If ministers keep avoiding departmental mistakes in Parliament, which principle will weaken?

Correct answer: Ministerial accountability

Direct answer: A is correct. A minister is politically responsible for the work of the department under that minister’s charge. Parliamentary questions, debates, reports, and discussions allow elected representatives to examine government actions. If a minister repeatedly avoids answering about mistakes, Parliament cannot properly scrutinise the department and citizens cannot easily know who must explain or correct the failure. A is correct because avoiding responsibility weakens ministerial accountability and parliamentary control. B is wrong because the President’s formal constitutional position is not the principle being tested. C is wrong because the Rajya Sabha’s continuing character does not depend on whether a minister answers questions. D is wrong because judicial independence concerns freedom of courts from improper interference, not a minister’s explanation of departmental work. Memory cue: authority over a department must be matched by answerability for its work.