RAS question
The total number of ministers including the Chief Minister in Rajasthan cannot exceed what percentage of the total strength of the Legislative Assembly?
Correct answer: (B) 15%.
In Rajasthan, the total number of ministers, including the Chief Minister, cannot exceed 15% of the total strength of the Legislative Assembly.
Explanation
Article 164(1A), inserted by the Constitution (Ninety-first Amendment) Act, 2003, fixes the ceiling for a State Council of Ministers. The India Code text of the Constitution says that the total number of Ministers, including the Chief Minister, in a State shall not exceed fifteen per cent of the total number of members of that State's Legislative Assembly. Rajasthan has 200 MLAs, so the 15% ceiling works out to a maximum of 30 ministers, including the Chief Minister. The source also makes clear that the cap applies to the Council of Ministers as a whole, not merely to cabinet-rank ministers.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) A 10% limit is lower than the constitutional ceiling; Article 164(1A) fixes the cap at fifteen per cent.
- (C) A 20% limit would allow more ministers than Article 164(1A) permits for a State Legislative Assembly.
- (D) A 25% limit is well above the fifteen per cent ceiling set for a State Council of Ministers.
Concept
This tests the constitutional rules on the State Council of Ministers under Article 164, a recurring RAS area because it links Rajasthan polity with the broader constitutional framework. It is often asked as a direct percentage-based fact because the 91st Amendment created a clear numerical ceiling.