Which of the following statements regarding the constitutional responsibility of the Council of Ministers (CoM) is/are correct?
- The Union Council of Ministers is collectively accountable to the Lok Sabha.
- In states with bicameral legislatures, the State CoM is collectively responsible to the Legislative Council.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
The correct answer is option 1 i.e. Only 1.
Statement 1: The Union Council of Ministers is collectively accountable to the Lok Sabha. This statement is correct. Article 75(3) of the Constitution clearly states that the Council of Ministers at the Union level is collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha. It means the ministry must retain the confidence of the Lok Sabha; if it loses majority support, the entire Council must resign.
Statement 2: In states with bicameral legislatures, the State Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to the Legislative Council (Vidhan Parishad). This statement is incorrect. Article 164(2) specifies that the State Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to the Legislative Assembly (Vidhan Sabha), not the Legislative Council.