New Council of Ministers sworn-in: What are the functions of Cabinet Ministers and Ministers of State?
President Draupadi Murmu administered oaths to the Central Council of Ministers of the new NDA government on Sunday (June 9).
Led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the COM is larger in strength compared to the previous term, featuring 30 cabinet ministers, five Ministers of State (Independent Charge) and 36 Ministers of State.
What is the Council of Ministers and who are its members? What are the duties entrusted to them? What is the difference between a Minister of State (MoS) and an MoS with Independent Charge?..
What is the Central Council of Ministers?
The Central Council of Ministers, led by the Prime Minister, plays a crucial role in shaping government policies within India’s parliamentary system. Despite the President being the head of the Executive, they are required to act based on the guidance of the Council of Ministers, as stipulated by the Indian Constitution. As per Article 75, “There shall be a Council of Ministers with the Prime Minister at the helm to aid and advise the President, who must act in accordance with such advice…” Additionally, Article 75 specifies that the President appoints the Prime Minister and other ministers upon the Prime Minister’s recommendation, with the council’s size not to exceed 15% of the Lok Sabha’s strength. Furthermore, Article 88 grants ministers the authority to speak or participate in proceedings in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, as well as in any joint session of both houses or in any Parliamentary committee they may be part of, although it does not guarantee them the right to vote.
What is the role of the Prime Minister in the Council of Ministers?
The Prime Minister is the head of the Central Council of Ministers and holds an executive role. The position is often described as “first among equals”, indicating that the PM has a unique leadership role but is equal to the other ministers in the Council. Article 75 states that the Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to the House of the People. The Prime Minister is responsible for making decisions on all important policy issues and other portfolios not allocated to any other minister. For example, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chairs the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, a position he held in the outgoing council as well. Additionally, he supervises the Department of Atomic Energy and the Department of Space. The Prime Minister also serves as the head of the Cabinet Secretariat, which supervises the day-to-day administration of the government and the conduct of business between ministries. Furthermore, he heads the NITI Aayog and the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet.
Cabinet ministers are the most senior members of the government, second only to the Prime Minister. They are responsible for overseeing important ministries such as Home Affairs, Finance, and Defence, and have the authority to organize and attend meetings and make important policy decisions. In the new Council of Ministers, Amit Shah has been re-appointed as the Home Minister, with the task of overseeing the country’s internal security, including the police force. Also retaining their positions from the previous cabinet are Nitin Gadkari as the Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nirmala Sitharaman as the Finance Minister, and Rajnath Singh as the Defence Minister. This time, 37 ministers have been dropped from the outgoing cabinet.
Who are the Ministers of State (Independent Charge)?
In the previous council, Rao Inderjit Singh served as Minister of State with independent charge, overseeing both the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation and the Ministry of Planning. Dr. Jitendra Singh served as Minister of State with independent charge of the Ministry of Science and Technology. Arjun Ram Meghwal held the same position, overseeing the Ministry of Law and Justice. The new council has retained all three members from the previous council and has also added Prataprao Jadhav and Jayant Chaudhary.
Who are the Ministers of State?
As opposed to a Minister of State (Independent Charge), a Minister of State does not have the primary administrative duties over a ministry but assists a cabinet minister with those duties. They are responsible for specific functions delegated to them by their superior. Ministries with crucial mandates, such as the Home Ministry, the Ministry of External Affairs, the Health Ministry, and the Education Ministry, may have two or three Ministers of State working with the cabinet minister. The outgoing council had 42 Ministers of State.
