Principle of Collective Responsibility

Principle of Collective Responsibility    

Article 75 of the Constitution of India says that the Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha. Which means all the ministers own joint responsibility to the Lok Sabha for all their acts of omission and commission. 

When the Lok Sabha passes a no-confidence motion against the council of ministers, all the ministers are liable to resign. 

The principle of collective responsibility also means that the Cabinet decisions bind all cabinet ministers (and other ministers) even if they differed in the cabinet meeting. It is the duty of every minister to stand by cabinet decisions and support them both within and outside the Parliament. If any minister disagrees with a cabinet decision and is not prepared to defend it, he must resign. Several ministers have resigned in the past owing to their differences with the cabinet. 

For example, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar resigned because of his differences with his colleagues on the Hindu Code Bill in 1953.

Important Judgements related to Collective Responsibility?

Common Cause v Union of India  

The Supreme Court held that the principle of collective responsibility has two meanings. Firstly, that all the members of a government are unanimous in support of policy. Secondly, the ministers are responsible for the success and failures of the policies.

S.P. Anand v H.D. Deve Gowda  

The court held that the principle of collective responsibility means all the ministers are collectively responsible for every decision taken whether their assent is present or no.