Union Council of Ministers

Defence_Minister_Shri_Rajnath_Singh

Union_Minister_of_Co-operation_Amit_Shah

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Smt._Nirmala_Sitharaman_Hon'ble_Finance_Minister_of_India

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Minister_Jaishankar_(48823162971)_(cropped)

The_Union_Minister_for_Petroleum_&_Natural_Gas_and_Steel,_Shri_Dharmendra_Pradhan_holding_a_press_conference_on_Cabinet_Decisions,_in_New_Delhi_on_December_30,_2020

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Union Council of Ministers

The Union Council of Ministers is a body of high-ranking government officials in India, consisting of senior ministers, called 'cabinet ministers', junior ministers, called 'ministers of state', and, rarely, deputy ministers. It is led by the Prime Minister, who is the head of government. The Council is responsible for the administration and governance of the country and is collectively accountable to the Parliament.

Composition

The Union Council of Ministers is composed of three categories of ministers:

• Cabinet Ministers: These are senior ministers in charge of significant ministries and are part of the Cabinet.
• Ministers of State (Independent Charge): These ministers are in charge of specific ministries but are not part of the Cabinet.
• Ministers of State: These ministers assist Cabinet Ministers and are not in charge of any ministry independently.

Appointment

The President appoints the Prime Minister, who then recommends other ministers. The President appoints the other ministers on the advice of the Prime Minister. The ministers hold office during the pleasure of the President.

Functions

The Union Council of Ministers is responsible for:

• Formulating and implementing policies.
• Administering government departments.
• Proposing bills and legislation in the Parliament.
• Advising the President on various matters.

Meetings

The Cabinet, a subset of the Union Council of Ministers, meets regularly to discuss and decide on major policies and issues. The decisions of the Cabinet are binding on all members of the Union Council of Ministers.

Collective Responsibility

The Union Council of Ministers operates on the principle of collective responsibility. This means that all ministers are collectively responsible to the House of the People (the lower house of Parliament) for the decisions and policies of the government.

Related Pages

• Prime Minister of India
• President of India
• Parliament of India
• Cabinet of India
• Lok Sabha
• Rajya Sabha
• Government of India