Which of the following Constitution Amendment Acts provides that the size of…
2022
Which of the following Constitution Amendment Acts provides that the size of the Council of Ministers must not exceed 15% of the total membership of the Lok Sabha at the Centre, and of the Legislative Assembly in a State, respectively?
- A.
91st
- B.
93rd
- C.
95th
- D.
97th
Attempted by 8 students.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Concept: Each Constitution Amendment Act targets a specific structural or substantive issue. To identify which amendment made a given change, match the change to the exact constitutional article(s) it inserted or altered, not just its approximate year.
Application: The Constitution (Ninety-first Amendment) Act, 2003 inserted Article 75(1A), capping the total strength of the Union Council of Ministers (including the Prime Minister) at 15% of the total membership of the Lok Sabha, and Article 164(1A), placing the same 15% cap on a State's Council of Ministers relative to that State's Legislative Assembly. This is exactly the rule the question describes, so the 91st Amendment Act is the answer.
Cross-check (why the other Amendment Acts don't fit):
93rd Amendment Act, 2005: inserted Article 15(5), enabling reservation for socially and educationally backward classes (including in private educational institutions) — an education-reservation provision, not a Council of Ministers size cap.
95th Amendment Act, 2009: extended the period of reservation of seats for SCs, STs, and the Anglo-Indian community in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies (amending Article 334) — a reservation-extension provision, unrelated to ministerial strength.
97th Amendment Act, 2011: added the right to form cooperative societies to Article 19(1)(c) and inserted Part IXB on cooperative societies — a cooperatives provision, not a ministry-size cap.
Only the 91st Amendment Act, 2003 introduces the 15% Council of Ministers cap described in the question.