Cabinet vs Council of Ministers
Notes
The Council of Ministers is the larger body (Art. 74, 75); the Cabinet is its inner, decision-making core. The word "Cabinet" was not in the original Constitution; it was inserted in Art. 352 by the 44th Amendment (1978), which says the President can proclaim a National Emergency only on the written recommendation of the Cabinet.
Basis | Council of Ministers | Cabinet |
|---|---|---|
Constitutional status | Art. 74 and 75 | Mentioned only in Art. 352 (44th Amendment) |
Size | Larger body (60-70 ministers), max 15% of Lok Sabha | Smaller (15-20 senior ministers) |
Composition | Cabinet Ministers, Ministers of State, Deputy Ministers | Only Cabinet Ministers (heads of key ministries) |
Meetings | Seldom meets as a body | Meets frequently, usually weekly |
Functions | Implements the Cabinet's decisions | Takes policy decisions; the supreme decision-making body |
Authority | Acts under Cabinet direction | Directs and controls the Council |
Responsibility | Collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha | Takes the decisions that the Council is bound by |
Related points
- Ministers of State and Deputy Ministers attend Cabinet only if invited.
- Cabinet Committees are extra-constitutional, set up by the PM as needed. Important ones: Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) chaired by the PM, Political Affairs, Economic Affairs, Security, Parliamentary Affairs, Investment and Growth. Most are headed by the PM; some by the Home or Finance Minister.
- Cabinet Secretariat is under the PM; the Cabinet Secretary heads the civil services and is the senior-most bureaucrat. It assists in coordination and manages the Rules of Business.
- Kitchen Cabinet: an informal inner circle of the PM and two to four most trusted colleagues (and sometimes outsiders), where real decisions are often taken. It has no legal status.
- In India the Cabinet is the real executive, while the President is the nominal one.
- The Cabinet system comes from the British model; the Haldane Committee described the Cabinet's functions.
Key Points
- Cabinet is a subset of the Council of Ministers.
- Cabinet appears in the Constitution only via Art. 352 (44th Amendment).
- Cabinet committees and the Kitchen Cabinet are extra-constitutional.
- Cabinet decides policy; Council implements it.
- Council is collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha.
MCQs
Q1. The term "Cabinet" was inserted in the Constitution by: (a) 42nd Amendment (b) 44th Amendment (c) 52nd Amendment (d) 91st Amendment Ans: (b). In Art. 352.
Q2. Cabinet Committees are: (a) Constitutional bodies (b) Statutory bodies (c) Extra-constitutional bodies (d) Parliamentary committees Ans: (c).
Q3. Which of the following is true? (a) Ministers of State are always part of the Cabinet (b) The Cabinet is a part of the Council of Ministers (c) The Council of Ministers is smaller than the Cabinet (d) The Cabinet is mentioned throughout Part V Ans: (b).