Union Council of Ministers

The Union Council of Ministers[1] is the principal executive organ of the Government of India, which functions as the senior decision making body of the executive branch. It is chaired by the prime minister and consists of the heads of each of the executive government ministries. Currently, the council is headed by prime minister Narendra Modi and consists of 29 members, including the prime minister. The council is subject to the Parliament of India.

Union Council of Ministers
Agency overview
Formed15 August 1947 (1947-08-15)
TypeHighest executive body of the federal government
JurisdictionGovernment of the Republic of India
HeadquartersNew Delhi
MottoSatyameva Jayate (Truth always prevails)
Agency executives
Child agencies
  • Cabinet
  • Ministries of the Government of India
Websiteenglish.www.gov.in

A smaller executive body called the Union Cabinet is the supreme decision-making body in India; it is a subset of the Union Council of Ministers who hold important portfolios and ministries of the government.[2]

Regulation

Pursuant to Article 75(3), the Council of Ministers is responsible collectively to the lower house of the Indian parliament, called the Lok Sabha (House of the People).[3] When a bill introduced by a minister in the Lok Sabha is not approved by it, the entire council of ministers is responsible and not the minister. The council of ministers upon losing the confidence of Lok Sabha shall resign to facilitate the formation of a new government.

A minister shall take any decision without being considered by the council of ministers per Article 78(c). All union cabinet members shall submit in writing to the President to propose a proclamation of emergency by the president in accordance with Article 352.

According to the Constitution of India, the total number of ministers in the council of ministers must not exceed 15% of the total number of members of the Lok Sabha. Ministers must be members of parliament. Any minister who is not a member of either of the houses of the parliament for six consecutive months is automatically stripped off his or her ministerial post.[3]

Ranking

There are five categories of the council of ministers as given below, in descending order of rank:

  • Prime Minister: Leader of the executive of the Government of India.
  • Deputy Prime Minister (if any): Presides as prime minister in his absence or as the senior most cabinet minister.[4]
  • Cabinet Minister: A member of the Union cabinet; leads a ministry.
  • Minister of State (Independent charge): Junior minister not reporting to a Cabinet Minister.
  • Minister of State (MoS): Deputy Minister reporting to a Cabinet Minister, usually tasked with a specific responsibility in that ministry.

Appointment

Pursuant to Article 75, a minister who works at the pleasure of the president, is appointed by the President on the advice of the Prime Minister. Since at least the turn of the millennia, evidence indicates that an MP's electoral performance enhances the likelihood of being granted a ministerial portfolio.[5]

Removal

  • Upon death.
  • Upon self resignation, or resignation or death of Prime Minister.
  • Upon dismissal by the President for minister's unconstitutional acts per Article 75(2).[6]
  • Upon direction from the Judiciary for committing violation of law.
  • Upon ceasing eligibility to be a member of Parliament.
  • Under the provision of "Collective Responsibility" under Article 75, the Prime Minister and the entire Council of Ministers resign if a Vote of No Confidence is passed in the Lower House (Lok Sabha) of the Indian Parliament.[7]

Council of Ministers in state governments

Every state in India is governed by its council of ministers with rules and procedures similar to the union council of ministers per Articles 163, 164 and 167(c).

In March 2020, the Supreme Court of India used its powers for the first time to do "complete justice" under Article 142 of the Indian Constitution to remove a minister functioning in the state of Manipur.[8]

Current Union Council of Ministers

Council portfolios are as follows:[9][10][11]

Cabinet Ministers

PortfolioMinisterTookofficeLeftofficeParty
Prime Minister
Minister of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions
Department of Atomic Energy
Department of Space
(All important policy issues and other portfolios not allocated to any minister)
30 May 2019Incumbent BJP
Minister of Defence30 May 2019Incumbent BJP
Minister of Home Affairs
Minister of Co-operation
30 May 2019Incumbent BJP
Minister of Finance
Minister of Corporate Affairs
30 May 2019Incumbent BJP
Minister of Road Transport and Highways30 May 2019Incumbent BJP
Minister of External Affairs30 May 2019Incumbent BJP
Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare30 May 2019Incumbent BJP
Minister of Education
Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship
7 July 2021Incumbent BJP
Minister of Commerce and Industry
Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution
Minister of Textiles
30 May 2019Incumbent BJP
Minister of Women and Child Development
Minister of Minority Affairs
30 May 2019
22 July 2022
Incumbent BJP
Minister of Tribal Affairs30 May 2019Incumbent BJP
Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment7 July 2021Incumbent BJP
Minister of Health and Family Welfare
Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers
7 July 2021Incumbent BJP
Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
Minister of Labour and Employment
7 July 2021Incumbent BJP
Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises30 May 2019Incumbent BJP
Minister of Parliamentary Affairs
Minister of Coal
Minister of Mines
30 May 2019Incumbent BJP
Minister of Jal Shakti30 May 2019Incumbent BJP
Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises7 July 2021Incumbent BJP
Minister of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries
7 July 2021Incumbent BJP
Minister of Railways
Minister of Communications
Minister of Electronics and Information Technology
7 July 2021Incumbent BJP
Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways
Minister of AYUSH
7 July 2021Incumbent BJP
Minister of Rural Development
Minister of Panchayati Raj
7 July 2021Incumbent BJP
Minister of Civil Aviation
Minister of Steel
7 July 2021
6 July 2022
Incumbent BJP
Minister of Food Processing Industries7 July 2021Incumbent RLJP
Minister of Power
Minister of New and Renewable Energy
7 July 2021Incumbent BJP
Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas
Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs
7 July 2021Incumbent BJP
Minister of Culture
Minister of Tourism
Minister of Development of North Eastern Region
7 July 2021Incumbent BJP
Minister of Information and Broadcasting
Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports
7 July 2021Incumbent BJP
Reference: Official Government of India publication, 31 May 2019

Ministers of State (Independent Charge)

PortfolioMinisterTookofficeLeftofficeParty
Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Statistics and Programme Implementation
Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Planning
Minister of State in the Ministry of Corporate Affairs
30 May 2019Incumbent BJP
Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Ministry of Science and Technology
Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office
Minister of State in the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions
Minister of State in the Department of Atomic Energy
Minister of State in the Department of Space
30 May 2019Incumbent BJP
Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Ministry of Law and Justice18 May 2023[12]Incumbent BJP
Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Ministry of Earth Sciences18 May 2023[13]Incumbent BJP

Ministers of State

PortfolioMinisterTookofficeLeftofficeParty
Minister of State in the Ministry of Railways7 July 2021Incumbent BJP
7 July 2021Incumbent BJP
Minister of State in the Ministry of Textiles7 July 2021Incumbent BJP
Minister of State in the Ministry of Steel30 May 2019Incumbent BJP
Minister of State in the Ministry of Rural Development30 May 2019Incumbent BJP
30 May 2019Incumbent BJP
Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare7 July 2021Incumbent BJP
Minister of State in the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs30 May 2019Incumbent BJP
30 May 2019Incumbent BJP
Minister of State in the Ministry of External Affairs30 May 2019Incumbent BJP
7 July 2021Incumbent BJP
7 July 2021Incumbent BJP
Minister of State in the Ministry of Culture30 May 2019Incumbent BJP
7 July 2021Incumbent BJP
Minister of State in the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways
Minister of State in the Ministty of Civil Aviation
30 May 2019Incumbent BJP
Minister of State in the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment30 May 2019Incumbent RPI(A)
7 July 2021Incumbent BJP
7 July 2021Incumbent BJP
Minister of State in the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution7 July 2021Incumbent BJP
30 May 2019Incumbent BJP
Minister of State in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change7 July 2021Incumbent BJP
Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs30 May 2019Incumbent BJP
7 July 2021Incumbent BJP
7 July 2021Incumbent BJP
Minister of State in the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare7 July 2021Incumbent BJP
30 May 2019Incumbent BJP
Minister of State in the Ministry of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries7 July 2021Incumbent BJP
7 July 2021Incumbent BJP
Minister of State in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting7 July 2021Incumbent BJP
Minister of State in the Ministry of Education7 July 2021Incumbent BJP
7 July 2021Incumbent BJP
7 July 2021Incumbent BJP
Minister of State in the Ministry of Tribal Affairs30 May 2019Incumbent BJP
7 July 2021Incumbent BJP
Minister of State in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry30 May 2019Incumbent BJP
7 July 2021Incumbent AD(S)
Minister of State in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas
Minister of State in the Ministry of Labour and Employment
30 May 2019Incumbent BJP
Minister of State in the Ministry of Women and Child Development
Minister of State in the Ministry of AYUSH
7 July 2021Incumbent BJP
Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance7 July 2021Incumbent BJP
7 July 2021Incumbent BJP
Minister of State in the Ministry of Law and Justice7 July 2021Incumbent BJP
Minister of State in the Ministry of Tourism7 July 2021Incumbent BJP
7 July 2021Incumbent BJP
Minister of State in the Ministry of Defence7 July 2021Incumbent BJP
Minister of State in the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region
Minister of State in the Ministry of Co-operation
7 July 2021Incumbent BJP
Minister of State in the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
Minister of State in the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers
7 July 2021Incumbent BJP
Minister of State in the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises7 July 2021Incumbent BJP
Minister of State in the Ministry of Jal Shakti7 July 2021Incumbent BJP
7 July 2021Incumbent BJP
Minister of State in the Ministry of Coal
Minister of State in the Ministry of Mines
7 July 2021Incumbent BJP
Minister of State in the Ministry of Communications7 July 2021Incumbent BJP
Minister of State in the Ministry of Minority Affairs7 July 2021Incumbent BJP
Minister of State in the Ministry of Panchayati Raj7 July 2021Incumbent BJP
Minister of State in the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs7 July 2021Incumbent BJP
Minister of State in the Ministry of Power
Minister of State in the Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises
7 July 2021Incumbent BJP
Minister of State in the Ministry of Food Processing Industries7 July 2021Incumbent BJP
Minister of State in the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship
Minister of State in the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
7 July 2021Incumbent BJP
Minister of State in the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways7 July 2021Incumbent BJP
7 July 2021Incumbent BJP
Minister of State in the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports7 July 2021Incumbent BJP

See also

References

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