Consider the following statements:
- 1.The Constitution of India classifies the ministers into four ranks viz. Cabinet Minister, Minister of State with Independent Charge, Minister of State and Deputy Minister.
- 2.The total number of ministers in the Union Government, including the Prime Minister, shall not exceed 15 percent of the total number of members in the Lok Sabha.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (b) 2 only
The Constitution speaks only of a Council of Ministers headed by the Prime Minister; ranks such as cabinet minister, minister of state and deputy minister are allotted by the Prime Minister by convention. The 15 per cent cap on the size of the Council of Ministers is in Article 75(1A).
- ✗ 1. No article lists ranks of ministers. The Prime Minister allocates ranks and portfolios, depending on seniority and political importance.
- ✓ 2. Article 75(1A), added by the 91st Amendment (2003), says the total number of ministers including the Prime Minister shall not exceed fifteen per cent of the total membership of the Lok Sabha.
Remember · Article 75(1A): Council of Ministers ≤ 15% of Lok Sabha strength (Article 164(1A) for States, minimum 12). Ministerial ranks are the PM's arrangement, not constitutional categories.
📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 11 Indian Constitution at Work, Ch 4 (practise this chapter)
Sources
- Constitution of India (as on 2024), Article 75(1A) — Legislative Department ↗ “The total number of Ministers, including the Prime Minister, in the Council of Ministers shall not exceed fifteen per cent. of the total number of members of the House of the People.”
- NCERT Class 11 · Indian Constitution at Work, Chapter 4 “The Prime Minister allocates ranks and portfolios to the ministers. Depending upon the seniority and political importance, the ministers are given the ranks of cabinet minister, minister of State or deputy minister.”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2022, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·