Prime Minister and Council of Ministers MCQ & Notes — Articles 74-78 for UPSC, SSC

Prime Minister and Council of Ministers MCQ & Notes — Articles 74–78 for UPSC, SSC

The Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers (Part V, Chapter II, Articles 74–78 of the Constitution) form the real executive of the Union Government, since the President acts on their aid and advice. This guide covers appointment, collective responsibility, individual responsibility, the 91st Amendment ceiling on Cabinet size, types of ministers and Cabinet Committees — followed by 10 practice MCQs with answers.

Why This Topic Matters for Competitive Exams

Questions on the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers are a Polity staple in UPSC Prelims, SSC CGL/CHSL and State PSC exams, testing both constitutional Articles (74, 75, 78) and current facts (91st Amendment ceiling, types of ministers, Cabinet Committees). It pairs directly with the President's office and Parliament, since executive accountability runs through all three.

Appointment and Composition (Article 74–75)

• Article 74(1) — There shall be a Council of Ministers with the Prime Minister at its head to aid and advise the President, who shall act in accordance with such advice in the exercise of their functions.
• Article 75(1) — The Prime Minister is appointed by the President; other Ministers are appointed by the President on the advice of the Prime Minister.
• Article 75(2) — Ministers hold office during the pleasure of the President.
• Article 75(3) — The Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha (House of the People) — not to the Rajya Sabha, and not to the President.
• Article 75(4) — Before entering office, a Minister takes the oaths of office and secrecy administered by the President, as set out in the Third Schedule.
• Article 75(5) — A person who is not a member of either House of Parliament may be appointed a Minister, but ceases to be a Minister if not elected to either House within six consecutive months.

Collective and Individual Responsibility

• Collective responsibility (Article 75(3)) means the Council of Ministers works as a team and is jointly accountable to the Lok Sabha — if the Lok Sabha passes a no-confidence motion against even one Minister's policy, the entire Council must resign. Cabinet decisions bind all Ministers, even those who disagreed in a Cabinet meeting.
• Individual responsibility (Article 78 read with Article 75(2)) means each Minister holds office at the pleasure of the President and is individually answerable to Parliament and the President for the conduct of their ministry; the President can dismiss a Minister on the Prime Minister's advice even without the whole Council resigning.

Duties of the Prime Minister (Article 78)

Article 78 requires the Prime Minister to:

1. Communicate to the President all decisions of the Council of Ministers relating to the administration of the Union's affairs and proposals for legislation.
2. Furnish such information relating to the administration of the Union's affairs as the President may call for.
3. If the President so requires, submit for the consideration of the Council of Ministers any matter on which a decision has been taken by a Minister but not considered by the Council.

Types of Ministers and Cabinet Committees

Rank	Role
Cabinet Ministers	Head major ministries (Home, Defence, Finance, External Affairs); members of the Cabinet; take all key policy decisions
Ministers of State (Independent Charge)	Head a ministry independently but do not attend Cabinet meetings unless invited
Ministers of State	Attached to a Cabinet Minister to assist with specific responsibilities
Deputy Ministers	Attached to a Cabinet Minister or Minister of State to assist in administrative and parliamentary duties

Cabinet Committees — such as the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), and the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) — are extra-constitutional bodies set up under the Rules of Business to speed up decision-making by handling matters without referring every issue to the full Cabinet.

The 91st Amendment (2003) — Ceiling on Council of Ministers

The Constitution (91st Amendment) Act, 2003 inserted Article 75(1A) to cap the total strength of the Council of Ministers, including the Prime Minister, at 15% of the total membership of the Lok Sabha (a similar 15% ceiling applies to State Assemblies under Article 164(1A)). It also barred defectors from holding ministerial posts and disqualified them from being appointed Minister until re-elected or the term of the House expires. In smaller states, the Council of Ministers cannot have fewer than 12 members.

Prime Minister and Council of Ministers MCQ — Practice Questions

Q1. Under which Article is the Council of Ministers established to aid and advise the President?
A. Article 72 B. Article 74 C. Article 75 D. Article 78
Answer: B. Article 74

Q2. Other Ministers are appointed by the President on the advice of:
A. The Chief Justice of India B. The Speaker of the Lok Sabha C. The Prime Minister D. The Council of Ministers itself
Answer: C. The Prime Minister

Q3. The Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to:
A. The President B. The Rajya Sabha C. The Lok Sabha D. The Supreme Court
Answer: C. The Lok Sabha

Q4. A person who is not a member of either House of Parliament can remain a Minister for a maximum of:
A. 3 months B. 6 months C. 1 year D. Until the next general election
Answer: B. 6 months (Article 75(5))

Q5. Which Article requires the Prime Minister to communicate all Cabinet decisions to the President?
A. Article 74 B. Article 75 C. Article 78 D. Article 88
Answer: C. Article 78

Q6. The Constitution (91st Amendment) Act, 2003 capped the size of the Council of Ministers at what percentage of Lok Sabha strength?
A. 10% B. 15% C. 20% D. 25%
Answer: B. 15%

Q7. Which type of minister can head a ministry independently but does not normally attend Cabinet meetings?
A. Cabinet Minister B. Minister of State (Independent Charge) C. Deputy Minister D. Parliamentary Secretary
Answer: B. Minister of State (Independent Charge)

Q8. Cabinet Committees such as the CCS and CCEA are:
A. Created directly by the Constitution B. Extra-constitutional bodies under the Rules of Business C. Judicial bodies D. Statutory bodies created by Parliament
Answer: B. Extra-constitutional bodies under the Rules of Business

Q9. Under Article 75(2), Ministers hold office:
A. For a fixed term of 5 years B. During the pleasure of the President C. During the pleasure of the Lok Sabha Speaker D. Until the next Budget session
Answer: B. During the pleasure of the President

Q10. Under the 91st Amendment, the minimum number of ministers in a smaller state's Council of Ministers is:
A. 8 B. 10 C. 12 D. 15
Answer: C. 12

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Is the President bound to accept the advice of the Council of Ministers?
Yes. Under Article 74(1), the President "shall" act in accordance with the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers, though the President may require the Council to reconsider such advice once; the reconsidered advice is binding.

Q. Can a Minister be a member of the Rajya Sabha instead of the Lok Sabha?
Yes. A Minister can be a member of either House, but under Article 75(3) collective responsibility runs only to the Lok Sabha, since only the Lok Sabha can remove a government through a no-confidence motion.

Q. Does the 91st Amendment's 15% ceiling apply to State Governments too?
Yes — Article 164(1A), inserted by the same 91st Amendment, applies an identical 15% ceiling to the Council of Ministers in every State, with a 12-member minimum in smaller states/UTs.

Practice More on Indian Polity

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