Tag: prime minister and council of ministers

The member of the council of ministers or ministers is appointed by the President on the recommendation of the Prime Minister. The person can be appointed as a minister even if s/he not a member of parliament but such a person has to become a member of either house within 6 months from the date of appointment. 

Article 75 provides that the Prime Minister shall be appointed by the President. The Prime Minister recommends the name of ministers to the President who are to be appointed by him. The President can only appoint the recommended ministers.

The Constitution of India has adopted for Parliamentary form of government wherein the power is held by the representatives elected by the Public and entrusted with the responsibility of making laws and governing the nation. The head of the Government is called Prime Minister who runs the Government along with his ministers known as Council of Ministers. The constitution has made the council of ministers and the Prime minister as the de facto (real executive) and all the power lies in the council of Ministers.

It is the Defence Minister who is directly responsible to Parliament for all matters concerning the Defence Services of India. Minister of Defence is the head of the Ministry of Defence. They often assisted by a Minister of State for defence and less commonly, the lower ranked Deputy Minister of Defence. As a member of the Cabinet, the Defence Minister has to answer the queries relating to the defence matters in the Parliament.

The Union Council of Ministers with the Prime Minister as its head are the real executive as provided under Article 74 of the Constitution of India. The Cabinet Ministers or the Cabinet is the main decision-making group within the executive government. Cabinets role is to direct government policy and make decisions about national issues. Their parties powerful policy making and decision making.

Article 75(2) provides that the Ministers shall hold office during the pleasure of the President. The Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to Lok Sabha. It means that if the Ministry loses the confidence of the "Lok Sabha", all ministers including those who are from Rajya Sabha have to go. The entire ministry is obliged to resign. Thus, in Parliamentary government ministers remain in office so long as they enjoy conference of the members of the lower house of parliament.

Collective responsibility is an essential feature of Parliamentary democracy. In India collective responsibility of the cabinet is specifically enshrined in the Constitution. Article 75(3) lays down that the Council of Ministers shall be collectively responsible to Lok Sabha. When the ministry visits the confidence of the Lok Sabha all ministers including those who are from Rajya Sabha have to resign. This means that ministers fall and stand together. The government in the parliamentary model is a united one. It has a joint responsibility. Each member of the government has to support the other so long as he remains in the government.

Article 75(2) specifically provides that the ministers shall hold office during the pleasure of the President. All the ministers are appointed by the President on the advice of the Prime Minister. Each minister has an individual responsibility. The Prime Minister me call for the resignation of any ministers at any time. In case the Minister refuses, the Prime Minister may advise the President to dismiss the Minister. Losing the confidence of the Prime Minister leads to dismissal by the President.