The Council of Ministers Part-II

Total Questions: 42

21. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is a - [M.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2010]

(a) Member of Lok Sabha from Punjab
(b) Member of Rajya Sabha from Punjab
(c) Member of Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan
(d) Member of Rajya Sabha from Assam

Correct Answer: (d) Member of Rajya Sabha from Assam

Solution:Dr. Manmohan Singh served as Prime Minister from 2004 to 2014. He was first elected as a member of Rajya Sabha from Assam in 1991. Later, he again became a member of Rajya Sabha from Assam in the years 1996, 2001, 2007 and 2013. In 2019, he again got elected as a Rajya Sabha member representing Rajasthan.

22. Assertion : (A) Ministers make policy and civil servants adhere to that policy. Reason : (R) Parliamentary form of government works on the Principle of "Cabinet Collective Responsibility". [U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 1993]

(a) Both (A) and (R) are true, and (A) is correct explanation of (R).
(b) Both (A) and (R) are true, and (R) is not correct explanation of (A).
(c) (A) is true, (R) is false.
(d) (A) is false, (R) is true.

Correct Answer: (a) Both (A) and (R) are true, and (A) is correct explanation of (R).

Solution:Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A) as the Parliamentary form of government works on the principle of "Cabinet's Collective Responsibility and policies made by the Cabinet are adhered to by civil servants.

23. Consider the following statements and choose the correct answer from the code given below: [U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2004]

Assertion (A): Describing a person as Deputy Prime Minister is a political decision.

Reason (R): It does not confer on him any power of the Prime Minister.

(a) Both (A) and (R) are true, and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
(b) Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not a correct explanation of (A).
(c) (A) is true but, (R) is false.
(d) (A) is false but, (R) is true.

Correct Answer: (b) Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not a correct explanation of (A).

Solution:In the Constitution of India, the duty and office of the Deputy Prime Minister are not mentioned, but conventionally, a Cabinet Minister can be declared as a Deputy Prime Minister. It does not confer on him any power of the Prime Minister. So, both statements (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not a correct explanation of (A).

24. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister- [U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2009]

(a) Was created under the original Constitution.
(b) Is an extra-Constitutional growth.
(c) Was created by 44 Amendment.
(d) Was created by the 85 Amendment.

Correct Answer: (b) Is an extra-Constitutional growth.

Solution:The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is not mentioned anywhere in the Constitution of India. The post was created due to political necessity and is purely a non-Constitutional post.

25. Consider the following statements: [I.A.S. (Pre) 2015]

1. The Executive Power of the Union of India is vested in the Prime Minister.

2. The Prime Minister is the ex-officio Chairman of the Civil Services Board.

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

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

Correct Answer: (d) Neither 1 nor 2

Solution:The executive power of the Union of India is not vested in the Prime Minister but in the President (Art. 53(1) The Constitutional head of the executive of the Union is the President. Article 74(1) of the Constitution provides that there shall be a Council of Ministers with the Prime Minister as its head to aid and advice the President, who shall, in the exercise of his/her functions, act in accordance with such advice. The Cabinet Secretariat is under the direct charge of the Prime Minister. The administrative head of the Secretariat is the Cabinet Secretary, who is also the ex-officio Chairman of the Civil Services Board. Thus, neither 1" nor 2 statement is correct.

26. With reference to Union Government, consider the following statements: [I.A.S. (Pre) 2009]

1. The Constitution of India provides that all Cabinet Ministers shall be compulsorily the sitting members of Lok Sabha only.

2. The Union Cabinet Secretariat operates under the direction of the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs. Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?

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

Correct Answer: (d) Neither nor 2

Solution:The Council of Ministers seldom meets as a body. It is the Cabinet, an inner body within the Council, that shapes the policies of the Government. Cabinet Ministers hold the charge of key portfolios. There is no bar on the appointment of a person from outside the legislature as a minister, but he cannot continue for more than six months unless he secures a seat in either House of the Parliament in the meantime. A minister, who is a member of one House has the right to speak and to take part in the proceedings of the other House, though he has no right to vote in the house of which he is not a member. The Union Cabinet Secretariat is not operated under the direction of the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs. Union Cabinet Secretariat is under the supervision of the Prime Minister's Office. Its administrative Chief is the Cabinet Secretary, who is the Ex-officio Chairman of the Civil Services Board. The cabinet secretary is the highest civil services officer of the central government. Hence both the statements are false.

27. Read the following statements related to Cabinet Committees and choose the correct option: [Chhattisgarh P.C.S.C. (Pre) 2020]

I: Cabinet Committees are not mentioned in the constitution.

II: Cabinet Committees are set up by the Prime Minister according to the exigencies of the time and requirements of the situation.

III: If Prime Minister is the member of Committee, he may not necessarily be the Chairman of Committee.

IV: Parliamentary Affairs Committee is chaired by the Prime Minister.

(a) All statements are true.
(b) Statements I, II and III are true, but Statement IV is false.
(c) Statements II, III and IV are true but Statement I is false.
(d) Statements I and II are true, but Statement III and IV are false

Correct Answer: (d) Statements I and II are true, but Statement III and IV are false

Solution:Cabinet Committees are not mentioned in the Constitution. So they are extra-constitutional bodies. Rules of Business Provide for their establishment. Thus, Statement I is true. Cabinet Committees are set up by the Prime minister a cording to the exigencies of the time and requirements of the situation. Thus, Statement II is true.

Cabinet Committees are mostly Chaired by the Prime Minister. Some times, other Cabinet Ministers, the Finance Minister or the Home Minister also acts as chairman but in case if the Prime Minister is the member of the Commit tee, he is necessarily the Chairman of the Committee. Thus, Statement III is false.

Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs is chaired by the Minister of Defence, not by the Prime Minister. Thus, Statement IV is false.

28. Which one of the following Constitutional Amendments states that the total number of Ministers, including the Prime Minister in the Council of Ministers, shall not exceed fifteen percent of the total number of members of the House of the People? [I.A.S. (Pre) 2009]

(a) 90th
(b) 91st
(c) 92nd
(d) 93rd

Correct Answer: (b) 91st

Solution:91st Constitutional Amendment Act, 2003 says that the total number of Ministers, including Prime Minister in the Council of Ministers, shall not exceed fifteen per-cent of the total number of members of the Lok Sabha. This provision was added in Article 75(14) through the 91st Constitutional Amendment Act, 2003.

29. Which of the following Constitutional Amendment Acts restricted the sire of the Council of Ministers 15 percent of the total members of the Lok Sabha? [66th B.P.S.C. (Pre) (Re-Exam), 2020]

(a) 95th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2009
(b) 93rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 2005
(c) 91st Constitutional Amendment Act, 2003
(d) 90th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2003
(e) None of the above/More than one of the above

Correct Answer: (c) 91st Constitutional Amendment Act, 2003

30. With reference to Union Government, consider the following statements: [I.A.S. (Pre) 2009]

70. With reference to Union Government, consider the following statements:

1. The number of Ministries at the Centre on 15 August, 1947 was 18.

2. The number of Ministries at the Centre at present is 36.