In the context of India, which of the following principles is/are implied institutionally in the parliamentary government?
- Members of the Cabinet are Members of the Parliament.
- Ministers hold the office till they enjoy confidence in the Parliament.
- Cabinet is headed by the Head of the State.
Select the correct answer using the codes given below.
- 1 and 2 only
- 3 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
Explanation
Statement 1 is correct
- The ministers are members of both the legislature and the executive.
- This means that a person cannot be a minister without being a member of the Parliament.
- The Constitution stipulates that a minister who is not a member of the Parliament for a period of six consecutive months ceases to be a minister.
Statement 2 is correct
- This is the bedrock principle of parliamentary government.
- The ministers are collectively responsible to the Parliament in general and to the Lok Sabha in particular (Article 75). They act as a team, and swim and sink together.
- The principle of collective responsibility implies that the Lok Sabha can remove the ministry (i.e., council of ministers headed by the prime minister) from office by passing a vote of no confidence.
Statement 3 is incorrect
- The President is the nominal executive (de jure executive or titular executive) while the Prime Minister is the real executive (de facto executive).
- Thus, the President is head of the State, while the Prime Minister is head of the government.
- Article 74 provides for a council of ministers headed by the Prime Minister to aid and advise the President in the exercise of his functions. The advice so tendered is binding on the President1
