The Union Council of Ministers Article 58 of the ''

Constitution of India The Constitution of India (IAST: ) is the supreme law of India. The document lays down the framework that demarcates fundamental political code, structure, procedures, powers, and duties of government institutions and sets out fundamental ri ...

'' is the principal executive organ of the

Government of India The Government of India (ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, c ...

, which is responsible for being the senior decision making body of the executive branch. It is chaired by the

prime minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

and consists of the heads of each of the executive government ministries. Currently, the council is headed by prime minister

Narendra Modi Narendra Damodardas Modi (; born 17 September 1950) is an Indian politician serving as the 14th and current Prime Minister of India since 2014. Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat from 2001 to 2014 and is the Member of Parliament from ...

and consists of 29 members, including the prime minister. The council is subject to the

Parliament of India The Parliament of India (International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: ) is the supreme legislative body of the Republic of India. It is a bicameralism, bicameral legislature composed of the president of India and two houses: the R ...

. A smaller executive body called the Union Cabinet is the supreme decision-making body in India; it is a subset of the Union Council of Ministers who hold important portfolios and

ministries Ministry may refer to: Government * Ministry (collective executive), the complete body of government ministers under the leadership of a prime minister * Ministry (government department), a department of a government Religion * Christian mi ...

of the government Wikisource: Constitution of India/Part XVIII

Regulation

Pursuant to Article 75(3), the Council of Ministers is responsible collectively to the lower house of the

Indian parliament The Parliament of India ( IAST: ) is the supreme legislative body of the Republic of India. It is a bicameral legislature composed of the president of India and two houses: the Rajya Sabha (Council of States) and the Lok Sabha (House of the ...

, called the

Lok Sabha The Lok Sabha, constitutionally the House of the People, is the lower house of India's bicameral Parliament, with the upper house being the Rajya Sabha. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by an adult universal suffrage and a first-past ...

(House of the People). Wikisource:Constitution of India/Part V#Article 74 .7BCouncil of Ministers to aid and advise President.7D When a bill introduced by a minister in the Lok Sabha is not approved by it, the entire council of ministers is responsible and not the minister. The council of ministers upon losing the confidence of Lok Sabha shall resign to facilitate the formation of a new government. A minister shall take any decision without being considered by the council of ministers per Article 78(c). All union cabinet members shall submit in writing to the

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

to propose a proclamation of emergency by the president in accordance with Article 352. According to the

, the total number of ministers in the council of ministers must not exceed 15% of the total number of members of the Lok Sabha. Ministers must be members of parliament. Any minister who is not a member of either of the houses of the parliament for six consecutive months is automatically stripped off his or her ministerial post.

Ranking

There are five categories of the council of ministers as given below, in descending order of

rank Rank is the relative position, value, worth, complexity, power, importance, authority, level, etc. of a person or object within a ranking, such as: Level or position in a hierarchical organization * Academic rank * Diplomatic rank * Hierarchy * H ...

: *

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

: Leader of the executive of the

. *

Deputy Prime Minister A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some countries, a government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to that of a vice president, ...

(if any): Presides as prime minister in his absence or as the senior most cabinet minister. * Cabinet Minister: A member of the cabinet; leads a

ministry Ministry may refer to: Government * Ministry (collective executive), the complete body of government ministers under the leadership of a prime minister * Ministry (government department), a department of a government Religion * Christian ...

. * Minister of State (Independent charge): Junior minister not reporting to a Cabinet Minister. *

Minister of State Minister of State is a title borne by politicians in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a Minister of State is a Junior Minister of government, who is assigned to assist a specific Cabinet Minister. In o ...

(MoS): Deputy Minister reporting to a Cabinet Minister, usually tasked with a specific responsibility in that ministry.

Appointment

Pursuant to Article 75, a minister who works at the pleasure of the

president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

, is appointed by The President on the advice of The Prime Minister. Since at least the turn of the millennia, evidence indicates that an MP's electoral performance enhances the likelihood of being granted a ministerial portfolio.

Removal

* Upon death. * Upon self resignation, or resignation or death of Prime Minister. * Upon dismissal by the President for minister's unconstitutional acts per Article 75(2). * Upon direction from the Judiciary for committing violation of law. * Upon ceasing eligibility to be a member of Parliament. * Under the provision of "Collective Responsibility" under Article 75, the Prime Minister and the entire Council of Ministers resign if a

Vote of No Confidence A motion of no confidence, also variously called a vote of no confidence, no-confidence motion, motion of confidence, or vote of confidence, is a statement or vote about whether a person in a position of responsibility like in government or mana ...

is passed in the Lower House (Lok Sabha) of the Indian Parliament.

Council of Ministers in state governments

Every state in India is governed by its council of ministers with rules and procedures similar to the union council of ministers per Articles 163, 164 and 167(c). In March 2020, the Supreme Court of India used its powers for the first time to do "complete justice" under Article 142 of the Indian Constitution to remove a minister functioning in the state of Manipur.

Current Union Council of Ministers

Council portfolios are as follows:

Cabinet Ministers

, colspan=7,

Ministers of State (Independent Charge)

Ministers of State

References

External links

*Union Council of Ministers at th
National Portal of India
*New Union Council of Ministers (Cabinet Reshuffle 2021) List a
Full List of Ministers Who Resigned and Newly Appointed Ministers in Cabinet Reshuffle - Law Planet - Legal News, Law Updates & Law Exams Preparation
{{DEFAULTSORT:Union Council of Ministers of India Parliament of India

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

Council of Ministers of India