Q. Consider the following statements:
1.In a parliamentary democracy, the Prime Minister is only the head of the Council of Ministers.
2.Article 74 of the Indian Constitution mandates a Council of Ministers with the Prime Minister at the head to aid and advise the President.
3.In the parliamentary system, a non-Parliamentary Executive is independent of Parliament and is less responsible to the legislature.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Explanation –
Statements 1 and 2 are correct. In a parliamentary democracy, the Prime Minister is the head of the Council of Ministers. The Council of Ministers is a group of ministers who are responsible for running the government departments. The Prime Minister leads this council and is the most powerful figure in the government. Article 74 of the Indian Constitution mandates a Council of Ministers with the Prime Minister at the head to aid and advise the President. The President is the nominal head of state, while the Prime Minister is the real head of government.
Statement 3 is incorrect. In a parliamentary system, the executive (including the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers) is derived from the legislature and is responsible to it. A non-Parliamentary Executive, which is more characteristic of a presidential system, is independent of the legislature and less responsible to it.
Source: The Hindu
