Union Council of Ministers

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Union Council of Ministers
Chair
  • Vacant, Deputy Chair
  • Child agencies
    • Cabinet
    • Ministries of the Government of India
    Websiteenglish.www.gov.in

    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.

    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 Union Council of Ministers.
    • 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

    Portfolio Minister Took office Left office Party
    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
    Subrahmanyam Jaishankar
    30 May 2019Incumbent BJP
    Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship
    7 July 2021Incumbent BJP
    Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution
    Minister of Textiles
    30 May 2019Incumbent BJP
    Smriti Zubin Irani
    30 May 2019
    22 July 2022
    Incumbent BJP
    Minister of Tribal Affairs
    Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
    30 May 2019
    8 December 2023
    Incumbent BJP
    Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment7 July 2021Incumbent BJP
    Mansukh L. Mandaviya
    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
    Narayan Tatu Rane
    7 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 AYUSH
    7 July 2021Incumbent BJP
    Minister of Rural Development
    Minister of Panchayati Raj
    7 July 2021Incumbent BJP
    Minister of Steel
    7 July 2021
    6 July 2022
    Incumbent BJP
    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)

    Portfolio Minister Took office Left office Party
    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
    Jitendra Singh
    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 Sciences
    Minister of Food Processing Industries
    18 May 2023[12]
    20 March 2024
    Incumbent BJP

    Ministers of State


    Portfolio Minister Took office Left office Party
    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
    Bharati Pravin Pawar
    7 July 2021Incumbent BJP
    Minister of State in the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs
    30 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
    Abbaiah Narayanaswamy
    7 July 2021Incumbent BJP
    7 July 2021Incumbent BJP
    Minister of State in the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution
    7 July 2021Incumbent BJP
    30 May 2019Incumbent BJP
    Minister of State in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change7 July 2021Incumbent BJP
    Ajay Kumar Mishra
    7 July 2021Incumbent BJP
    7 July 2021Incumbent BJP
    Minister of State in the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
    7 July 2021Incumbent BJP
    30 May 2019Incumbent BJP
    Sanjeev Kumar Balyan
    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
    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 AYUSH
    7 July 2021Incumbent BJP
    Pankaj Choudhary
    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 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

    External links