Question

The Council of Ministers headed by the Prime Minister, is the most Powerful Institution in the Indian Polity. In this context answer the following:

Distinguish between the Council of Ministers and the Cabinet.

The Council of Ministers headed by the Prime Minister aids and advises the President. In this context, answer the following question:

Mention any three points to distinguish between the Council of Ministers and the Cabinet.

Answer 1

	Council of Minister	Cabinet
1.	The Council of Ministers consists of all categories of Ministers Cabinet Ministers, Ministers of State and Deputy Ministers.	The Cabinet is a smaller group consisting of some 25 senior Ministers holding important portfolios such as Defence, Finance, Home, etc.
2.	The Prime Minister may or may not consult the other Ministers, below the rank of Cabinet Ministers.	They are the most trusted colleagues of the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister always consults them. The decisions of the Cabinet are binding on all the members.
3.	In the day-to- day working of the government, the Council of Ministers, as a whole, rarely meets.	The Cabinet is a small cohesive group of senior Ministers who determine the policies and programmes of the Government. Hence, they meet as frequently as possible.