Why are both departmental responsibility and collective responsibility necessary in the Council of Ministers?

Correct answer: The first makes a minister responsible for a department and the second makes the whole government responsible

Correct answer: A. Departmental responsibility means that the minister in charge must supervise the work of that department and answer questions about its policies, administration, and spending. Collective responsibility means that all ministers stand together before the Lok Sabha and support decisions of the Council as a whole. If the government loses the confidence of the Lok Sabha, the entire Council may have to resign. The two principles work at different levels: one gives clear responsibility for a particular department, while the other preserves unity and accountability of the whole government. Option A correctly explains both. Options B, C, and D are wrong because these principles neither transfer government formation to the judiciary, abolish the Election Commission, nor create direct presidential rule. Memory cue: department means individual answerability; collective means cabinet unity.