The size of the Council of Ministers has been restricted to 15 percent of the membership of the Lok Sabha by which Constitutional…

Indian Polity ·Previously asked in BPSC CCE 2024

View the full solved paper: GS 2024 (Series G)

Question

The size of the Council of Ministers has been restricted to 15 percent of the membership of the Lok Sabha by which Constitutional Amendment?

  1. A. 92nd Amendment
  2. B. 95th Amendment
  3. C. 91st Amendment (Correct answer)
  4. D. 93rd Amendment

Correct Answer

Option C — 91st Amendment

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is 91st Amendment.

Key Points

  • The 91st Constitutional Amendment Act, 2003, restricted the size of the Council of Ministers to a maximum of 15 percent of the total membership of the Lok Sabha (and, for states, 15% of the Legislative Assembly, subject to a minimum of 12 ministers).
  • The amendment that capped the Council of Ministers at 15% is the 91st Amendment, making option (C) correct.

Additional Information

  • the amendment was introduced to curb the practice of forming jumbo-sized councils of ministers (often to accommodate defectors) and also strengthened the anti-defection law by disqualifying defectors from holding ministerial or remunerative political posts.