What is collective responsibility of ministers?
Q. Which of the following is/are true regarding the responsibility of ministers?
1) Article 75 deals with collective responsibility of the council of ministers.
2) Order of the President for a public act should not be countersigned by a minister in India.- Published on 01 Mar 17a. Only 1
b. Only 2
c. Both 1 and 2
d. Neither 1 nor 2
ANSWER: Both 1 and 2
Collective Responsibility -
- The fundamental principle in working of parliamentary system of government is the principle of collective responsibility.
- Article 75 clearly states that the council of ministers is collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha.
- This means that all the ministers own joint responsibility to the Lok Sabha for all their acts of ommission and commission.
- When the Lok Sabha passes a no-confidence motion against the council of ministers, all the ministers have to resign including those ministers who are from the Rajya Sabha.
- Each minister need not resign separately; the resignation of the prime minister amounts to the resignation of the entire council of ministers.
- Alternatively,the council of ministers can advise the president to dissolve the Lok Sabha on the ground that the House does not represent the views of the electorate faithfully and call for fresh elections.
- The President may not oblige the council of ministers that has lost the confidence of the Lok Sabha.
- The principle of collective responsibility also means that the Cabinet decisions bind all cabinet ministers (and other ministers) even if they differed in the cabinet meeting.
- It is the duty of every minister to stand by cabinet decisions and support them both within and outside the Parliament.
- If any minister disagrees with a cabinet decision and is not prepared to defend it, he must resign.
- Several ministers have resigned in the past owing to their differences with the cabinet.
- For example, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar resigned because of his differences with his colleagues on the Hindu Code Bill in 1953.
- C.D. Deshmukh resigned due to his differences on the policy of reorganization of states.
- Arif Mohammed resigned due to his opposition to the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce)Act, 1986.
Individual Responsibility -
- Article 75 also contains principle of individual responsibility.
- It states that the ministers hold office during the pleasure of the president, which means that the President can remove a minister even at a time when the council of ministers enjoys the confidence of the Lok Sabha.
- However, the President removes a minister only on the advice of the Prime Minister.
- In case of a difference of opinion or dissatisfaction with the performance of a minister, the Prime Minister can ask him to resign or advice the President to dismiss him.
- By exercising this power, the Prime Minister can ensure the realization of the rule of collective responsibility.
- In this context, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar observed - “Collective responsibility can be achieved only through the instrumentality of the Prime Minister. Therefore, unless and until we create that office and endow that office with statutory authority to nominate and dismiss ministers, there can be no collective responsibility.”
No Legal Responsibility -
- In Britain, every order of the King for any public act is countersigned by a minister.
- If the order is in violation of any law, the minister would be held responsible and would be liable in the court.
- The legally accepted phrase in Britain is, “The king can do no wrong.” Hence, he cannot be sued in any court.
- In India, there is no provision in the Constitution for the system of legal responsibility of a minister.
- It is not required that an order of the President for a public act should be counter-signed by a minister.
- Moreover, the courts are barred from enquiring into the nature of advice rendered by the ministers to the president.
