Given below are two statements, one is labelled as Assertion (A) and other as Reason (R): Assertion (A): The Council of Ministers in India is collectively responsible to both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Reason (R): Members of both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha are eligible to become Ministers in Union Government. Select the correct answer using the codes given below. Codes:
- (a)Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is correct explanation of (A)
- (b)Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not correct explanation of (A)
- (c)(A) is true, but (R) is false
- (d)(A) is false, but (R) is true
Correct — D, (A) is false but (R) is true. Assertion: Article 75(3) makes the Union Council of Ministers collectively responsible only to the Lok Sabha (the House of the People), NOT to the Rajya Sabha. A no-confidence motion that can bring down the government can be moved only in the Lok Sabha; the Rajya Sabha cannot. So the claim that the ministry is collectively responsible to BOTH Houses is false. Reason: a person from either House can be appointed a Union Minister (Article 75), and a minister may even be a non-member for up to six months (Article 75(5)) — so the reason is a true statement. But a true reason does not rescue a false assertion: being eligible to sit in the ministry from both Houses does not make the ministry answerable to both Houses. Hence (A) false, (R) true → option (d).
- (a)Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is correct explanation of (A) — Wrong — the assertion is false. Collective responsibility runs to the Lok Sabha alone under Article 75(3), so 'both true' cannot hold.
- (b)Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not correct explanation of (A) — Wrong — again this treats the assertion as true. It is not: the Council of Ministers is responsible only to the Lok Sabha, not to both Houses.
- (c)(A) is true, but (R) is false — Wrong — it inverts the truth-values. The assertion is the false one, while the reason is true (ministers can indeed be drawn from either House).
Article 75(3) states the cardinal principle of parliamentary government — the Union Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha only. This is why the government must resign or seek a dissolution if it loses the confidence of the Lok Sabha, and why a no-confidence motion lies only in that House. A separate set of rules, Article 75(1)-(5), governs who may be a minister: a minister may belong to either House, or even be a non-legislator provided he becomes a member of either House within six months. Accountability and eligibility are two distinct ideas.
The trap is letting the true Reason (ministers can come from both Houses) drag you into thinking the ministry is answerable to both Houses. Keep the two ideas apart — eligibility is not accountability. Collective responsibility runs to the Lok Sabha alone (Art 75(3)); membership can be from either House. Because the Assertion misstates the accountability rule (claiming both Houses) it is false, while the Reason correctly states the eligibility rule, giving option (d).
- Article 75(3): the Union Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha ONLY (not the Rajya Sabha).
- A no-confidence motion can be moved only in the Lok Sabha; losing it forces the government to resign.
- Article 75: a Union Minister may be a member of either House — Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha.
- Article 75(5): a person can remain a Minister for up to 6 months without being a member of either House.
- Article 75(2): Ministers hold office during the pleasure of the President (individual responsibility).
Collective responsibility runs only to the Lok Sabha (Art 75(3)) — so the Assertion is false while the Reason is true. Option (d).
- Assuming the Council of Ministers is answerable to both Houses — it is collectively responsible only to the Lok Sabha
- Letting a true 'Reason' make you accept a false 'Assertion' in assertion-reason questions
UPSC and UPPSC repeatedly test Article 75(3) — collective responsibility to the Lok Sabha — as assertion-reason and statement items; watch for the 'both Houses' trap.
Assertion (A): The Council of Ministers in the Union of India is collectively responsible both to the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. Reason (R): The members of both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha are eligible to be the Ministers of the Union.
- (a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A
- (b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A
- (c) A is true but R is false
- (d) A is false but R is true
Answer(d) A is false but R is true
Virtually the identical assertion-reason item — same false assertion (CoM responsible to both Houses) and same true reason (ministers may come from either House); the answer is again 'A false, R true' because Article 75(3) fixes collective responsibility to the Lok Sabha alone.
Consider the following statements : 1. The Council of Ministers in the Centre shall be collectively responsible to the Parliament. 2. The Union Ministers shall hold the office during the pleasure of the President of India. 3. The Prime Minister shall communicate to the President about the proposals for legislation. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- (a) 1 only
- (b) 2 and 3 only
- (c) 1 and 3 only
- (d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer(b) 2 and 3 only
Same concept — statement 1 here ('CoM collectively responsible to the Parliament') is marked wrong precisely because Article 75(3) makes the Council responsible to the Lok Sabha only, the exact point that makes the assertion in this UPPSC item false.
- practice — not a real PYQ
The Union Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to:
- (a)Both Houses of Parliament
- (b)The Rajya Sabha
- (c)The Lok Sabha
- (d)The President
Answer(c) The Lok Sabha — Article 75(3) makes the Council of Ministers collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha alone.
- practice — not a real PYQ
A person who is not a member of either House of Parliament can remain a Union Minister for a maximum period of:
- (a)3 months
- (b)6 months
- (c)1 year
- (d)He cannot be a Minister at all
Answer(b) 6 months — Article 75(5); within this period the Minister must become a member of either House.