Consider the following statements:
Statement-I:
Death of PM brings collapse of Council of Ministers
Statement-II:
PM enjoys a Pre-eminent position in the Government
Statement-III:
The Council of Ministers cannot exist without a Prime Minister

Which of the below is correct in respect of the above statements:
(a) Both Statement-II and Statement-III are correct and both of them Explain Statement-I
(b) Both Statement-II and Statement-III are correct but only one of them Explain Statement-I
(c) Only One of the statements-II and-III are correct and that explains statement I
(d) Neither Statement-II nor Statement-III is correct.

Question

Consider the following statements:
Statement-I:
Death of PM brings collapse of Council of Ministers
Statement-II:
PM enjoys a Pre-eminent position in the Government
Statement-III:
The Council of Ministers cannot exist without a Prime Minister

Which of the below is correct in respect of the above statements:
(a) Both Statement-II and Statement-III are correct and both of them Explain Statement-I
(b) Both Statement-II and Statement-III are correct but only one of them Explain Statement-I
(c) Only One of the statements-II and-III are correct and that explains statement I
(d) Neither Statement-II nor Statement-III is correct.

ONLiNE UPSC · Accepted Answer

Statement-I is correct: In the Indian parliamentary system, the Prime Minister is the leader of the Council of Ministers. The Council of Ministers functions as a collective body under the leadership of the Prime Minister. If the Prime Minister dies or resigns, the Council of Ministers is dissolved because there is no leader to head it. This is a constitutional convention.

Statement-II is correct: The Prime Minister holds the most significant position in the government, being the chief executive, the head of the majority party in the Lok Sabha, the chief advisor to the President, and the leader of the Council of Ministers. This pre-eminence is why the Council of Ministers is heavily dependent on the Prime Minister&rsquo;s leadership. This is not the reason for collapse, however the dependence is due to the collective responsibility of the Council of ministers headed by the Prime Minister.

Statement-III is correct: According to Article 75 of the Constitution, the President appoints the Prime Minister first, and then the other ministers are appointed on the advice of the Prime Minister. Hence, the Council of Ministers comes into existence only after the Prime Minister is appointed and ceases to exist without one.

Statement-I, the collapse of the Council of Ministers due to the PM's death, occurs because the Council of Ministers cannot exist without a Prime Minister (Statement-III). Statement-II, though correct, explains the role and importance of the PM but is not exactly the reason for the collapse of the council of ministers after the PM's death. As a matter of fact it is the other way round.

Prime Minister and Council of Ministers

Role and Importance of Prime Minister

Website Link

Test Your Knowledge

Student Resources


M Question 1	⏱ 0
Consider the following statements: Statement-I: Death of PM brings collapse of Council of Ministers Statement-II: PM enjoys a Pre-eminent position in the Government Statement-III: The Council of Ministers cannot exist without a Prime Minister Which of the below is correct in respect of the above statements: (a) Both Statement-II and Statement-III are correct and both of them Explain Statement-I (b) Both Statement-II and Statement-III are correct but only one of them Explain Statement-I (c) Only One of the statements-II and-III are correct and that explains statement I (d) Neither Statement-II nor Statement-III is correct.