Morning Star Textbook Solutions: Prime Minister and Council of Ministers | History and Civics Class 10 ICSE PDF Download

Very Short Questions

Q1: Who is known as the ‘Keystone of the Cabinet arch’?
Ans: The Prime Minister serves as the 'Keystone of the Cabinet arch'.

Q2: Who appoints the Prime Minister?
Ans: The President is responsible for appointing the Prime Minister.

Q3: Who is the Head of the Union Council of Ministers?
Ans: The Prime Minister heads the Union Council of Ministers.

Q4: How the Prime Minister is elected?
Ans: The President appoints as Prime Minister the leader of the political party that secures an absolute majority in the Lok Sabha.

Q5: Who is the real executive head and give reasons to support your answer?
Ans: The Prime Minister functions as the real executive head because they lead the Council of Ministers and Cabinet, select ministers and assign portfolios, and preside over Cabinet meetings and proceedings.

Q6: What is the term of office of the Prime Minister?
Ans: While the Prime Minister's official term is 5 years, they remain in office only as long as they maintain majority support in the Lok Sabha.

Q7: Mention one way by which the authority of the Prime Minister can be checked?
Ans: The Prime Minister's authority can be checked through a Motion of No-Confidence passed by the Lok Sabha when they fail to fulfill obligations or make harmful decisions, rendering them unfit for the position.

Q8: How is the Council of Ministers appointed?
Ans: The President appoints the Council of Ministers based on the Prime Minister's recommendations.

Q9: To which house is the Council of Ministers responsible?
Ans: The Council of Ministers is collectively accountable to the Lok Sabha.

Q10: What does the Ministers do before joining the Council of Ministers?
Ans: Ministers must take an oath of secrecy before joining the Council of Ministers.

Q11: Who administers the Oath of office to the Council of Ministers?
Ans: The President of India administers the oath of office to the Council of Ministers.

Q12: Shri Chapman Lai is appointed as Council of Minister, but he is not the member of either House of Parliament. What will he do?
Ans: Shri Chaman Lai must obtain membership in Parliament within six months or resign before this period expires.

Q13: Under what provision can a non-member of the Legislature be made a Minister?
Ans: A non-member can be appointed as a Minister but must be elected to Parliament within six months of appointment or resign from ministerial position.

Q14: Name the three categories of the Council of Ministers.
Or
Mention the different categories of ministers in the Union Council of Ministers.
Ans: The three categories are: Cabinet Ministers, Ministers of State, and Deputy Ministers.

Q15: What happens when.a Motion of No-Confidence against the Council of Ministers is passed in Lok Sabha?
Ans: When a No-Confidence Motion passes in the Lok Sabha, all Ministers must resign due to the principle of collective responsibility to Parliament.

Q16: Discuss in brief about the formation of Cabinet.
Ans: The Cabinet consists of the Prime Minister and approximately 35 senior ministers who form a collective decision-making body operating from New Delhi's secretariat.

Q17: What is meant by the term Cabinet in a State?
Ans: The Cabinet is a cohesive group of fifteen to eighteen senior members holding important portfolios such as defense, home affairs, finance, and foreign affairs.

Q18: Who gives the important portfolios?
Ans: Cabinet Ministers receive the important portfolios such as defense, home affairs, finance, and parliamentary affairs.

Q19: Which body formulates the Foreign Policy of India?
Ans: The Cabinet formulates India's Foreign Policy.

Q20: Who prepares the Annual Budget?
Ans: The Finance Minister prepares the Annual Budget.

Q21: Who serves as a link between the Legislature and the Executive?
Ans: The Cabinet acts as the link between the Legislature and Executive.

Q22: What is Coalition Government?
Ans: A Coalition Government forms when multiple political parties join together because no single party wins an absolute majority (50% of seats) in Parliament.

Q23: Why the Ministers are required to take the oath of secrecy?
Ans: Ministers take the oath of secrecy to fulfill their constitutional obligation not to disclose Cabinet secrets.

Q24: What is the role of Cabinet in proclamation of emergency?
Ans: The President can only proclaim a national emergency after receiving the Cabinet's written recommendation.

Q25: Discuss the role of Cabinet in maintaining control over appointments.
Ans: All significant appointments, such as Governors and other key positions, must be discussed in Cabinet before being announced publicly.

Short Questions – I

Q1: What are Cabinet Committees?
Ans: Cabinet Committees are specialized groups composed of experts that assist the Prime Minister in decision-making, such as the Defense Committee and Planning Committee.

Q2: Write two important functions of the Cabinet Ministers.
Ans: Cabinet Ministers: 

• Make policies and decisions, and 
• Determine India's foreign policy with other nations.

Q3: Mention two Legislative functions of the Cabinet.
Ans: The Cabinet: 

• Guides Parliament's actions, and 
• Recommends ordinance promulgation to the President when Parliament isn't in session.

Q4: What are the diplomatic functions of Cabinet?
Ans: The Cabinet: 

• Approves Ambassador appointments, 
• Determines India's foreign policy, and 
• Formulates provisions for international treaties and agreements.

Q5: Mention three different ways, how loss of confidence in the Council of Ministers can be displayed by the Lok Sabha?
Ans: The Lok Sabha can show no confidence by: 

• Voting for a budget cut
• Passing an adjournment motion
• Passing bill amendments against government wishes

Q6: What do you understand by Individual Responsibility?
Ans: Individual Responsibility means each Minister is accountable for their personal conduct, departmental shortcomings, and deviations from official policy, requiring resignation when such circumstances arise.

Q7: What is the basic principle of Collective Responsibility?
Or
What do you understand by the term ‘Collective Responsibility of the Council of Ministers’?
Or
Explain the term ‘Collective Responsibility’.
Ans: Collective Responsibility means ministers are jointly answerable for Cabinet decisions, cannot publicly criticize these decisions, and must resign or face dismissal if unable to defend them.

Q8: The Council of Ministers and the Prime Minister sink and swim together. Explain the statement.
Ans: This statement reflects their collective responsibility to the Lok Sabha—if a No-Confidence Motion passes, the entire Council must resign, and if the Prime Minister resigns, the Council dissolves.

Short Questions – II

Q1: Mention three important functions of the Prime Minister.
Ans: The Prime Minister: 

• Presides over and sets agendas for Cabinet meetings
• Coordinates departmental operations and Union policy
• Keeps the President informed about Union affairs

Q2: What is the role of the Cabinet secretariat?
Ans: The Cabinet Secretariat, headed by a Secretary General under the Prime Minister's supervision, coordinates high-level decision-making by preparing meeting agendas, recording minutes, and implementing decisions.

Q3: Mention the administrative functions of Cabinet.
Ans: The Cabinet: 

• Formulates external and domestic policies
• Implements policies through administrative action or legislation
• Coordinates departmental operations for smooth policy implementation

Q4: Discuss the role of cabinet in financial matters.
Ans: The Cabinet: 

• Manages government expenditure, grant requests, and revenue generation
• Through the Finance Minister, prepares the budget with ministerial cooperation
• The Finance Minister presents the final budget to the Lok Sabha

Q5: What is the difference between the Council of Ministers and the Cabinet in the Central Executive?

Ans: They differ in that:

• The Council includes all minister categories while the Cabinet comprises about 25 senior ministers
• The full Council rarely meets while the Cabinet meets frequently
•  The Cabinet functions as an inner body exercising powers on behalf of the Council.

Long Questions

Q1: Mention the various categories of Ministers.

Ans: There are three categories:

• Cabinet Ministers: Senior, experienced, influential leaders who manage important government ministries like Finance and Foreign Affairs.
• Ministers of State: Generally junior colleagues learning governance, though experienced leaders may also hold these positions. They answer parliamentary questions for their ministry.
• Deputy Ministers: The most junior ministers who assist senior ministers in departments with heavy workloads and answer parliamentary questions on their behalf.

Q2: Discuss the salient features of Cabinet system.
Ans: Some of the significant features of the Cabinet system in India are as follows:

• Presidential Exclusion: Though executive actions occur in the President's name, the Council of Ministers holds real power and responsibility.
• Prime Ministerial Leadership: The Prime Minister leads the Cabinet and Council of Ministers, selects members, distributes portfolios, and conducts meetings. The Council dissolves when the Prime Minister resigns.
• Cabinet Unity: Ministers typically belong to one party with shared objectives and a common leader, functioning as a single unit despite potential private disagreements.
• Collective Responsibility: Ministers function as a team led by the Prime Minister, jointly answering for Cabinet decisions without public criticism or disagreement.
• Individual Responsibility: Each Minister is accountable for personal conduct, departmental failures, and policy deviations, requiring resignation when such circumstances arise.

Q3: What are the Legislative functions performed by the Cabinet?
Ans: The Cabinet's legislative functions include:

• Guiding Parliament's actions
• Preparing the parliamentary legislative program
• Drafting and initiating bills
• Setting parliamentary session dates
• Recommending ordinances to the President when Parliament isn't in session
• Proposing Constitutional amendments
• Deciding on Parliament's dissolution