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History & Civics

The Council of Ministers headed by the Prime Minister is the most powerful institution in the Indian polity. In this context answer the following :

(a) State briefly the position of the Prime Minister in the Parliamentary system of Government. State any two powers the Prime Minister has as a leader of the Nation.

(b) Distinguish between the Council of Ministers and the Cabinet.

(c) Write any four functions of the 'Cabinet'.

Prime Minister

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Answer

(a) While the President is the nominal head of the executive, the Prime Minister is the real head of the executive. Though he is the head of the government, he is answerable to the Parliament and through it to the people of the country. Questions raised by the opposition parties act as an effective check on the Prime Minister's authority. The press and public opinion also serve as important check on his authority. He is responsible for the lapses and the failure of the policies of his government. Thus, the Parliamentary system of government provides him real executive powers as the head of the government, but also provides a mechanism to keep his power in check.

Two powers the Prime Minister has as a leader of the Nation are:

  1. The Prime Minister decides on India's internal and foreign policies.
  2. He represents the country in international conferences like those sponsored by the UN, the NAM summits, SAARC, etc. where he puts forward the views of entire nation.

(b) The differences between the Council of Ministers and the Cabinet are:

Council of MinistersCabinet Ministers
The Council of Ministers consist of Cabinet Ministers, Ministers of state and Deputy Ministers.The Cabinet consists of a small group of 15 to 18 ministers holding important portfolios such as home, finance, defence, etc.
The Prime Minister may or may not consult the Ministers below the Cabinet rank.They are always consulted by the Prime Minister as they are his most trusted colleagues. The decision of the Cabinet is binding on all ministers.
In the day-to-day working the Council of Ministers rarely meet.The Cabinet determines the policy and programme of the government; so they meet frequently.
The Constitution lays down that there shall be a Council of Ministers to aid and advise the President.Cabinet is an inner body within the Council of Ministers. It acts in the name of Council of Ministers and exercises all powers on its behalf.

(c) Four functions of the Cabinet are:

  1. The cabinet is the policy framing organ of the government. It thus frames governmental policies, both external and domestic.
  2. The decisions taken and policies framed by the cabinet are communicated to the respective ministers, and the junior ministers and civil servants work towards their implementation.
  3. All appointments — appointment of the Governors of states, judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts, and many others — though made by the President, are actually decided by the cabinet.
  4. The President cannot declare a proclamation of General Emergency under article 352 of the Constitution, without a written approval of the Cabinet. Proclamation of Financial Emergency and President's rule in a state are also decided by the cabinet.

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