Which of the following Constitution Amendment Acts seeks that the size of the Councils of Ministers at the Centre and in a State must not exceed 15 per cent of the total number of members in the Lok Sabha and the total number of members of the Legislative Assembly of that State, respectively?

Correct Option

The 91st Constitutional Amendment Act, 2003, introduced significant provisions to limit the size of the Council of Ministers at both the Union and State levels. Its primary objective was to prevent excessive political appointments and cabinet expansion, thereby promoting administrative efficiency and reducing the burden on the public exchequer.

• Article 75(1A) was inserted, stipulating that the total number of ministers, including the Prime Minister, in the Union Council of Ministers shall not exceed 15 per cent of the total number of members of the Lok Sabha.
• Article 164(1A) was inserted, providing that the total number of ministers, including the Chief Minister, in the Council of Ministers in a State shall not exceed 15 per cent of the total number of members of the Legislative Assembly of that State. However, the number of ministers in a State shall not be less than twelve.
• Furthermore, this amendment also added Article 75(1B) and Article 164(1B), which state that a member of either House of Parliament or a State Legislature, who is disqualified on the ground of defection under the Tenth Schedule, shall also be disqualified from being appointed as a minister.

Incorrect Options

Option (b) 93rd Amendment Act, 2005, inserted clause (5) in Article 15, enabling the State to make special provisions for the advancement of any socially and educationally backward classes of citizens or for the Scheduled Castes or the Scheduled Tribes in matters of admission to educational institutions, including private unaided educational institutions.

Option (c) 9th Amendment Act, 1960, gave effect to the transfer of certain territories to Pakistan in pursuance of the Indo-Pakistan Agreement (Nehru-Noon Agreement) of 1958. This involved the transfer of the Berubari Union to Pakistan.

Option (d) 97th Amendment Act, 2011, granted constitutional status and protection to cooperative societies. It inserted Article 43B (promotion of cooperative societies) and Article 19(1)(c) (right to form cooperative societies), and added a new Part IXB (The Cooperative Societies) to the Constitution.