Who among the following shall preside the meeting of Council of Ministers in Madhya Pradesh in the absence of the Chief Minister?
- (a)Minister of Home Department
- (b)Minister nominated by Chief Minister
- (c)Minister, Finance Department
- (d)Minister, Parliamentary Affairs Department
Correct — B, Minister nominated by Chief Minister. Under the state's Rules of Business, the Chief Minister ordinarily chairs meetings of the Council of Ministers; in his/her absence, the meeting is presided over by whichever minister the Chief Minister nominates for the purpose — not by an office holding a fixed portfolio such as Home or Finance.
- (a)Minister of Home Department — A senior portfolio, but the Home Minister has no automatic/ex officio right to preside over Cabinet meetings in the Chief Minister's absence.
- (c)Minister, Finance Department — A senior portfolio, but the Finance Minister has no automatic/ex officio right to preside over Cabinet meetings in the Chief Minister's absence.
- (d)Minister, Parliamentary Affairs Department — Handles coordination of legislative business, not the chairing of Cabinet meetings in the Chief Minister's absence.
The Council of Ministers in a State, headed by the Chief Minister, functions on the principle of collective responsibility to the Legislative Assembly. Day-to-day procedural matters — such as who chairs a Cabinet meeting when the Chief Minister is away — are governed by the state's Rules of Business, which give the Chief Minister the discretion to designate a minister for the purpose, rather than fixing it to any particular department.
Students often assume that a 'senior' portfolio like Home or Finance carries an automatic right to stand in for the Chief Minister. The exam tests the more precise procedural fact: it is the Chief Minister's own nomination, not portfolio seniority, that decides who presides.
- The Chief Minister ordinarily presides over Council of Ministers (Cabinet) meetings
- In the Chief Minister's absence, a minister nominated by the Chief Minister presides — not a fixed portfolio holder
- This is governed by the state's Rules of Business, not the Constitution directly
- The Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to the State Legislative Assembly
The presiding role in the Chief Minister's absence is a matter of the Chief Minister's own nomination, not a fixed departmental seniority.
- Assuming a 'senior' portfolio (Home/Finance) has automatic presiding authority
- Confusing procedural Rules-of-Business questions with Constitutional-Article questions
MPPSC often tests fine procedural details of state government functioning (Rules of Business, seating/presiding conventions) that are not directly spelt out in the Constitution but are common exam trivia.
No directly related past PYQ was found.
- practice — not a real PYQ
Under normal circumstances, who presides over the meeting of the Council of Ministers in a State?
- (a)The Governor
- (b)The Chief Minister
- (c)The Speaker of the Legislative Assembly
- (d)The Advocate General
Answer(b) The Chief Minister ordinarily presides over Council of Ministers meetings.
- practice — not a real PYQ
The Council of Ministers, headed by the Chief Minister, is collectively responsible to which body in a State?
- (a)The Governor
- (b)The State Legislative Assembly
- (c)The Legislative Council
- (d)The President of India
Answer(b) The State Legislative Assembly — Article 164 provides for collective responsibility of the Council of Ministers to the Assembly.