Collective Ministerial Responsibility

Collective ministerial responsibility means that a Council of Ministers is politically accountable as one body to the directly elected House. Under Articles 75(3) and 164(2), this responsibility is owed to the Lok Sabha at the Union level and to the State Legislative Assembly at the State level, respectively.

Constitutional basis at the Union and State levels

At the Union level, Article 75(3) makes the Council of Ministers collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha. At the State level, Article 164(2) makes the Council of Ministers collectively responsible to the Legislative Assembly, including in a State having a Legislative Council.

• The entire Council of Ministers, not merely the Cabinet, shares this responsibility.
• The Union and State Councils function through the constitutional schemes of aid and advice under Articles 74 and 163, respectively.
• The Prime Minister or Chief Minister leads and coordinates the Council, making collective responsibility central to parliamentary government.

What collective responsibility entails

Government decisions are treated as decisions of the whole ministry. Ministers may disagree during confidential internal deliberations, but cabinet solidarity requires them to support an agreed decision in the legislature and in public.

• Every minister shares responsibility for the government's general conduct and major policies, including decisions outside that minister's department.
• A minister who cannot publicly support a collective decision is ordinarily expected to resign.
• The principle applies even to Union ministers who belong to the Rajya Sabha and State ministers who belong to a Legislative Council.

Confidence of the popular House

A ministry remains in office only while it enjoys the confidence of the Lok Sabha at the Union level or the Legislative Assembly at the State level. If it loses that confidence, including through a no-confidence motion, the Council must resign collectively.

• The fall or resignation of the Prime Minister or Chief Minister brings down the Council as a whole.
• The Rajya Sabha or a State Legislative Council may scrutinise and criticise the government, but it does not determine whether the ministry remains in office.
• Collective responsibility is distinct from a minister's individual tenure during the pleasure of the President under Article 75(2) or of the Governor under Article 164(1).