Before the 91st Amendment Act (2003), the size of the Council of Ministers in India was determined by the exigencies of time and situation. Let's analyze this answer in detail:

Explanation:

1. Size of the Council of Ministers:
- The Council of Ministers is the body responsible for assisting the President in the exercise of his/her functions. It consists of ministers who are appointed by the President on the advice of the Prime Minister.
- The size of the Council of Ministers determines the number of ministers who can be appointed to assist the President in the governance of the country.

2. Exigencies of time and situation:
- The term "exigencies" refers to urgent and pressing circumstances or requirements. In the context of the Council of Ministers, it means that the size of the Council of Ministers was determined based on the immediate needs and demands of the government at that time.
- The number of ministers in the Council was not fixed or predetermined, but rather flexible and subject to change according to the prevailing circumstances and requirements of governance.
- This flexibility allowed the government to appoint ministers as per the need of the hour, ensuring efficient decision-making and administration.

3. Importance of flexibility:
- The flexibility in determining the size of the Council of Ministers was necessary to accommodate various factors such as political alliances, regional representation, expertise, and administrative efficiency.
- It provided the government with the freedom to expand or reduce the size of the Council as per the changing political landscape and administrative requirements.
- This flexibility also prevented the government from being burdened with an excessive number of ministers or being constrained by a limited number of ministerial positions.

4. The 91st Amendment Act (2003):
- The 91st Amendment Act, passed in 2003, introduced a significant change in the size of the Council of Ministers.
- It added a new clause to Article 75 of the Indian Constitution, which limited the size of the Council of Ministers to 15% of the total strength of the Lok Sabha (the lower house of Parliament).
- This amendment aimed to curb the practice of having large and unwieldy Councils of Ministers, which often led to issues of inefficiency, increased administrative costs, and lack of collective responsibility.

In conclusion, before the 91st Amendment Act (2003), the size of the Council of Ministers in India was determined by the exigencies of time and situation. This allowed flexibility in appointing ministers based on immediate needs and requirements. However, the 91st Amendment Act introduced a limit on the size of the Council to ensure efficient governance and prevent excessive ministerial positions.