What does individual ministerial responsibility mean?

Correct answer: A minister is answerable for the work of his or her department

The correct answer is A: individual ministerial responsibility means that a minister is answerable for the work, decisions, and administration of the ministry or department under that minister. Ministers must explain policies and actions in Parliament and may be questioned about failures or irregularities in their departments. This principle supports democratic accountability because a specific public authority cannot avoid responsibility by simply blaming unnamed officials. Option A is correct because it connects the individual minister with the performance of the assigned department. Option B is wrong because ministers do not head every court; courts are independent judicial institutions. Option C is wrong because a minister does not appoint the President. The President is elected through the constitutionally prescribed electoral process. Option D is wrong because ministers are not above Parliament; the Council of Ministers is responsible to the Lok Sabha and must follow the Constitution and law. Do not confuse individual responsibility with collective responsibility: individual responsibility concerns one minister’s department, while collective responsibility concerns the Council as a whole. Memory cue: one minister, one department, direct answerability.