According to the Article 75 of the Indian Constitution, the total number of ministers (including the Prime Minister) in the Council of Ministers shall NOT exceed what percentage of the total members of the House of the People, i.e., Lok Sabha?
15%
The correct answer is 15%. This limit was introduced by Article 75(1A) of the Indian Constitution, which was inserted through the 91st Constitutional Amendment Act of 2003. It states that the total number of Ministers, including the Prime Minister, in the Council of Ministers shall not exceed fifteen per cent of the total number of members of the House of the People (Lok Sabha).
The purpose of this provision was to curb the practice of forming oversized, jumbo cabinets. Before the amendment, ruling parties sometimes inflated the Council of Ministers to accommodate defecting legislators and reward political supporters, which strained public finances and encouraged horse-trading. The same 91st Amendment also strengthened the anti-defection law, so limiting cabinet size and discouraging defections went hand in hand.
Applying the figure: the Lok Sabha has 543 elected members, so the maximum permissible size of the Council of Ministers is 15% × 543 ≈ 81 ministers, including the Prime Minister. A similar 15% cap, with a minimum floor of twelve ministers, was also applied to state legislative assemblies.
Why the other options are incorrect: Ten per cent would be too restrictive and does not match the constitutional text. Twenty per cent and twenty-five per cent would permit far larger cabinets than the amendment intended and are not the figures laid down in Article 75(1A). Only fifteen per cent is the correct constitutional ceiling.
Similar Questions
Which of the following Articles states about the right of individual to form associations or unions or co-operative societies?
Match the following columns.
Pardoning power Function 1. Commutation a. Removes both sentence and the conviction. 2. Reprieve b. Lesser sentence than originally given, in special case 3. Respite c. Reducing the period of sentence without changing the of the sentence. 4. Remission d. Temporary stay on the execution of a sentence. 5. Pardon e. Substitution of one form of punishment to a lighter or According to the Article 75 of the Indian Constitution, the total number of ministers (including the Prime Minister) in the Council of Ministers shall NOT exceed what percentage of the total members of the House of the People, i.e., Lok Sabha?
Which of the following Articles states about the right of individual to form associations or unions or co-operative societies?
Match the following columns.
Pardoning power Function 1. Commutation a. Removes both sentence and the conviction. 2. Reprieve b. Lesser sentence than originally given, in special case 3. Respite c. Reducing the period of sentence without changing the
of the sentence.4. Remission d. Temporary stay on the execution of a sentence. 5. Pardon e. Substitution of one form of punishment to a lighter or Which of the following Articles states about the right of individual to form associations or unions or co-operative societies?
Match the following columns.
Pardoning power Function 1. Commutation a. Removes both sentence and the conviction. 2. Reprieve b. Lesser sentence than originally given, in special case 3. Respite c. Reducing the period of sentence without changing th
of the sentence.4. Remission d. Temporary stay on the execution of a sentence. 5. Pardon e. Substitution of one form of punishment to a lighter or According to the Article 75 of the Indian Constitution, the total number of ministers (including the Prime Minister) in the Council of Ministers shall NOT exceed what percentage of the total members of the House of the People, i.e., Lok Sabha?
According to the Article 75 of the Indian Constitution, the total number of ministers (including the Prime Minister) in the Council of Ministers shall NOT exceed what percentage of the total members of the House of the People, i.e., Lok Sabha?
Which of the following Articles states about the right of individual to form associations or unions or co-operative societies?
Important Questions from Polity
In a recent judgement, the Supreme Court of India directed that every protected forest, national park and wildlife sanctuary across the country should have a mandatory eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) of a minimum of
Which one of the following Directive Principles was inserted by the Constitution (42 nd Amendment) Act, 1976?
A common High Court for two or more states can be established by:
Which one among the following is not a Fundamental Right under the Constitution of India?
The Central Vigilance Commission was established on the recommendation of which one of the following Committees?
