The Council of Ministers Part-II

Total Questions: 42

1. Consider the following statements regarding a 'No- Confidence Motion in India: [I.A.S. (Pre) 2014]

1. There is no mention of a 'No-Confidence Motion in the Constitution of India.

2. A Motion of No-Confidence can be introduced in the Lok Sabha only.

Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither I nor 2

Correct Answer: (c) Both 1 and 2

Solution:The No-Confidence motion may be introduced only in Lok Sabha, and No-confidence motion is not mentioned in the Constitution. The procedure for 'No-Confidence Motion' is mentioned in the Rules of Procedure and conduct of Business of Lok Sabha (Rule No-1983. Thus both the statements are correct.

2. Which one of the following statement is not correct regarding "No-Confidence Motion"? [Raj. P.C.S. (Pre) 2023]

(a) 27 No-Confidence Motions, 9 Confidence Motions have been moved till 15 August, 2023.
(b) Lal Bahadur Shastri faced the most No-Confidence Motions per office year.
(c) The member who wants to move No-Confidence Motion give notice to the speaker of the Lok Sabha in writing.
(d) No-Confidence Motion can be moved only in Lok Sabha.
(e) None of the above

Correct Answer: (e) None of the above

Solution:Article 75(3) of the Indian Constitution embodies the rule, which specifies that the Council of Ministers are collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha. For testing this collective responsibility, the rules of Lok Sabha provide a particular mechanism, a motion of no-confidence. The Constitution of India does not mention either a Confidence or a No Confidence Motion. A motion of "No Confidence against the Government can be introduced only in the Lok Sabha under Rule 198. According to Rule 198(1) (b), the member asking for such leave would need to give a written notice of the motion to the Secretary-General of the Lok Sabha. Any Lok Sabha MP, who can gather the support of 50 colleagues, can, at any point of time, introduce a motion of no-confidence against the Council of Ministers. It was during the third Lok Sabha in 1963 that the first motion of no-confidence was moved by Acharya J.B. Kripalani against the government headed by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. So far, 28 no-confidence motions (the 28 motion was brought on the ongoing situation in Manipur) and 11 confidence motions have been discussed (till 15 August 2023). The 50% of all confidence motions (14 out of 28) were discussed between 1965 and 1975. Of these, 12 were against governments headed by Indira Gandhi. [Note: The Commission (deleted the question).

3. Which one of the following is not a correct situation arising after the resignation of the Council of Ministers? [U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2010]

(a) President's Rule will be imposed.
(b) The President will ask to continue till alternative arrangement.
(c) The alternative arrangement means earliest possible General Election to be held to form a new Government.
(d) Outgoing Council of Ministers may have had charge till the formation of the new Government.

Correct Answer: (a) President's Rule will be imposed.

Solution:President Rule will not be imposed on the resignation of the Council of Ministers. Rest all options are correct.

4. Which leader of Madhya Pradesh became the Defence Minister first and later Home Minister in Nehru's Cabinet? [M.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2010]

(a) Prakash Chandra Sethi
(b) Ravi Shankar Shukla
(c) Kailash Nath Katju
(d) Dwarka Nath Mishra

Correct Answer: (c) Kailash Nath Katju

Solution:Kailash Nath Katju was included in Nehru's Cabinet in the year 1951 as Law Minister, and in the same year, he became the third Home Minister of the country. Later, in 1955, he held the office of Defence Minister. He also served as Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh from 1957 to 1962.

5. Who was the First Finance Minister of Independent India? [Uttarakhand P.C.S. (Pre) 2010]

(a) Gulzari Lal Nanda
(b) John Mathai
(c) Krishnamachari
(d) Sarojini Naidu
(e) R.K. Chetty

Correct Answer: (e) R.K. Chetty

Solution:R.K. Shanmukham Chetty served as the first Finance Minister of independent India (1947-1948) in Jawaharlal Nehru's Cabinet.

6. Who was the Law Minister in the first Cabinet of post- independence India? [Jharkhand P.C.S. (Pre) 2013 ]

(a) K.M. Munshi
(b) S.P. Mukherjee
(c) Baldev Singh
(d) B.R. Ambedkar

Correct Answer: (d) B.R. Ambedkar

Solution:Ambedkar was the first Law Minister of post- independence India, while Jogendra Nath Mandal was the Law Minister in the interim government formed in 1946.

7. Among the following given names, whose portfolio in the first cabinet of India (1947) was different from his portfolio in the Interim Government (1946)? [Chhattisgarh P.C.S. (Pre) 2020]

(1) Jagjivan Ram

(iii) C.H. Bhabha

(ii) Dr. Rajendra Prasad

(iv) Sardar Baldev Singh.

(a) Only (1) and (ii).
(c) Only (1) and (iii).
(b) Only (iii) and (iv).
(d) Only (iii).

Correct Answer: (d) Only (iii).

Solution:Portfolio in the Interim Cabinet are as follows:

Food and Agriculture - Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Labour - Jagjivan Ram, Defence Sardar Baldev Singh, Works Mines and Power - C.H. Bhabha.

Portfolio in the First cabinet of Independent India are as follows: Food and Agriculture - Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Defence Sardar Baldev Singh, Labour - Jagjivan Ram, Commerce C.H. Bhabha.

Thus the Portfolio of C.H. Bhabha in the first Cabinet of Independent India was different from his Portfolio in the Interim Government. So the correct answer is the option (d).

8. Who was the 12th Prime Minister of India? [U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2005]

(a) Chandra Shekhar
(b) Deve Gowda
(c) I.K. Gujral
(d) A.B. Vajpayee

Correct Answer: (b) Deve Gowda

Solution:Deve Gowda was the 12 Prime Minister of India (including the term of acting Prime Minister Gulzari Lal Nanda). Narendra Modi is the 15 Prime Minister of India.

9. Match the Prime Ministers with their tenure. [Chhattisgarh P.C.S. (Pre) 2014]

List-I	List-II
A. Deve Gowda	i. 1999-2004
B. Chandra Shekhar	ii. 1989-90
C. Atal Bihari Vajpayee	iii. 1990-91
D. Inder Kumar Gujral	iv. 1996-97
E. Vishwanath Pratap Singh	v. 1997-98

Code :
	A	B	C	D	E
(a)	(i)	(ii)	(iii)	(iv)	(v)
(b)	(v)	(iv)	(iii)	(ii)	(i)
(c)	(iii)	(i)	(ii)	(v)	(iv)
(d)	(iv)	(iii)	(i)	(v)	(ii)
(e)	(ii)	(i)	(iii)	(v)	(iv)

Correct Answer: (d)

Solution:

List-I	List-II
Vishwanath Pratap Singh	1989-90
Chandra Shekhar	1990-91
H.D. Deve Gowda	1996-97
Inder Kumar Gujral	1997-98
Atal Bihari Vajpayee	1999-2004

Significantly, the tenure of Atal Bihari Vajpayee as Prime is as follows:

He took charge as Prime Minister of India on May 16-1996, to June 1, and from match 19, 1998 to April 26, 1999 and from October 13, 1999 to May 22, 2004.

10. Who among the following held the office of the Prime Minister of India more than once? [Uttarakhand U.D.A./L.D.A. (Pre) 2003]

1. Jawaharlal Nehru

2. Indira Gandhi

3. Gulzari Lal Nanda

4. Atal Bihari Vajpayee

Choose the correct code:

(a) 1 and 2
(b) 1 and 3
(c) 1,2 und 4
(d) All of above

Correct Answer: (d) All of above

Solution:All the persons mentioned above have held the office of the Prime Minister of India more than once, and Gulzari Lal Nanda was the Acting Prime Minister twice.

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