CONSTITUTION OF INDIAArticle 78
“
It shall be the duty of the Prime Minister — (a) to communicate to the President all decisions of the Council of Ministers … ; (b) to furnish such information … as the President may call for; and (c) if the President so requires, to submit for the consideration of the Council of Ministers any matter on which a decision has been taken by a Minister but which has not been considered by the Council.
mcqquestion.com · Indian Polity👔 Exam Edge
👔 Article 78: Duties of the PM
What the Prime Minister must do for the President.
Art. 78Duties of the Prime Minister to the President
InformationFurnish info on decisions of the Council of Ministers
AdviceCommunicate advice on request
ReferralsRefer matters for Cabinet consideration
ExecutiveBridges the President and the Council of Ministers
ExamArt 78 is about PM-Presidential communication
💡The trap: Article 78 makes the PM the channel between the President and the Council of Ministers.
mcqquestion.comUPSC · CDS · NDA · CAPF · SSC
Clause (c) — the re-submission duty — is the rarely-tested but precise point.
🏛️ Must Know
The Three Duties
- (a) communicateConvey all Council of Ministers decisions and legislative proposals to the President.
- (b) furnishProvide any information the President calls for.
- (c) re-submitIf the President requires, submit any ministerial decision not yet considered by the Council.
- Why it matters(c) is the rarely-tested but precise duty.
🏘️ Good to Know
The Story of the 1986-87 Crisis
- 1986-87President Zail Singh and PM Rajiv Gandhi stopped speaking properly over a briefing breakdown.
- The causeA breakdown in the regular communication Article 78 requires.
- The outcomeZail Singh’s term ended 25 July 1987 without either side acting.
- So whatThe crisis shows what happens when this duty quietly breaks down.
Why the Duty Exists
- AccountabilityIt keeps the President — the constitutional head — informed of government decisions.
- GuardrailIt lets the President flag matters the Cabinet has not properly considered.
- Why it mattersIt prevents the PM from bypassing the President entirely.
- So whatIt is a structural check, not a mere formality.
Why the Duty Exists
- AccountabilityIt keeps the President, the constitutional head, informed of government decisions.
- GuardrailIt lets the President flag matters the Cabinet has not properly considered.
- Why it mattersIt prevents the PM from bypassing the President entirely.
- So whatIt is a structural check, not a mere formality.
✅ Test Yourself
Work through a 5-question chain on Article 78, then keep practising with a random Indian Polity question.
⚡ Great to Know
78 and 74 Together
- Article 74Requires the President to act on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers.
- Article 78Requires the PM to keep the President informed of those decisions.
- So what74 gives the Council power; 78 keeps the President in the loop.
- How to recall74 = act on advice; 78 = inform of advice.
- Why it mattersThe two together define the PM-President working relationship.
🎯 Exam Angle (PYQ & MCQ Traps)
CDS I 2022: Article 78
- QuestionCDS and other competitive exams ask which Article requires the Prime Minister to furnish information about decisions of the Council of Ministers to the President. Correct answer: Article 78.
- WhyArticle 78 sets out the PM’s duty to keep the President informed and to communicate advice.
- LinkSource: CDS I 2022 (see Q76).
The ’74 = 78′ Trap
- Trap optionArticle 78 requires the President to act on ministerial advice.
- DistractorBoth involve the PM and President.
- Fact testedArticle 74 covers acting on advice; Article 78 covers the PM’s duty to inform.
- Eliminate fastIf an option assigns the information duty to 74, it is wrong.
- Try this rule74 = advice; 78 = information.
The ’78(c) Omission’ Trap
- Trap optionArticle 78 has only two duties.
- DistractorThe communicate and furnish duties are the obvious ones.
- Fact testedArticle 78 has three duties, including (c) — re-submitting an unconsumed ministerial decision.
- Eliminate fastIf an option omits 78(c), it is incomplete.
- Try this ruleCommunicate + furnish + re-submit = three.
📰 Current Affairs
PM-President Relations
- DevelopmentThe PM-President working relationship rests on Article 78’s information duty.
- Why it mattersAny breakdown in communication recalls the 1986-87 episode.
- So whatArticle 78 remains the constitutional guardrail.
Beyond the answer
Browse all indian-polity-and-constitution topics →
📚 Keep reading
Polity0001 — Fundamental Duties of Indian Citizens: A Complete GuidePolity0354 — Article 53: Executive Power of the UnionUPSC CSP 2017 — General Studies Paper I (Full Question Paper)Polity0266 — Article 88: Rights of Ministers and Attorney-General in Houses of ParliamentPolity0049 — The PM, Council of Ministers and Attorney General❓ Practice this topic
Which of the following Acts, receiving presidential assent on 24 December 2023, replaced the Indian Telegraph Act 1885, the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1933 and the Telegraph Wires (Unlawful Possession) Act 1950?Under Article 61 of the Constitution, by what majority must the resolution preferring the charge of impeachment against the President be passed in each House of Parliament?Which Article of the Constitution provides that it shall be the endeavour of every State to provide adequate facilities for instruction in the mother tongue at the primary stage to children belonging to linguistic minority groups?In which situation can a State Governor issue an ordinance under Article 213 of the Constitution?🎲 Take a Indian Polity And Constitution Quiz
Leave a Reply