Course4all
Join us on telegram
Home/Rajasthan RAS - Complete Course/Rajasthan Polity

Chief Minister & Council of Ministers

Master this topic with zero to advance depth.

Chief Minister & Council of Ministers (State Executive)

[!IMPORTANT] The Chief Minister is the Real Executive Authority (de facto executive), whereas the Governor is the nominal executive authority (de jure executive) of the state.

1. Constitutional Provisions

  • Article 163: There shall be a Council of Ministers with the Chief Minister at its head to aid and advise the Governor in the exercise of his functions, except in so far as he is required to exercise his functions in his discretion.
  • Article 164: The Chief Minister shall be appointed by the Governor and other Ministers shall be appointed by the Governor on the advice of the Chief Minister.
  • Article 166: Conduct of business of the Government of a State.
  • Article 167: Duties of Chief Minister as respects the furnishing of information to Governor, etc.

2. Size of the Council (91st Amendment Act, 2003)

  • The total number of ministers, including the CM, in the Council of Ministers in a state shall not exceed 15% of the total strength of the Legislative Assembly.
  • However, the number of ministers, including the CM, in a state shall not be less than 12.
  • In Rajasthan: 15% of 200 (Assembly seats) = Max 30 Ministers (including CM).

3. Categories of Ministers

  • Cabinet Ministers: Heads of important departments (Home, Finance, etc.). They attend cabinet meetings.
  • Ministers of State (Independent Charge): Heads of smaller departments; attend cabinet meetings only when invited.
  • Ministers of State: Attached to cabinet ministers for assistance.
  • Deputy Ministers: No independent charge; assist cabinet or MoS.

4. Rajasthan Specific Historical Facts

ProfileNameTenure/Details
First CMHiralal Shastri1949тАУ1951 (Appointed)
Current CM (14th)Bhajan Lal SharmaSince Dec 2023 (16th Vidhan Sabha)
Deputy CMs (Current)Diya Kumari, Prem Chand BairwaAppointed in 16th Vidhan Sabha
First Elected CMTika Ram Paliwal1952 (First General Elections)
First Minority CMBarkatullah KhanOnly CM to die in office (1971тАУ1973)
First Woman CMVasundhara Raje2003тАУ2008, 2013тАУ2018
Longest Serving CMMohan Lal Sukhadia17 Years (Modern Rajasthan Architect)
Non-Congress CMsBhairon Singh Shekhawat1st Non-Congress Government (1977)

5. 16th Vidhan Sabha Cabinet (2024 Summary)

The current cabinet under CM Bhajan Lal Sharma includes major portfolios:

  • CM Bhajan Lal Sharma: Home, Personnel, Planning, Excise.
  • Diya Kumari (Deputy CM): Finance, Tourism, PWD.
  • Prem Chand Bairwa (Deputy CM): Higher Education, Technical Education.
  • Kirodi Lal Meena: Agriculture, Rural Development.
  • Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore: Industries, Commerce, IT.

[!NOTE] Collective Responsibility: Under Article 164, the Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to the State Legislative Assembly.