PM Modi and Cabinet Ministers took oath… Know what is the difference between Cabinet and Council of Ministers?

 

PM Narendra Modi took oath as Prime Minister for the third time on Sunday. President Draupadi Murmu administered the oath to PM Modi. Along with PM Modi, 71 other ministers took oath. These include 30 cabinet ministers, 36 ministers of state and 5 ministers of state with independent charge. Two words are often heard in the news. Council of Ministers and Cabinet. Many times both are considered the same, whereas there is a difference between the two.

The Council of Ministers is called the Union Council of Ministers. Whereas, the word cabinet is used for the ministry. Know how different the Council of Ministers and the Cabinet are from each other?

What is the Council of Ministers, how different is it from the Cabinet?

The Council of Ministers is a group that advises the President on various matters and helps the Prime Minister in running the government. The Council of Ministers is divided into many parts. Such as - Cabinet Minister, Minister of State (Independent Charge), Minister of State and Deputy Minister. In simple language, this entire group of ministers is called the Council of Ministers. The Cabinet is a part of it.

The Cabinet is a small body within the Council, which includes the most experienced and influential members to discuss government policies and take decisions. These are called cabinet ministers. Usually, the party that comes to power appoints senior and experienced leaders as cabinet ministers. Such as Finance Minister, Education Minister and Home Minister. They have ministries.

How is the Council of Ministers formed, how many ministers are included?

The Indian Constitution says that the Council of Ministers has been formed to advise and assist the President in his work. This is a constitutional body. It is formed under the leadership of the Prime Minister. The highest post in the Council of Ministers is held by the Prime Minister. The President first appoints the Prime Minister. After this, ministers are appointed on the advice of the Prime Minister.

The number of ministers in the Council of Ministers is decided on the basis of the number of MPs in the Lok Sabha. Under the 91st Amendment Act of the Indian Constitution, the total number of ministers including the Prime Minister should not be more than 15 percent of the total MPs. That is, on this basis, there can be a maximum of 81-82 ministers in PM Modi's cabinet.

What are the jobs of the three types of ministers at the Centre?

There has been a practice of appointing three types of ministers in the Union Cabinet of India, considering the importance and workload of the ministries. These include Cabinet Minister, Minister of State and Minister of State (Independent Charge). However, the most powerful post in this is that of the Cabinet Minister. A Cabinet Minister is the head of his ministry. He reports directly to the Prime Minister.

After this comes the Minister of State (Independent Charge). They have smaller ministries. A ministry can be run through a Minister of State even without a Cabinet Minister. There is a rule to give charge of such ministries independently to Ministers of State. They also report directly to the Prime Minister. However, they do not attend the Cabinet meetings.

Now let's talk about the Minister of State. These are the associates of the Cabinet Ministers. Ministries that have a larger scope of work and have greater responsibilities. Ministers of State are appointed to assist the Cabinet Minister for those ministries. They report directly to the Cabinet Minister. However, they do not attend the Cabinet meetings.