Question 26 from UPSC CSE 2014 - Polity

Question

Consider the following statements:
1. The President shall make rules for the more convenient transaction of the business of the Government of India, and for the allocation among Ministers of the said business.
2. All executive actions of the Government of India shall be expressed to be taken in the name of the Prime Minister.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

IASCODEX · Accepted Answer

Correct Option: A. 1 only

Strategy: Focus on constitutional machinery keywords. The first statement closely resembles Article 77(3) of the Constitution, which empowers the President to make rules for transaction of government business and allocation among ministers. The second statement is incorrect because, per Article 77(1), all executive actions are to be taken in the name of the President, not the Prime Minister. Hence, only Statement 1 is correct.

Key Info: Article 77 of the Constitution of India governs the conduct of business of the Government of India:

- Article 77(1) mandates that all executive actions of the Government of India shall be taken in the name of the President. No executive action is expressed in the name of the Prime Minister.
- Article 77(2) prescribes how orders and instruments made and executed in the President's name shall be authenticated.
- Article 77(3) empowers the President to make rules for the more convenient transaction of government business and for allocation of such business among ministers.
- The office of the President is the formal head of the executive; the Prime Minister is the real head but actions are formally attributed to the President.
- This structure upholds the principle of parliamentary democracy, blending nominal authority (President) with de facto authority (Council of Ministers led by the PM).

IASCODEX · Answer

Option B: 2 only

IASCODEX · Answer

Option C: Both 1 and 2

IASCODEX · Answer

Option D: Neither 1 nor 2