THE BIG WHEEL OF THE GOVERNMENT

The Cabinet of India: the ultimate, collective decision-making authority comprised of the Prime Minister and 35 Cabinet Ministers

Officially termed as the Union Council of Ministers of India, the Cabinet of India is a body of high-ranking, senior-most Government ministers, typically belonging to the executive branch. The Cabinet includes the Prime Minister, followed by the Cabinet Ministers, Ministers of State and the Deputy Ministers. The Cabinet may be contracted or expanded. However, the number of members is stated by the Constitution of India. The council is supposed to report to the Indian Parliament.

Originally, Cabinets were born as small groups named as ‘Cabinet Counsel’ that referred to the advice given to the monarch in private.

THE MEMBERS

Cabinet Secretary: India’s most powerful bureaucrat and the right hand of the PM

• Heads the Cabinet after the President of India
• Comes under the direct charge of the Prime Minister
• Administrative head
• Also the ex-officio Chairman of the Civil Services Board, and thus the head of the Indian Administrative Service
• Generally, he is the senior most civil servant
• Provides assistance to the Ministers, PM and Cabinet Committees
• Lends an element of stability and continuity in the administration
• No fixed tenure, though the average is less than 3 years, can be extended
• Heads all the civil services under the constitution like IAS, IPS, IRS, IFS, PCS, PPS et al
• Ranks eleventh in the Table of Precedence of India

The Cabinet Secretariat has 3 wings: Civil, Military and Intelligence.

Civil: Provides help and advice to the Union Cabinet
Military: Provides secretarial assistance to the Defense Committee of the Cabinet, the Military Affairs Committee, the National Defense Council and other committees dealing with defense matters
Intelligence: Deals with matters pertaining to the Joint Intelligence Committee of the Union Cabinet

Council of Ministers:

In a Cabinet, apart from collective responsibilities, the members are also individually responsible for the functioning of their respective departments. They are given the title of ‘Minister’ and each holds a different portfolio of Government duties (E.g. ‘Minister for the Environment’). Also, the Constitution has made it mandatory for the Council Ministers to be the members of either House of the Parliament.
Apart from this, the Council

• Prepares and introduces bills in the Parliament
• Assists the President to execute his functions
• Determines policies and administers the same
• Implements all the decisions adopted by the Parliament of India

There are three categories of Ministers:

• Union Cabinet Minister: Senior Minister in-charge of any ministry
• Minister of State (Independent Charge): Handles a portfolio that no other Union Minister oversees
• Minister of State (MoS): Junior Minister, usually looks after a specific responsibility in any ministry

Together, the Cabinet forms the big wheel of the Government that runs the Republic of India.

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