Overview and Constitutional Basis:
Collective Responsibility is a fundamental principle of the parliamentary system of government in India. It means that all members of the Council of Ministers, including the Prime Minister, are collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha for all decisions and policies of the government. The principle is enshrined in Article 75(3) of the Constitution, which states that the Council of Ministers shall be collectively responsible to the House of the People. This ensures that the government acts as a unified body and no individual minister can claim independence in policy decisions. It promotes political accountability, discipline within the Cabinet, and ensures that the elected legislature can control and evaluate the executive effectively.
Legal Provisions and Implications:
Under Article 75(3), if the Lok Sabha passes a vote of no-confidence against the Council of Ministers, all ministers, including the Prime Minister, must resign collectively, even if some ministers were not individually responsible for the policies criticized. This principle is linked to Articles 74(1) and 78, which require the Prime Minister to communicate all decisions to the President and ensure that the Cabinet functions cohesively. Collective responsibility ensures unity in government policy, prevents ministers from publicly criticizing decisions, and strengthens accountability to the legislature. It is a key feature distinguishing parliamentary systems from presidential systems, where ministers are not collectively answerable to the legislature.
Significance and Constitutional Role:
Collective responsibility ensures effective governance by maintaining Cabinet unity and preventing contradictory policy statements. It allows the legislature to hold the entire executive accountable rather than singling out ministers, thereby safeguarding democracy and public trust. It also enforces Cabinet solidarity, as ministers must support collective decisions in public, regardless of personal opinions, or resign. This principle plays a vital role in the stability of parliamentary democracy, discouraging internal dissent from affecting government functioning, and reinforcing the notion that the executive operates as a single constitutional entity responsible to the elected representatives.
Real-Time Example:
A practical example of collective responsibility is the Cabinet resignation of all ministers during the 1979 Morarji Desai government crisis, following a vote of no-confidence in the Lok Sabha. Similarly, in 2012, when a Minister in the Union Cabinet disagreed with government policy on environmental clearances, the principle of collective responsibility required him to either support the decision publicly or resign. These instances illustrate that in India, the Council of Ministers acts as a unified body, and the Lok Sabha can enforce accountability collectively, reinforcing the constitutional principle of parliamentary democracy under Article 75(3).
Mnemonic to Remember:
Mnemonic: “CABIN – Collective Accountability, All Bound In Nation”
- C = Collective responsibility of all ministers (Art. 75(3))
- A = Accountability to Lok Sabha
- B = Binding on Cabinet members to act as one
- I = Individual ministers must support decisions publicly
- N = Nation’s governance stability maintained
This mnemonic “CABIN” helps recall the essence of collective responsibility — unity, accountability, and stability of the Cabinet and the government.
About lawgnan:
Understand the principle of Collective Responsibility under Article 75(3) of the Indian Constitution at Lawgnan.in. Explore how this constitutional rule ensures Cabinet unity, executive accountability, and parliamentary control over government policies. Learn through real examples like the 1979 Morarji Desai government’s fall and the 2012 Cabinet dissent case, which illustrate how ministers act as one cohesive unit. Perfect for law students, UPSC aspirants, and political science learners, this article breaks down the concept with clarity, legal references, and practical insights. Visit Lawgnan to strengthen your understanding of India’s parliamentary democracy and constitutional governance today.
