Primus inter pares
Also called: First among equals · Topic: Union Executive: President, Vice-President, Prime Minister and Council of Ministers · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 4 "Executive"
Meaning
Primus inter pares is a Latin phrase meaning "first among equals". In Britain it describes the Prime Minister as the leading member of a Cabinet of equal ministers. The phrase understates the power of India's Prime Minister. India's PM chooses ministers, ranks them, gives them portfolios and can have any of them dropped. If the PM dies or resigns, the whole Council of Ministers is dissolved.
Example
Nehru called the Prime Minister the "linchpin of Government". The PM's dominance became even clearer with the single-party majorities of 2014 and 2019. In coalition years, the PM acted more as a negotiator.
Don't confuse with
- Collective responsibility (Art. 75(3)): it means the whole Council answers to the Lok Sabha as one body. It describes accountability, not the PM's rank among ministers.
Related concepts
- Prime Minister of India
- Six-month rule for non-member ministers
- S.R. Chaudhuri case
- Kitchen cabinet
- Deputy Prime Minister