Who among the following shall preside the meeting of Council of Ministers in Madhya Pradesh in the absence of the Chief Minister?

Question

UnlockIAS · Accepted Answer

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.

Why the other options are wrong — (a) 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) 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) Handles coordination of legislative business, not the chairing of Cabinet meetings in the Chief Minister's absence.

Concept: 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.

State PCS 2022 Q19 — Madhya Pradesh GK PYQ with Answer

State PCS 2022 Q19 — Madhya Pradesh GK PYQ with Answer