Question

Assertion A: Ministers shall hold office during the pleasure of the President.
Reason R: The Council of Ministers shall be collectively responsible to the House of the People.
In the light of the above statements, choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below:

• A. Both A and R are correct and R is the correct explanation of A
• B. Both A and R are correct but R is not the correct explanation of A
• C. A is correct but R is not correct
• D. A is not correct but R is correct

Hint:

To test if R explains A, use the word "because".
"Ministers hold office at the President's pleasure \textit{because} they are collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha."
This sentence does not make logical sense, confirming that R is not the correct explanation.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
This question deals with the principles of ministerial responsibility in the Indian parliamentary system.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
- Assertion A is correct: Article 75(2) states that Ministers hold office during the pleasure of the President (individual responsibility).
- Reason R is correct: Article 75(3) states that the Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha.
However, collective responsibility (R) is not the logical reason why they hold office during the President's pleasure (A). The "pleasure of the President" represents the PM's authority to dismiss a minister individually. These are two different constitutional principles.
Step 3: Final Answer:
Both statements are true but they describe different constitutional principles; thus R is not the explanation of A.