Democratic Politics


Chapter : 2. Working Of Institutions

Union Council of Ministers

Union Council of Ministers :
There is a Union Council of Ministers headed by the Prime Minister. The Council of Ministers has three categories of Ministers besides the Prime Minister. They are :
(i) Cabinet Ministers
(ii) Ministers of State, and
(iii) Deputy Ministers.
(i) Cabinet Ministers : They are the most important members of the Council of Ministers. They are the full-fledged Ministers who hold important portfolios.
(ii) Minister of State : They are the second category of Ministers. They may or may not hold an independent charge of any portfolios. The Prime Minister may or may not consult them.
(iii) Deputy Ministers : They are the third category of Ministers who assist the Cabinet Ministers and the Council of Ministers.
Differences between the Cabinet and the Council of Ministers :
There are certain differences between the Cabinet and the Council of Ministers which should be clearly understood. Firstly, the Council of Minister is a wider body while the Cabinet is only its one part. It is the innermost part of the Council of Minister. There are about 60 ministers in the Council of Ministers but in the Cabinet there are about 12 ministers. Secondly, the Cabinet Ministers are full-fledged Ministers who hold important portfolios like Defense, Finance, Home, etc. They are the most trusted collegues of the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister always consults them. He may or may not consult the other ministers. But the decisions of the Cabinet are binding on all the members whether they are a party to the decisions or not.

Trending Articles & Blogs


Download Old Sample Papers For Class X & XII
Download Practical Solutions of Chemistry and Physics for Class 12 with Solutions



Recent Questions Asked