Union Council of Ministers
The Council of Ministers consists of individuals who are a part of the Cabinet, are Ministers of State (with independent charge), Ministers of State and Deputy Ministers. Each of these are briefly explained below:
- Cabinet Ministers: Ministers who attend and participate in all meetings of the Cabinet.
- Ministers of State with independent charge: Ministers who do not work under a Cabinet Minister. When a matter with regards to their department is on the cabinet's agenda, then they are invited to attend the meeting.
- Ministers of State: Ministers who are not independently heading any department and operate under a Cabinet Minister. The Cabinet Minister allots their work to them.
- Deputy Ministers: Ministers who work under a Cabinet Minister or under a Minister of State with independent charge. The Minister who they report to is responsible for assigning work to them.
The Council of Ministers are headed by the Prime Minister. They are collectively accountable to the Lok Sabha. All the decisions of the Council of Ministers which link to administrative matters or proposals for legislations have to be communicated by the Prime Minister to the President.