Question

Explain briefly the position and power of the Prime Minister in relation to the cabinet.

Answer 1

Hint: A prime minister is called “the head of the cabinet”. He acts as the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government.

Complete step by step answer:
The prime minister sometimes has the power to select and dismiss other members of the cabinet. He/she also allocates other members to the posts within the government. The prime minister is the presiding member in most of the parliamentary systems. He/she also is the chairman of the cabinet. The Prime Minister has a very unique position in the Indian political arena.

The prime minister has control over many powers and some of them are since he/she is the leader of the Council of Ministers, he/ she has the authority to make the final decision and everyone has to abide by it. He also presides over all the Cabinet meetings. He/she acts as a bridge between the Cabinet and the President. He/she is also the leader of the Lok Sabha or the house of people.

The Prime Minister plays a huge role in the appointment of the Ministers since they are appointed by the President only on the advice of the Prime Minister. The President can exercise his/her powers to summon and prorogue the Parliament on the advice of the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister is consulted before the President issues an ordinance.

Note: Article 84 of the Indian Constitution states the qualification for a member of Parliament. Article 75, states the qualifications for the minister in the Union Council of Ministers. This also specifies the position of the Prime Minister as “primus inter pares”.