KnowledgeBoat Logo
|

History & Civics

Study the figure and answer the following questions:

What is meant by the term 'Cabinet'? Who comprises the Cabinet? State three points of difference between the Cabinet and the Council of Ministers. Distinguish between individual responsibility and collective responsibility. Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, Total History and Civics Solutions ICSE Class 10.

(a) What is meant by the term 'Cabinet'? Who comprises the Cabinet?

(b) State three points of difference between the Cabinet and the Council of Ministers.

(c) Distinguish between individual responsibility and collective responsibility.

Prime Minister

74 Likes

Answer

(a) The Cabinet is composed of a small but important body of senior leaders of the party, who are included in the Council of Ministers.

  1. They hold important portfolios and decide major policies of the Government.
  2. They, being trusted colleagues of the Prime Minister, form the nucleus of the administration.
  3. In fact, the Cabinet is the pivot round which the whole administration revolves.
  4. They hold important portfolios like Home, Defence, Finance, External Affairs, Railways, etc.
  5. A Cabinet Minister is in charge of a Ministry and some times of more than one Ministry.
  6. Only Cabinet Ministers have a right to attend meetings of the Cabinet.
  7. They together determine the policy and programme of the Government.

(b) Three points of difference between the Cabinet and the Council of Ministers are as follows:

Cabinet MinistersCouncil of Ministers
The 'Cabinet' is a smaller group consisting of senior Ministers holding important portfolios such as Defence, Finance, Home, etc.The Council of Ministers consists of all categories of Ministers — Cabinet Ministers, Ministers of State and Deputy Ministers.
They are the most trusted colleagues of the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister always consults them. The decisions of the Cabinet are binding on all the ministers.The Prime Minister may or may not consult the other Ministers, below the rank of Cabinet Ministers.
The Cabinet is a small cohesive group of senior Ministers who determine the policy and programme of the Government; so they meet as frequently as possible.In the day-to-day working of the government, the Council of Ministers as a whole rarely meets.

(c) The differences between collective responsibility and individual responsibility of the Council of Ministers are as follows:

Collective ResponsibilityIndividual Responsibility
According to Article 75(3) of the Constitution, the Council of Ministers shall be collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha.The Ministers are individually responsible to the President.
The decisions taken in the meetings of the Cabinet are equally applicable to all the Ministers even though they may differ among themselves on a particular policy.Each Minister is answerable to Parliament for the department under his control. It is obligatory for him to answer all the questions asked by the MPs, regarding matters such as personal lapse, departure from official policy by him or by his department, breach of oath of secrecy and so on.
A Vote of No-Confidence against one Minister is a vote against the whole Ministry. Such a Ministry that has lost the confidence of the Lok Sabha has to resign.A minister may be dismissed by the President on the advice of the Prime Minister even when they may have the confidence of the Legislature.

Answered By

50 Likes

Related Questions