Many states in the Indian Union have instituted the post of Parliament...
Parliamentary secretaries are ruling party members appointed to assist ministers. They often hold the minister of State's rank and has the same entitlements and is assigned to a government department. They have access to all official files and documents
Manipur, Himachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Assam, Rajasthan, Punjab, Goa are some of the states where MLAs have been appointed Parliament Secretaries by the Government.
Various petitions in the High Court have challenged Parliament Secretary's appointment, including in Delhi most recently.
In June 2015, Calcutta HC quashed 24 Parliamentary Secretaries in West Bengal dubbing it unconstitutional.
Delhi High Court in 2016 quashed the appointment of Parliamentary secretaries as they are deemed to be Ministers, and there is a cap on the number of ministers in the government as per the Constitution (The limit is 10 per cent for Delhi, owing to its special status).
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Many states in the Indian Union have instituted the post of Parliament...
This question is related to the post of Parliamentary Secretary in the Indian Union. A Parliamentary Secretary is generally a Civil Servant or bureaucrat holding an Office of Profit and is assigned charge of an entire government department only in the absence of Cabinet Ministers. The correct answer is option 'D', none of the above statements are correct.
Explanation:
1. Generally a Civil Servant/bureaucrat holding an Office of Profit: This statement is incorrect. A Parliamentary Secretary is not necessarily a civil servant or bureaucrat holding an Office of Profit. In fact, a Parliamentary Secretary is usually a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) or Member of the Legislative Council (MLC). They are appointed by the Chief Minister or the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly and their primary role is to assist the Ministers in their respective departments.
2. Assigned charge of an entire government department only in the absence of Cabinet Ministers: This statement is also incorrect. A Parliamentary Secretary does not have the authority to take charge of an entire government department in the absence of Cabinet Ministers. Their role is more of an assistant or a liaison between the Ministers and the legislature. They may be assigned specific responsibilities or tasks by the Minister, but they do not have the power to make decisions or take charge of a department.
Parliamentary Secretaries are appointed to assist the Ministers in their day-to-day functioning and to bridge the gap between the executive and the legislature. They help in coordination, communication, and implementation of government policies and programs. They may be responsible for drafting replies to questions raised in the legislature, representing the Minister in official meetings or functions, and providing support in policy formulation and implementation.
In recent years, the appointment of Parliamentary Secretaries has been a subject of controversy in some states, as there have been concerns about the legality and constitutionality of such appointments. The question of whether the post of Parliamentary Secretary amounts to an Office of Profit has been raised in various courts, and in some cases, the appointments have been declared illegal. Therefore, it is important to understand the role and responsibilities of Parliamentary Secretaries accurately.