UNION EXECUTIVE • ARTICLES 74–78

Prime Minister & Council of Ministers

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Roman Hindi: PM, Council of Ministers, Attorney General aur Articles 74–78 ko source ke complete sequence me exam-oriented format me explain kiya gaya hai.

English: Complete source-based notes on the Prime Minister, Council of Ministers, Attorney General and Articles 74–78.

Prime Minister — Basic Position

PM Council of Ministers ka head hai jo Council ko assist karta hai.

Source: PM = Real / De facto head of Government; President = De jure / Nominal head.

PM as Chairman

NITI AAYOG
Interstate Council
National Disaster Management Authority

Article 74 — Council of Ministers to Aid & Advise President

Article 74(1)

Prime Minister as head ke saath Council of Ministers President ko aid and advise karega; President advice ke accordance me act karega.

Article 74(2)

Ministers ne President ko kya advice di ya kis form me di, is question ki inquiry court nahi karega.

⭐ 42nd Constitutional Amendment: Source ke anusaar advice ko President par binding banaya.

⭐ 44th Constitutional Amendment: President CoM ko advice reconsider karne ko keh sakta hai; reconsideration ke baad advice ke according act karna hoga.

🔑 Cabinet: Source says 44th CA, 1978 ne “Cabinet” term ko Constitution me first time formally introduce kiya, specifically Article 352(3), jahan Emergency written recommendation of Cabinet par based honi chahiye.

Article 75 — Other Provisions as to Ministers

75(1)

PM President appoint karta hai; other ministers President PM ki advice par appoint karta hai.

75(2)

Ministers President ke pleasure tak office hold karte hain.

75(3)

Council of Ministers collectively responsible to House of the People — Lok Sabha.

75(4)

Office enter karne se pehle PM aur Ministers ko President oath of office and secrecy administer karta hai.

75(5)

Jo Minister either House ka member nahi hai, six consecutive months ke end par Minister cease ho jayega.

75(6)

Ministers ke salaries/allowances Parliament determine karta hai; tab tak 2nd Schedule ke according.

🔢 91st Amendment, 2003: Source: 75(1A) — PM including total ministers Lok Sabha ki total strength ke 15% se exceed nahi; 75(1B) — defection ground par disqualified member minister nahi ban sakta.

Types of Ministers

Cabinet Minister

Defence, Home, Finance, Education, Health jaise important portfolios; Cabinet meetings me participate.

Minister of State

Smaller ministries handle ya Cabinet Ministers ko assist; source says Cabinet meetings me participate nahi karte.

Deputy Ministers

Cabinet Ministers aur Ministers of State ko assist.

Article 76 — Attorney General of India

76(1)

President aise person ko AGI appoint karega jo Supreme Court judge banne ke liye qualified ho.

76(2)

Government of India ko legal matters par advice dena duty.

76(3)

India ke territory ke all courts me audience ka right.

76(4)

President ke pleasure tak office; remuneration President determine karta hai.

🔑 Key Facts: AGI = country's Highest Law Officer. Full-time counsel nahi. Office cease hone ke baad private legal practice se debarred nahi. 1st AG: M. C. Setalvad — source says longest serving. Current AG in source: R. Venkataramani (as of Nov 2025).

Solicitor General of India: AG ko assist karta hai but constitutional post nahi. Source: current Solicitor General = Tushar Mehta.

Advocate General of State — Article 165

Governor appoint karta hai.
High Court judge banne ke liye qualified hona chahiye.
State Government ko legal matters par advise.
Governor ke pleasure tak office.
State ka highest law officer.

Dissolution of Council of Ministers

Koi CoM member resign/die/remove ho to vacancy create hoti hai.
PM die/resign kare to source ke anusaar entire CoM dissolved; entire CoM resign karta hai; President Lok Sabha me majority support wale leader ko new PM banne ke liye invite karta hai.

⭐ Source Fact: First Indian PM to resign — Morarji Desai.

Rajya Sabha Members Who Became PM

Indira Gandhi
Manmohan Singh
H. D. Deve Gowda — source note: PM bane without becoming a Union Cabinet Minister.

Article 77 — Conduct of Business of Government of India

77(1)

All executive actions of Government of India President ke name me expressed.

77(2)

President ke name me orders/instruments ko rules specified manner me authenticate kiya jayega.

77(3)

President Government business ke convenient transaction ke rules banayega aur Ministers ke beech responsibilities allocate karega.

Article 78 — Duties of Prime Minister

78(a)

Union administration aur legislation proposals se related CoM decisions President ko communicate.

78(b)

Union administration aur legislation proposals ki information President maange to furnish.

78(c)

President require kare to aisa matter CoM consideration ke liye submit karna jis par Minister ne decision liya but Council ne consider nahi kiya.

Comments on the Post of PM

Dr. B. R. Ambedkar: Source quote: “Collective responsibility can be achieved only through the instrumentality of the Prime Minister.”

Pt. J. L. Nehru: PM ko “The Linchpin of Government” describe kiya; source explains PM Council of Ministers aur President ke beech link act karta hai.

Powers & Functions of the PM

President ko Parliament sessions summon/prorogue karne par advise.
Lok Sabha dissolution recommend kar sakta hai.
House floor par government policies announce.
Ministerial appointments ke names recommend.
Ministers ke portfolios allocate/reshuffle.
Minister se resignation maang sakta hai ya dismissal recommend.
Council of Ministers meetings preside.
Ministers ki activities guide, direct, control, coordinate.
Resign karke Council of Ministers ka collapse cause kar sakta hai.

Few PMs & Their Term of Office — Source Facts

Jawaharlal Nehru — longest serving PM: 16 years, 286 days.
Atal Bihari Vajpayee — initial 13-day term.
Chaudhary Charan Singh — 170 days.
Chandra Shekhar — 7 months; source calls shortest serving amongst all full-term PMs.
V. P. Singh — 11 months.
H. D. Deve Gowda — 10 months.
Inder Kumar Gujral — 11 months.

Fall of Government — Source Table

Year	Prime Minister	Tenure	Reason of Fall
1989	V. P. Singh	11 Months	BJP withdrew support
1990	Chandra Shekhar	7 Months	Congress withdrew support
1996	Vajpayee	13 Days	No majority
1996	Deve Gowda	11 Months	Congress withdrew support
1997	I. K. Gujral	11 Months	Congress withdrew support
1998	Vajpayee	13 Months	AIADMK withdrew support
1999–2004	Vajpayee	5 Years	Stability returns

List of Prime Ministers of India — Page 6 Source Chart

#	Prime Minister	Term shown in source
1	Jawaharlal Nehru	1947–1964
2	Lal Bahadur Shastri	1964–1966
3	Indira Gandhi	1966–1977; 1980–1984
4	Morarji Desai	1977–1979
5	Charan Singh	1979–1980
6	Rajiv Gandhi	1984–1989
7	V. P. Singh	1989–1990
8	Chandra Shekhar	1990–1991
9	P. V. Narasimha Rao	1991–1996
10	H. D. Deve Gowda	1996–1997
11	Inder Kumar Gujral	1997–1998
12	Atal Bihari Vajpayee	May 1996; 1998–2004
13	Dr. Manmohan Singh	2004–2014
14	Narendra Modi	2014–Present

Source ke anusaar: Page 6 infographic ki names aur terms ko source framing me preserve kiya gaya hai.

🧠 QUICK REVISION — HIGH RETENTION

PM: Real/De facto head; President = De jure/Nominal head.
Article 74: CoM aids/advises President; 74(2) advice court inquiry se protected.
42nd: advice binding; 44th: reconsideration + Cabinet term source point; Article 352(3).
75(1): PM by President, ministers on PM advice • 75(2): pleasure • 75(3): collective responsibility to LS • 75(4): oath • 75(5): six-month rule • 75(6): salaries.
91st Amendment 2003: source: total ministers incl. PM ≤ 15% of Lok Sabha strength; defection-disqualified member cannot become minister.
Article 76: Attorney General; highest law officer; SC judge qualification; President appoints; all-courts audience.
Article 165: Advocate General = highest law officer of State.
Article 77: Government of India business in President's name.
Article 78: PM duties toward President — communicate decisions, furnish information, submit matters to CoM if required.
PM powers: appointments, portfolios, CoM meetings, dissolution advice, coordination/control.
Exam names: Morarji Desai — source first Indian PM to resign; Nehru — longest serving; Rajya Sabha PMs in source: Indira Gandhi, Manmohan Singh, H. D. Deve Gowda.

🔢 Number Trap: Articles 74–78 • 6-month membership rule • 15% minister cap • 91st Amendment 2003 • Article 76 AGI • Article 165 Advocate General.

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📝 Chapter Practice

1. According to the notes, which statement is correct about Prime Minister — Basic Position?

2. According to the notes, which statement is correct about Types of Ministers?

3. According to the notes, which statement is correct about Dissolution of Council of Ministers?

4. According to the notes, which statement is correct about Article 78 — Duties of Prime Minister?

5. According to the notes, which statement is correct about Few PMs & Their Term of Office — Source Facts?