in both the houses, as well as any joint session of both houses or any Parliamentary committee they may be a part of. However, it does not guarantee them the right to vote.

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Composition of the Council of Ministers

• Role of the Prime Minister: 
  • First Among Equals: The Prime Minister heads the Central Council of Ministers in an executive capacity and is responsible for decision-making on all important policy issues and his position is often described as “first among equals”.
    • De facto chairman: The PM serves as the  head of the Cabinet Secretariat (supervising  the day-to-day administration of the government and the conduct of business between ministries), The NITI Aayog and the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet.
    • Portfolio: The Prime Minister chairs the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions and supervises the Department of Atomic Energy and the Department of Space.
• The Cabinet Ministers: 
  • The Cabinet Ministers are ranked as the senior-most in the council, second only to the Prime Minister. 
  • They oversee the strategic and important ministries of the Central government ie. Ministry of Home Affairs, Finance, Defence, etc. with an  authority to organise and attend meetings and make important policy decisions.
  • The new council has 30 cabinet ministers, less than 37 in the previous term. 
• Ministers of State (Independent Charge):
  • They are the  junior members of the COM. 
  • A Minister of State (Independent Charge) is empowered to administer their respective ministry without oversight from cabinet ministers or other members of the Union government.
  • The new Council has five Ministers of State (Independent Charge), up from 3 in the previous term.
• Ministers of State:
  • A Minister of State assists a cabinet minister, and is responsible for specific functions as delegated to them by their superior and does not enjoy the foremost administerial duties over a ministry.
  • Important ministries like The Home Ministry, the Ministry of External Affairs, the Health Ministry and the Education Ministry etc may have two or three ministers of state working with the cabinet minister.
  • The new council has 36 Minister of State as opposed to 42 in the outgoing council

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