● The Prime Minister

○ Head of council of ministers.

● Appointment
○ The members of majority party elect their leader to be
appointed as the Prime Minister
○ The President then appoints him as the Prime Minister
○ When no political party secures majority in Lok sabha the
President may have some option in the appointment of the
Prime Minister
○ But the President has to appoint that person who can prove
that he has the support of some smaller groups or parties in
order to have majority in the house
● Council of Ministers
○ Cabinet ministers
■ Most important members of council of ministers
■ They hold important portfolios like home, defence,
finance, external affairs
■ Only they have right to attend meeting of cabinet
■ They together determine policies and program of
government
○ Minister of State
■ Prime Minister may or may not consult them
■ They may or may not hold an independent charge of any
portfolios
■ They don’t take part in cabinet meetings but they are
invited to meetings when matter concerning their
department had been considered
○ Deputy Ministers
■ They assist cabinet and council of ministers
■ They are junior ministers and placed under senior
ministers whom they have to assist
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 ■ They take no part in cabinet meetings
● The Cabinet
○ Small but important body of senior leaders of the party who
are included in council of ministers
○ They hold important portfolios and decide major policies of
government
● Appointment
○ The Prime minister recommends his trusted colleagues in the
parliament as members of his cabinet
○ The President of India appoints them as ministers
The real executive powers under the Indian constitution vests
not in the President but in the Union Council of Ministers with the
Prime Minister as its head

● Difference between council of ministers and cabinet-

Council of Ministers Cabinet

Consist of all categories of Cabinet is the small group of
ministers- Cabinet ministers, senior ministers holding
Ministers of State, Deputy important portfolios such as
ministers home, defence, finance etc.
The Prime Minister may or may not Thay are most trusted colleges of
consult the ministers below the Prime Minister. Prime Minister
rank of cabinet ministers always consult them. The
decisions of cabinet are binding on
all the ministers
In day to day working of the They determine the policies and
government council of ministers programme of the government so
as a whole rarely meet they meet as frequently as
possible
According to constitution the In day to day governance of the
President acts on the advice of country the cabinet advises the
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council of ministers but in reality President through the Prime
it is cabinet which advises the Minister
President

● Position and Powers of Prime Minister

○ Prime Minister and President
■ President acts on the advice of Prime Minister
■ Advice and recommendation are must to be followed by
President
■ Prime Minister is the link between President and Council
of Ministers
○ Prime Minister and Cabinet
■ Prime Minister is the head of cabinet
■ Allocates portfolios to them
■ Power to select and dismiss Ministers
■ Resignation of Prime Minister implies the resignation of
the whole cabinet
○ Prime Minister and Parliament
■ Leader of Lok Sabha
■ Spokesperson of the government
■ Defender of government policies
■ Can intervene in controversial issues and can put it to an
end
○ Prime Minister as leader of nation
■ The Prime Minister represents the nation. When he speaks
the whole nation is supposed to be speaking through him
■ During a natural crisis like war even the opposition
parties support the Prime Minister
■ The Prime Minister decides what kind of relations India
would have with other countries
■ The Prime Minister is the co-officio chairman of Niti Ayog
and Atomic Energy Commision
○ Check on the Authority of the Prime Minister
■ Through Prime Minister is the leader of the majority party
he has to ensure the support of his ministers as well as
party
■ Opposition parties always look for a chance to criticise
the Prime Minister
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 ■ The press and public opinion act as effective checks on
Prime Minister authority
○ Collective responsibilities
■ The decisions taken in the meetings of cabinet are equally
applicable to all the ministers
■ All ministers jointly share the responsibility for the
government’s policies and performance
■ If a vote of no confidence is passed against any minister
so the whole ministry have to resign
○ Individual responsibilities
■ The ministers are individually responsible to the
President means they hold office during the pleasure of
President and may be dismissed by him on the advice of
Prime Minister Even when they may have the confidence
of Legislature

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