Laxmikanth Test: The Prime Minister- 1 - UPSC

The term of the Prime Minister is not fixed and he holds office during the pleasure of the president. However, this does not mean that the president can dismiss the Prime Minister at any time. So long as the Prime Minister enjoys the majority support in the Lok Sabha, he cannot be dismissed by the President.

However, if he loses the confidence of the Lok Sabha, he must resign or the President can dismiss him.

1. He advises the President with regard to summoning and proroguing of the sessions of the Parliament. 

2. He can recommend dissolution of the Lok Sabha to the President at any time. 

3. He announces government policies on the floor of the House.

The Prime Minister shall be appointed by the President and the other Ministers shall be appointed by the President on the advice of the Prime Minister. The total number of ministers, including the Prime Minister, in the Council of Ministers, shall not exceed 15% of the total strength of the Lok Sabha.

The correct answer is 1 and 2 only.

Important Points

CABINET COMMITTEES

​The following are the features of Cabinet Committees:

• They are extra-constitutional in emergence. In other words, they are not mentioned in the Constitution. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
  • However, the Rules of Business provide for their establishment.
• They are of two types–standing and ad hoc.
  • The former is of a permanent nature while the latter is of a temporary nature.
  • The ad hoc committees are constituted from time to time to deal with special problems. They are disbanded after their task is completed.

They are set up by the Prime Minister according to the exigencies of the time and requirements of the situation. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

Hence, their number, nomenclature, and composition vary from time to time.

• Their membership varies from three to eight.
  • They usually include only Cabinet Ministers.
  • However, the non-cabinet Ministers are not debarred from their membership.
  • They not only include the Ministers in charge of subjects covered by them but also include other senior Ministers
• They are mostly headed by the Prime Minister. Some times other Cabinet Ministers, particularly the Home Minister or the Finance Minister, also acts as their Chairman.
  • But, in case the Prime Minister is a member of a committee, he invariably presides over it.
• They not only sort out issues and formulate proposals for the consideration of the Cabinet but also take decisions.
  • However, the Cabinet can review their decisions. Hence, statement 3 is NOT correct.
• They are an organisational device to reduce the enormous workload of the Cabinet.
• They also facilitate in-depth examination of policy issues and effective coordination.
• They are based on the principles of division of labour and effective delegation. 

3 Prime Ministers of India have been members of the Rajya Sabha: Indira 

Gandhi (1966), Deve Gowda (1996), Manmohan Singh (2004). But in the UK, the Prime Minister must necessarily be a member of the Lower House (also called as House of Commons) alone.

Duties of Prime Minister as respects the furnishing of information to the President, etc It shall be the duty of the Prime Minister

(a) to communicate to the President all decisions of the council of Ministers relating to the administration of the affairs of the union and proposals for legislation;

(b) to furnish such information relating to the administration of the affairs of the Union and proposals for legislation as the President may call for; and

(c) if the President so requires, to submit for the consideration of the Council of Ministers any matter on which a decision has been taken by a Minister but which has not been considered by the Council CHAPTER II PARLIAMENT General