Previous Year 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.
1 and 2
3 only
2 and 3
1, 2 and 3
Correct Answer: A
Detailed Solution
Statement 1 is correct. A parliamentary system establishes a close relationship between the executive and the legislature. Members of the Cabinet are ordinarily members of either House of Parliament.
Under Article 75(5), a person may be appointed as a Minister without being a member of Parliament, but that person must become a member of either the Lok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha within six months. Otherwise, the person ceases to be a Minister at the expiry of that period.
A Minister need not necessarily be a Lok Sabha member; the Minister may also belong to the Rajya Sabha. Similarly, the Prime Minister may be a member of either House of Parliament.
Statement 2 is correct. In a parliamentary system, the Council of Ministers remains in office only as long as it enjoys the confidence of the Lok Sabha.
The question uses the expression ‘confidence in Parliament’, but in the Indian constitutional framework, it operationally means the confidence of the Lok Sabha. Under Article 75(3), the Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha. If a No-Confidence Motion is passed, the entire Council of Ministers must resign.
Statement 3 is incorrect. The Cabinet is not headed by the Head of the State, namely the President. It is headed by the Prime Minister.
The President is the constitutional Head of the State, whereas the Prime Minister is the Head of Government and leads the real executive. The President ordinarily acts on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers headed by the Prime Minister.
Principal features of parliamentary government
Division between nominal and real executives—the President is the nominal executive and the Prime Minister is the real executive head.
Close relationship between the executive and the legislature.
Collective responsibility of the Council of Ministers to the Lok Sabha.
Membership of Ministers in Parliament.
Leadership of the Prime Minister.
Political homogeneity and collective decision-making within the Council of Ministers.
Resignation of the Council of Ministers after losing the confidence of the Lok Sabha.
Council of Ministers and Cabinet
The Council of Ministers is a wider body that may include Cabinet Ministers, Ministers of State and Deputy Ministers. The Cabinet is its smaller and more powerful inner body. Major policy decisions are principally taken by the Cabinet, whose meetings are chaired by the Prime Minister.