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Minister without portfolio akin to a man sans a name
A man without a name! How do we call him? Similarly, what can we call a minister without a portfolio with a Cabinet rank? Becoming a minister is of no use to him. In my opinion, it is not good to keep a Cabinet minister without any portfolio. The person will not feel the responsibility, unless he is given some work. In some cases, he can continue like that, but only for a very short period. Now, we usually have coalition governments. In such a set-up, every party expects some Cabinet berth. It is difficult to assign all the persons portfolios at the time of forming Government. Simultaneously, we miss so many things and we cannot utilize the services of those who have Cabinet rank but hold no portfolio. Government has to allocate a portfolio as early as possible to such ministers.
B. Mohan,
ICFAI National College,
Vijayawada.
What will a minister without a portfolio do? Though given a portfolio in the Dr. Manmohan Singh's Cabinet, K.Chandrasekar Rao of Telangana Rashtra Samithi turned it down to pave way for allocation of the same to the DMK, also an ally of the United Progressive Alliance Government at the Centre. As of now, Mr. Rao continues to be a part of the Central Cabinet, but without any portfolio. I feel that it is not necessary to take such a step to woo a member of the UPA. Ironically, Mr. Rao enjoys all the privileges like other ministers without discharging any specific responsibilities. The situation leaves little scope for him to `serve people of the country' as is claimed by most of the politicians. Thus, a minister without a portfolio is not welcome and such trends should not be encouraged.
M. Kranthi Kumar
Physiotherapist, Guntur.
Ministers are appointed by the President on the advice of the Prime Minister, according to Article 75 (1) of the Constitution and he also makes the allocation of portfolios amongst them.
It is, however, not clear if the allocation of portfolios to the ministers is mandatory immediately after the oath-taking ceremony. As an Indian citizen, who has a high respect for the Constitution, I support the move since it is not unconstitutional.
Knowing well that the coalition government, which draws its strength from regional parties, cannot be stable without their support, Mr. Singh made the right move to satisfy the DMK. One should understand that the present-day politics favour coalition governments and the single largest party does not have a choice than to keep its allies in good humour.
The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, who is known to be a statesman, proved himself to be a fine politician by taking a wise decision on the issue.
M.V.Tulasidas
Commercial Incharge, Reliance Web World, Vijayawada.
I do not support the Prime Minister's move of allowing Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao to continue in his Cabinet without a portfolio. This is not a healthy trend and does not augur well for a sound and stable administration.
The move could be justified only under certain circumstances when the candidate in question happens to be someone with an extra-ordinary caliber. But, I certainly don't agree with Dr. Singh since Mr. Rao does not, by any means, fall into that category. The Prime Minister, therefore, should reconsider his stand on this front and allot a portfolio to Mr. Rao without further delay.
N. Swathi, 2nd B.Tech(IT), LITAM, Sattenapally, Guntur.
In a Parliamentary form of government, it is the prerogative of the Prime Minister to allocate portfolios to his ministers.
In normal conditions, every minister is given a portfolio. But sometimes, due to administrative or political reasons, some ministers may not be allocated a portfolio. A minister without a portfolio is not constitutionally wrong.
For example, Mr.Satyanarayana Sinha worked in the cabinet of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi, without portfolio due to some administrative reasons. Such ministers can aid the Prime Minister in various issues. As of now, the TRS leader K.Chandrasekhar Rao is working as a minister without portfolio in the current Government due to some political reasons. He was sworn in the shipping minister, but to honor the commitments made to DMK, he opted out of the portfolio.
The ministers without portfolio may be allocated the responsibility of any other ministry during expansion or sometimes he may play vital role in the functioning of the government.
Curie.K, B.Tech 4th yr.
RVR & JC College of Engineering, Guntur.
Yes. The concept of a minister with out portfolios in the Union Government is not something new. It has started in the 40's by none other than C.Rajagopalachari, who was recognised as the trendsetter in Indian Politics by Head Of British Cabinet Mission, Pethick-Lawrence, in March 1946.
The loss of dignity or awkwardness in a Head of State joining the Cabinet did not bother him. He was in the committee of Planning Commission and in Foreign Affairs Committee. Rajaji was the first to receive India's highest award, `Bharat Ratna' on January 26 1955. So, it is apt to say that persons endowed with rich experience and learning find a place in the Union Cabinet and take inspiration from Rajaji to forge ahead, though without a portfolio in their hand. Today's coalition era in politics necessitates persons of great eminence to play a prominent role by guiding the nation to be a trendsetter in socio, cultural and technological, global area.
Kongara Shruti, X Class,
Sri Venkateswara Bala Kuteer, Guntur.
In this democratic State, people elect a representative to rule. But he cannot solve all problems of people all at a time. So, he, who becomes the Prime Minister, makes divisions in the government and inducts ministers and gives separate portfolios to them. Lack portfolio to a minister gives rise to a lot of confusion. So, the concept of minister without portfolio should not be encouraged.
U. Aparna,
Q.No.135/C, Type-2,
Satyanarayanapuram,
Vijayawada - 11
In my view, the "Concept of minister without portfolio in the Union Government" is nothing but eating away the government's property. If he/she was given a ministry without portfolio, he/she cannot do anything to the nation. He too will enjoy the same luxuries like a minister endowed with a portfolio enjoys.
There will be no difference between the minister with portfolio and the minister without portfolio. Instead of spending money on him/her unnecessarily, the same can be used for improving the backward areas.
K.Kranthi Kiran,
X Class, Success International School, Guntur
I would like to say no. Because, the concept of minister without portfolio in the Union Government is like travelling in a sinking boat in a sea. It affects the welfare of the nation. Without the delegation of departments to ministers, the government cannot provide good administration. It's like wielding power without discharging the responsibility that usually goes with it.
It's an extra burden on the budget of the nation to have ministers in the Cabinet without portfolios.
As the minister does not have any responsibilities, there are more chances of such persons indulging in malpractice than doing good to the people of his/her constituency.
Md. Hafeezulla,
MBA, ICFAI National College, Vijayawada.
No. I don't support this idea. Because, Union Government has more responsibilities and risks to manage the whole country. Without portfolio, the minister is not useful for the country as he holds it for the sake of name. It is a waste of time and waste of expenditure though it might be an encouragement for every MP who won the elections. I think, nowadays, people are aware of all things which are happening in the country. They are very well aware of the facts that its their money spent for the maintenance of a cabinet minister and they will definitely not appreciate this concept of minister without portfolio.
G. Kanaka Durga,
MBA, ICFAI National College, Vijayawada.
Generally, any MP will have a lot of views and visions. And, if he is allotted a particular portfolio, he can implement them in that department. The minister also will be accountable to people, as he will be questioned on issues related to the department. But, if a portfolio is not allotted, the responsibility of the minister is zero. And, he cannot be held responsible for anything. There are more chances for the minister to say that he could not do any favour to the people in his constituency, because a portfolio was not given. This really can demoralize the people also. So, I don't support the concept of minister without portfolio in the Union Government.
R. Nagendra Kumar
MBA, ICFAI National College, Vijayawada.
Yes. I agree to this point, because for the past 10 years union governments are formed only with the support of regional parties.
To maintain a stable government, it needs to satisfy all political parties' needs and wants. In 1998-99, Vajpayee's government lost its power by only one vote in the Lok Sabha. This led to general elections which involved a lot of expenditure. Therefore, the government can give some cabinet ministries to all parties in order to run the show. This gives satisfaction to the parties and they would not disturb the government. People may think that it is not useful and it is an extra burden on the government's budget. But, in my opinion, it is not an unbearable amount when compared to the one involved in conducting frequent polls.
A. Suresh, MBA,
ICFAI National College,
Vijayawada.
Cabinet is the steering wheel for the ship of the nation. It is expected to hold the ship on to its cruise to ensure a safe voyage. The principle of collective responsibility, which is the basis of the cabinet system, means the cabinet is accountable to the Parliament and holds office so long as it enjoys the confidence of the Parliament. In the case of coalition governments, however, much will depend on manipulations concerning alternative political formulations.
The omnipotent position of the Cabinet may be compromised to a large extent due to the influence of the ministers.
There is a great pressure on the Prime Minister to carry along all constituent parties. In the recent past, Mamata Banerjee worked as the Cabinet Minister without portfolio.
In the present Cabinet also, K.Chandrasekhar Rao is a Minister without portfolio representing Telengana Rashtra Samithi which has just 5 MPs.
It is the prerogative of the Prime Minister to choose the Cabinet minister with or without portfolio since he wants support from all the constituents of the United Progressive Alliance.
M.A.Rasheed Khan,
F-6, Shams Complex,
Ashok Nagar, Vijayawada.
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