The first statement claims that the Constitution of India classifies ministers into four ranks viz. Cabinet Minister, Minister of State with Independent Charge, Minister of State and Deputy Minister. This is incorrect because the Constitution does not lay down such a classification. The Constitution broadly provides for the Council of Ministers to aid and advise the President and refers to ministers in general terms, mentioning the appointment of a Prime Minister and other ministers. While in practice the executive uses designations like Cabinet Minister, Minister of State with Independent Charge and Minister of State, these designations are matters of convention and administrative practice under the Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules and Cabinet Secretariat procedures, not constitutional categories. The historical post of Deputy Minister also exists by practice but is not constitutionally mandated as a formal rank, so the categorical claim that the Constitution classifies ministers into these four ranks is factually incorrect for the purposes of a constitutional provisions question.
The second statement asserts that the total number of ministers in the Union Government, including the Prime Minister, shall not exceed 15 percent of the total number of members in the Lok Sabha. This statement is correct and reflects a specific constitutional amendment. The 91st Amendment to the Constitution introduced a ceiling on the size of the Council of Ministers in Article 75(1A), limiting the total number of ministers in the Union Council to 15 percent of the total strength of the Lok Sabha. This provision was inserted to check excessive expansion of the Council of Ministers and to promote fiscal responsibility and efficient governance. The ceiling is a constitutional rule and is applicable nationwide and fixed relative to the Lok Sabha membership, so the numerical cap is accurately represented by the statement.
Putting the two statements together, the correct choice is therefore the one that accepts only the second statement. The first is a common misconception because everyday usage and government notifications often display ministerial ranks, but such administrative classifications should not be confused with constitutional text. The Constitution frames the structure of the Council of Ministers and contains provisions on collective responsibility and appointment, but it does not enumerate ministerial ranks or define a hierarchy of Cabinet, MOS (Independent Charge), MOS and Deputy Ministers as constitutional categories. That distinction is crucial for constitutional law questions in the UPSC Prelims context.
Other options that pair both statements as correct or reject both are therefore incorrect. Option a which accepts only the first statement is wrong because statement one is not a constitutional provision. Option c which accepts both is wrong because the first statement is false even though the second is true. Option d which rejects both is wrong because the second statement is actually correct after the 91st Amendment. Hence the verified answer selecting only the second statement is the correct response in constitutional terms and aligns with the cited verification reason concerning the 91st Amendment cap.
