Prime Minister of India and Council of Ministers – best notes for competitive exams

Article 75 of the Indian Constitution states that the President can appoint a Prime Minister. His election and appointment are subject to the same procedure as any other. Article 74(1) provides that there will be a Council of Ministers headed by a Prime Minister to advise and aid the President. The Indian Constitution recognizes the existence of a Council of Ministers. For the IAS Exam’s three stages, Prelims Mains Interview, and its three stages, the topic “Prime Minister and Council of Ministers” is very important.

This article will discuss in detail the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, who are an important part of the Union Executive.

Importance of Prime Minister

• Real executive authority.
• Gets the same salary as other MPs. [In addition, he gets some other allowances].
• He is the ex-officio Chairman of the Planning Commission, National Development Council National Integration Council and Inter-state Council.

The Prime Minister of India is elected or appointed

The President of India chooses the Prime Minister. This person is the chief of the political party that holds the majority of the seats within the Lok Sabha or is a person who can earn the confidence of members of the Lok Sabha by gaining the backing of other political groups. Other ministers are appointed by the President based on the direction of the Premier.

Powers of Prime Minister

a. The President convenes and prorogues all sessions of Parliament in consultation with him.
b. Can recommend the dissolution of Lok Sabha before expiry.
c. Appoints the Council of ministers.
d. Allocates portfolios. Can ask a minister to resign & can get him dismissed by President.
e. Assists the President in the appointment of all high officials.
f. Can recommend to the President to declare an emergency on grounds of war, external aggression or armed rebellion.
g. Advises President about President’s Rule in a state of emergency due to financial instability.
h. Leader of the House.

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Position of the Prime Minister

Since the days when was Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru the Prime Minister has been placed on a higher level. His status is determined by his leadership position in the Cabinet as well as being the leader of the majority of the party.

These positions of power combined make him a much higher-ranking Minister than an average one. The Council of Ministers is automatically disbanded if the Prime Minister resigns or dies. It creates a vacuum. A Minister’s death, resignation or dismissal creates a vacancy that the Prime Minister may want to fill. A Prime Minister is essential for the Government to function, but a Minister’s absence can be easily compensated.

Council of Ministers

• The President has to act in accordance with the advice of Council of ministers.
• In this, 3 types of ministers are there :

a. Minister of Cabinet Rank: Real policy makers. The cabinet meetings are not attended by other ministers.
b. Minister of State: Can either hold independent charge or attached to a cabinet minister.
c. Deputy Ministers: Do not hold separate charges.

• Collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha and individually to the President.
• It is a team & its members sink or swim together. (Article 75). This is called ‘Collective Responsibility’. A vote of no confidence against any Minister automatically leads to the resignation of the entire Council (or its dismissal by the President).
• A person can remain a minister or Prime Minister without being a member of the either house upto 6 months maximum.
• A Minister who is a member of one House has a right to speak in and take part in the proceedings of the other House—though he has no right to vote in the House of which he is not a member.

List of Prime Ministers of India From 1947 to 2023

Name	Took Office	Left Office	Profile	Image
Jawahar Lal Nehru	15-Aug-1947	27-May-1964	1st Prime Minister of India
Gulzarilal Nanda	27-May-1964	9 June 1964	2nd Prime Minister of India
Lal Bahadur Shastri	9 June 1964	11-Jan-1966	3rd Prime Minister of India
Gulzarilal Nanda	11-Jan-1966	24 January 1966	4th Prime Minister of India
Indira Gandhi	24 January 1966	24-Mar-1977	5th Prime Minister of India
Morarji Desai	24-Mar-1977	28-Jul-1979	6th Prime Minister of India
Charan Singh	28-Jul-1979	14-Jan-1980	7th Prime Minister of India
Indira Gandhi	14-Jan-1980	31-Oct-1984	8th Prime Minister of India
Rajiv Gandhi	31-Oct-1984	02-Dec-1989	9th Prime Minister of India
Vishwanath Pratap Singh	02-Dec-1989	10-Nov-1990	10th Prime Minister of India
Chandra Shekhar	10-Nov-1990	21-Jun-1991	11th Prime Minister of India
P. V. Narasimha Rao	21-Jun-1991	16-May-1996	12th Prime Minister of India
Atal Bihari Vajpayee	16-May-1996	01-Jun-1996	13th Prime Minister of India
H. D. Deve Gowda	01-Jun-1996	21-Apr-1997	14th Prime Minister of India
Inder Kumar Gujral	21-Apr-1997	19 March 1998	15th Prime Minister of India
Atal Bihari Vajpayee	19 March 1998	22-May-2004	16th Prime Minister of India
Dr. Manmohan   Singh	22-May-2004	26-May-2014	17th Prime Minister of India
Narendra Damodardas Modi	26-May-2014	Working	18th Prime Minister of India

FAQs on Prime Ministers of India

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