Politics is one of the interesting topics that everyone discusses about. Every second day the news and media houses are flooded with political reports, political parties, etc. The Government of India has set ministers and officials who take the necessary steps to develop the nation. For instance, amidst the corona pandemic, the government is making sure that people stay in their homes and are provided with necessary medication when required. These ministers play an important role in building up the government and developing the nation. Now, who select these ministers? Well, these ministers are either selected by the government officials or the general public. There are different kinds of ministers like MLAs, MPs, Cabinet, Council of ministers, etc. So, today we will discuss about the cabinet and council of ministers. Let us understand the basic meaning of these terms.
Cabinet
A cabinet is defined as the body of state officials. It is basically the body of advisers who serve several government departments. The officials or members of the branch are called Cabinet Ministers. According to Article II of the constitution, the role of the cabinet is to advise the President on several subjects related to the responsibilities he/ she has to perform. Historically, the cabinet was formed along with the presidency. The Cabinet functions under the Prime Minister. Cabinets are nominated by the President of the nation. The officials under the cabinet are led by the Prime Minister, i.e., they are directly in contact with the PM. The Cabinet Ministers perform two main functions, i.e., first, they serve as administrative heads to several government departments, and second, they are advisors to the President of the country.
Council of Ministers
The council of ministers is defined as the supreme organ. The term ‘council of ministers’ is almost equal to the cabinet. But they do have some differences. The council is usually led by the President of the country. These ministers are the central ministers that exercise powers in several government departments. These government officials are the decision-making bodies of the country. Well, it is interesting to note that the council of ministers is responsible for the decisions taken and bills passed in Lok Sabha. These ministers are elected by the President and the Prime Ministers collectively. The council of ministers also performs two major functions, i.e., they serve as the advisors to the President, and they are responsible for determining the government’s legislative programs. The council of ministers has 70 – 80 ministers of the government. Now, what are the contrasting points between the council of ministers and the cabinet? As stated above, the council of ministers and cabinet is quite the same, but they possess some differences. The differences are listed below.
| CABINET | COUNCIL OF MINISTERS |
| A cabinet is defined as the body of officials that serve the government departments. These officials are often known as the cabinet ministers. | On the other hand, the council of ministers is defined as the supreme decision-making body of officials. |
| They are led by the President of the nation. | They are led by both President and the Prime Ministers. |
| They act as the advisors to the government. | They act as the advisors as well as the administrative heads of several departments. |
| The total number of members in the cabinet is 15-20. | The total members in the council are 70-80. |
| The cabinet ministers implement the decisions taken by the ministers in the council. | The council of ministers makes the necessary decisions regarding the nation. |
| The cabinet ministers have weekly meetings regarding the government work. | The council of ministers does not have such meetings. |
| The cabinet consists of state officials. | The council of ministers includes cabinet ministers, deputy ministers, and state officials. |
| The cabinet performs several functions collectively. | The council of ministers do not perform such collective functions. |
| The cabinet is responsible for policy-making. | The council is the decision-making body. |
| The cabinet ministers exercise the powers on behalf of the council. | The council of ministers directs the cabinet ministers to perform several duties. |
So, these are some of the significant differences between the council of ministers and cabinet. The cabinet was not a constitutional body initially. It became a constitutional body in 1978, but the council of ministers was always a constitutional body. Now, both the cabinet and council of ministers perform several functions for the development of the nation. So, let us briefly discuss those functions.
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