9th Class Social Science: Working of Institutions

Question: Differentiate between Political and Permanent Executive.

Answer: Political executive:

1. The ministers are political executives.
2. They are elected by the electorate, as per the mandate of the people.
3. They serve for a span of five years and then again go for seeking mandate.
4. The political executives are directly accountable to the people.

Permanent executive:

1. The civil servants are the permanent executives.
2. They are selected on the basis of merit, as per the examinations taken by the Union Service Public Commission.
3. They serve till the retirement age.
4. The permanent executives are not directly accountable to the people but to the political ministers.

Question: Discuss the Composition of council of ministers.

Answer: Council of Ministers is the official name for the body that includes all the minister it usually has 60-80 ministers of different ranks.

1. Cabinet Minister: Cabinet Ministers are usually top-level leader of the ruling party or parties who are in change of the major Ministries.
2. Ministers of State with Independent charge: Ministers of State with Independent charge are usually in-change of Smaller Ministries They participate in the cabinet meetings only when specially invited.
3. Ministers of state: Ministers of state are attached to and required to assist Cabinet Ministers.

Question: Discuss the power of Prime Minister.

Answer: The Prime Minister of India is the leader of the executive of the Government of India. The prime minister is also the chief adviser to the President of India and head of the Council of Ministers. They can be a member of any of the two houses of the Parliament of India — the Lok Sabha (Council of the States) and the Rajya Sabha (House of the People) — but has to be a member of the political party or coalition, having a majority in the Lok Sabha.

The prime minister is the senior-most member of cabinet in the executive of government in a parliamentary system. The prime minister selects and can dismiss members of the cabinet; allocates posts to members within the government; and is the presiding member and chairperson of the cabinet.

The union cabinet headed by the prime minister is appointed by the President of India to assist the latter in the administration of the affairs of the executive. Union cabinet is collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha as per Article 75 (3) of the Constitution of India. The prime minister has to enjoy the confidence of a majority in the Lok Sabha and shall resign if they are unable to prove majority when instructed by the president.

Question: How is the president elected? Why he is called the nominal executive?

Answer:

1. The president is not directly elected by the people.
2. The elected Members of Parliament (MPs) and the elected Members of the Legislative Assemblies (MLAs) elect her.
3. A candidate standing for President’s post has to get a majority of votes to win the elections.
4. This ensures that the President can be seen to represent the entire nation.

A the same time the president can never claim the kind of direct popular mandate that the Prime Minister can. This ensures that she remains only a nominal executive.