5.2. Composition of the Council of Ministers

Following are the four categories of Ministers in the Council of Ministers:

1. Cabinet Ministers: Cabinet Ministers are those Ministers who hold very important portfolios like Defence, Home, Finance and Foreign Affairs, etc. They are highest in status, emoluments, and powers. It is these Ministers who constitute the Cabinet, which has been described as a wheel within a wheel (Council of Ministers). Their number varies from time to time, but seldom exceeds twenty. Cabinet Ministers collectively formulate the policy of the Government and are entitled to attend all meetings of the Cabinet. Occasionally, senior leaders are included in the Cabinet as Ministers without portfolio.

2. Ministers of State: They are next in rank and can either be given independent charge of ministries/departments or can be attached to Cabinet Ministers. In case of independent charge, they perform the same functions and exercise the same powers in relation to their ministries/departments as cabinet ministers do. However, they are not members of the Cabinet and attend Cabinet meetings only when specially invited and when affairs of their departments are to be considered.

3. Deputy Ministers: Deputy Minister, who are next in rank to Ministers of State do not hold independent charge of any department and perform such functions as the Minister-in- charge may delegate to them.

4. Parliamentary Secretaries: They have no independent powers or functions. They assist the Ministers to whom they are attached in the Parliamentary work. They are, in fact, probationers under training and may hope to rise to higher ranks if they do well.