Prime Minister and the Central Council of Ministers - general studies MCQs

Prime Minister and the Central Council of Ministers - general studies questions for IAS Prelims


1. Who appoints the Prime Minister?

a) Council of Ministers
b) President
c) Majority party
d) Lok Sabha

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ANSWER: b) President

Explanation: Article 75 of the Constitution specifies that the appointment of the Prime Minister will always be done by the President. The President doesn't have full freedom in choosing though because he has to act according certain protocols. The President appoints the leader of the majority party in Lok Sabha. When such majority is lacking he appoints the leader of the largest party in Lok Sabha and asks him to seek a vote of confidence that must be produced within a month.

Also, in case of death of the Prime Minister, the President has to appoint a new Prime Minister.




2. Consider the following statements. Which among them are true?

1) Article 75 provides information on the appointment and selection of Prime Minister
2) A person must always prove his majority in Lok Sabha BEFORE his appointment as Prime Minister by the President
3) A person may be appointed as Prime Minister by the President who must prove his majority LATER
4) A person who is not a member of Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha can be appointed as Prime Minister

a) Only 1 and 2
b) Only 1, 3 and 4
c) Only 1, 2 and 4
d) Only 1

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ANSWER: b) Only 1, 3 and 4

Explanation: Article 75 of the Constitution specifies that the appointment of the Prime Minister will always be done by the President. And according to Delhi High Court's decision in 1980, a person may be appointed as Prime Minister by the President who must prove his majority later within a reasonable period. Also, in 1997 the Supreme Court declared that A person who is not a member of Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha can be appointed as Prime Minister who must get appointed (either elected or nominated) to either of the Houses within 6 months.




3. Consider the following 4 statements. Which among them are true?

1) Prime Minister of India must only be a member of Lok Sabha
2) Prime Minister of India can be a member of both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha
3) British Prime Minister must only be a member of the Lower House
4) British Prime Minister can be a member of the Lower House as well as Upper House

a) Only 1 and 3
b) Only 1 and 4
c) Only 2 and 3
d) Only 2 and 4

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ANSWER: c) Only 2 and 3

Explanation: 3 Prime Ministers of India have been members of the Rajya Sabha: Indira Gandhi (1966), Deve Gowda (1996), Manmohan Singh (2004). But in UK, the Prime Minister must necessarily be a member of the Lower House (also called as House of Commons) alone.




4) Who administers oath to the Prime Minister?

a) President
b) Chief Justice of India
c) Senior-most judge of Supreme Court
d) none of the above

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ANSWER: a) President

Explanation: It is the President who administers oaths of office and secrecy to the Prime Minister.
Following is the text of the oath as given in the Constitution.

Oath of office: I, < name >, do swear in the name of God/solemnly affirm that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of India as by law established, that I will uphold the sovereignty and integrity of India, that I will faithfully and conscientiously discharge my duties as prime minister for the Union and that I will do right to all manner of people in accordance with the Constitution and the law, without fear or favour, affection or ill-will. (from Constitution of India, Third Schedule, Part I)

Oath of secrecy: I, < name >, do swear in the name of God/solemnly affirm that I will not directly or indirectly communicate or reveal to any person or persons any matter which shall be brought under my consideration or shall become known to me as prime minister for the Union except as may be required for the due discharge of my duties as such Minister. (from Constitution of India, Third Schedule, Part II)




5. What is term of the office of Prime Minister?

a) 5 years
b) 4 years
c) Not fixed
d) 6 years

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ANSWER: c) Not fixed

Explanation: Prime Minister's term is not fixed in the Constitution, unlike that of the President which is 5 years. The Prime Minister remains in office as long as he has the majority in Lok Sabha, and until he enjoys this majority he cannot be removed by the President either. The Prime Minister's term ends when he loses the confidence of the Lok Sabha.




6. Which among the following is NOT within the power of the Prime Minister?

a) The Prime Minister presides over the meeting of Council of Ministers
b) Resignation of the Prime Minister means resignation of the entire Council of Ministers
c) The Prime Minister directly appoints everyone in the Council of Ministers
d) The Prime Minister allocates portfolios to the Ministers

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ANSWER: c) The Prime Minister directly appoints everyone in the Council of Ministers

Explanation: The Prime Minister does not “directly” appoint the Council of Ministers, but he advices the President on who should be appointed and it is the President who does the task of direct appointing.




7. Who can be said to be the leader of the Lok Sabha?

a) President
b) Speaker of Lok Sabha
c) Prime Minister
d) None of the above

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ANSWER: c) Prime Minister

Explanation: As a leader of the Lok Sabha, the Prime Minister also enjoys the following powers:
He can advice to the President on summoning or proroguing the session of the Lok Sabha
Recommending the President to dissolve the Lok Sabha




8. Who is the chairman of the National Development Council?

a) Prime Minister
b) President
c) Vice-President
d) Human Resource Minister

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ANSWER: a) Prime Minister

Explanation: The Prime Minister is also the chairman of the Inter-state council, National water resources council, National Integration Council.




9. Consider the following statements. Which among the following is/are true?

1) It is the sole discretion of the President to choose the Council of Ministers
2) The President can reject to act on the advice of the Council of Ministers
3) The President can ask the Council of Ministers to reconsider the advice given to him by Council of Ministers, but has to act in accordance with the advice that is generated after such reconsideration
4) It is the duty of the Prime Minister to communicate to the President any decisions of the council of ministers that relate to the administrative affairs of the Union

Which among the above are true?

a) Only 1, 2, and 4
b) Only 3 and 4
c) Only 2 and 4
d) All statements are true

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ANSWER: b) Only 3 and 4

Explanation: The Prime Minister does not “directly” appoint the Council of Ministers, but he advices the President on who should be appointed and it is the President who does the task of direct appointing.

As per Article 75, The President can ask the Council of Ministers to reconsider the advice given to him by Council of Ministers, but has to act in accordance with the advice that is generated after such reconsideration. Article 78 makes it necessary for the Prime Minister to communicate to the President any decisions of the council of ministers that relate to the administrative affairs of the Union




10. Who has been the longest serving Prime Minister of India?

a) Manmohan Singh
b) Jawaharlal Nehru
c) Atal Bihari Vajpayee
d) Indira Gandhi

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ANSWER: b) Jawaharlal Nehru

Explanation: Jawaharlal Nehru was appointed as Prime Minister 3 times and has served closed to 16 years. He was also the first Prime Minister of Independent India




11. Which Prime Minister had coined the term, 'Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan' (Hail soldier, Hail Farmer)?

a) Jawaharlal Nehru
b) Indira Gandhi
c) Deve Gowda
d) Lal Bahadur Shastri

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ANSWER: d) Lal Bahadur Shastri

Explanation: Lal Bahadur Shastri gave this slogan at Ramlia Maidan, Delhi in 1965 at a public gathering. He was the second Prime Minister of India.




12. What is the maximum allowed size of the Council of Ministers?

a) Maximum 48
b) No such upper limit
c) cannot exceed 15% of the total members of Lok Sabha
d) cannot exceed 10% of the total members of Lok Sabha

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ANSWER: c) cannot exceed 15% of the total members of Lok Sabha

Explanation: Article 75 (1A) states that the total number of Ministers, including the Prime Minister, in the Council of Ministers shall not exceed fifteen per cent. of the total number of members of the House of the People.




13. Consider the following statements. Which of them is/are false?

1) The central Council of Ministers shall hold office during the pleasure of the President
2) The Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to Rajya Sabha
3) The salaries of ministers are determined by the Parliament
4) If the Prime Minister resigns, the entire Council of Ministers is also dissolved

a) Only 2
b) Only 2 and 4
c) Only 1, 2 and 3
d) All are true

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ANSWER: a) Only 2

Explanation: The Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha, not the Rajya Sabha




14. Consider the following statements. Which of them is/are false?

1) The courts cannot inquire into the nature of advice rendered to the President by the ministers
2) A person who is NOT a member of either Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha can also be appointed as a minister
3) The President administers the oaths to the ministers
4) The President can remove a minister without the advice of the Prime Minister

a) Only 1 and 3
b) Only 2
c) Only 3
d) Only 4

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ANSWER: d) Only 4

Explanation: As per Article 75 of the Constitution, the President can remove the minister ONLY on the advice of the Prime Minister. And a person who is NOT a member of either Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha can also be appointed as a minister provided that he/she gets elected/nominated to either Houses of the Parliament within 6 months.




15. Which among the following is NOT a category of the Council of Ministers?

a) Cabinet Ministers
b) Ministers of State
c) Minister of the Crown
d) Deputy Ministers

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ANSWER: c) Minister of the Crown

Explanation: Minister of Crown is an old term that was used to describe ministers of the Commonwealth countries




16. What would be a best description of the term 'kitchen cabinet'?

a) An informal body of people who may or may not be ministers but are simply close to the Prime Minister
b) A constitutional body of highest ranking cabinet ministers
c) A group of important ministers of the Opposition party
d) none of the above
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ANSWER: a) An informal body of people who may or may not be ministers but are simply close to the Prime Minister




17. Which is the highest decision-making authority of our Indian administrative system?

a) Cabinet Ministry
b) Defence Ministry
c) Rajya Sabha
d) None of the above
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ANSWER: a) Cabinet Ministry




18. Which Amendment made it necessary for the President to act according to the advice rendered to him by the Council of Ministers?

a) 42nd Amendment of 1976
b) 76th Amendment of 1986
c) 34th Amendment 1966
d) 65th Amendment of 1970

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ANSWER: a) 42nd Amendment of 1976

Explanation: It was the 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act of 1976 that made it necessary for the President to act according to the advice rendered to him by the council of ministers. However, by the 44th Constitutional Amendment Act of 1978 an extra provision was added which allowed the President to tender an advice for reconsideration to the Council of Ministers, but the President is then obligated to act in accordance with the advice tendered after such reconsideration.




19. Which among the following is NOT a cabinet committee?

a) Cabinet Committee on Prices
b) Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs
c) Cabinet Committee on Administrative Affairs
d) Cabinet Committee on Investment

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ANSWER: c) Cabinet Committee on Administrative Affairs

Explanation: A Cabinet Committee is not a Constitutional body but it serves the purpose of solving specific tasks, as it works on the principle of labor division and effective delegation.

There are 2 types of Cabinet Committees: standing and ad hoc.

Currently, there are 10 functional Cabinet Committees. They are Cabinet Committee on Prices, Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs, Cabinet Committee on Investment, Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, Cabinet Committee on Security, Cabinet Committee on WTO matters, Cabinet Committee on UIDAI related issues, Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs, Cabinet Committee on Accommodation, Appointments Committee of the Cabinet.


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  • RE: Prime Minister and the Central Council of Ministers - general studies MCQs -Tapan biswal (06/01/19)
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  • RE: Prime Minister and the Central Council of Ministers - general studies MCQs -Poonam (02/25/16)
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