Union Council of Ministers

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Union Council of Ministers
Emblem of India.svg
Agency overview
Formed15 August 1947;76 years ago (1947-08-15)
TypeHighest executive body of the Government of India
Jurisdiction Republic of India
Headquarters New Delhi
Agency executives
Child agencies
  • Cabinet
  • Ministries of the Government of India
Website english.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.

Contents

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:

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

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 Defence 30 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 Highways 30 May 2019Incumbent  BJP
Minister of External Affairs 30 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 Affairs
Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
30 May 2019
8 December 2023
Incumbent  BJP
Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment 7 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 Enterprises 30 May 2019Incumbent  BJP
Minister of Parliamentary Affairs
Minister of Coal
Minister of Mines
30 May 2019Incumbent  BJP
Minister of Jal Shakti 30 May 2019Incumbent  BJP
Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises 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 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 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 Justice 18 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

PortfolioMinisterTookofficeLeftofficeParty
Minister of State in the Ministry of Railways 7 July 2021Incumbent  BJP
7 July 2021Incumbent  BJP
Minister of State in the Ministry of Textiles 7 July 2021Incumbent  BJP
Minister of State in the Ministry of Steel 30 May 2019Incumbent  BJP
Minister of State in the Ministry of Rural Development 30 May 2019Incumbent  BJP
30 May 2019Incumbent  BJP
Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare 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 Affairs 30 May 2019Incumbent  BJP
7 July 2021Incumbent  BJP
7 July 2021Incumbent  BJP
Minister of State in the Ministry of Culture 30 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 Empowerment 30 May 2019Incumbent  RPI(A)
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 Change 7 July 2021Incumbent  BJP
Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs 30 May 2019Incumbent  BJP
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
Minister of State in the Ministry of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries 7 July 2021Incumbent  BJP
7 July 2021Incumbent  BJP
Minister of State in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting 7 July 2021Incumbent  BJP
Minister of State in the Ministry of Education 7 July 2021Incumbent  BJP
7 July 2021Incumbent  BJP
7 July 2021Incumbent  BJP
Minister of State in the Ministry of Tribal Affairs 30 May 2019Incumbent  BJP
7 July 2021Incumbent  BJP
Minister of State in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry 30 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 Finance 7 July 2021Incumbent  BJP
7 July 2021Incumbent  BJP
Minister of State in the Ministry of Law and Justice 7 July 2021Incumbent  BJP
Minister of State in the Ministry of Tourism 7 July 2021Incumbent  BJP
7 July 2021Incumbent  BJP
Minister of State in the Ministry of Defence 7 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 Enterprises 7 July 2021Incumbent  BJP
Minister of State in the Ministry of Jal Shakti 7 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 Communications 7 July 2021Incumbent  BJP
Minister of State in the Ministry of Minority Affairs 7 July 2021Incumbent  BJP
Minister of State in the Ministry of Panchayati Raj 7 July 2021Incumbent  BJP
Minister of State in the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs 7 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 Industries 7 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 Waterways 7 July 2021Incumbent  BJP
7 July 2021Incumbent  BJP
Minister of State in the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports 7 July 2021Incumbent  BJP

See also

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References

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