Prelims 2015 · archive
EasyConsider the following statements:
- 1.The Executive Power of the Union of India is vested in the Prime Minister.
- 2.The Prime Minister is the ex officio Chairman of the Civil Services Board.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (d) Neither 1 nor 2
The Constitution vests the Union's executive power formally in the President, not the Prime Minister. The ex officio Chairman of the Civil Services Board is the Cabinet Secretary, not the Prime Minister. Both statements are therefore wrong.
- ✗ 1. The executive power of the Union is vested in the President (Article 53). The President exercises it through the Council of Ministers headed by the Prime Minister. The PM is the real head of government but does not constitutionally hold the executive power.
- ✗ 2. The Cabinet Secretariat functions under the Prime Minister. Its administrative head, the Cabinet Secretary, is the ex officio Chairman of the Civil Services Board. The Prime Minister does not hold this post.
Remember · Executive power of the Union is vested in the President (Art. 53) and exercised through the PM-led Council of Ministers. The Cabinet Secretary is ex officio Chairman of the Civil Services Board.
📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 11 Indian Constitution at Work, Ch 4 (practise this chapter)
Sources
- NCERT Class 11 · Indian Constitution at Work, Chapter 4 “The Constitution of India vests the executive power of the Union formally in the President. In reality, the President exercises these powers through the Council of Ministers headed by the Prime Minister.”
- Cabinet Secretariat, Government of India ↗ “The administrative head of the Secretariat is the Cabinet Secretary who is also the ex-officio Chairman of the Civil Services Board.”
Question: UPSC Civil Services (Preliminary) 2015, General Studies paper. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 25 Oct 2026 (how we verify). ·