With reference to Union Government, consider the following statements:
Which of the statements given above is/are' correct?
Correct Option (a):
Statement 1 is correct. On 15th August 1947, at the time of India's independence, the Union Government was constituted with 18 ministries. These included crucial portfolios such as Home Affairs, Defence, Finance, External Affairs, and other departments, some of which were combined, like Industry and Supply.
Incorrect Options:
Statement 2 is incorrect. The number of ministries in the Union Government is dynamic and subject to change based on administrative requirements, governmental reforms, creation of new departments, and political restructuring. While the exact number fluctuates, it was not 36 in 2009, the year the question was posed. At that time, the number of ministries was approximately 30-32. Therefore, stating a fixed number like 36 as current is inaccurate.
Options (b), (c), and (d) are incorrect as only Statement 1 is factually accurate.