Consider the following statements : 1. The Council of Ministers in the Centre shall be collectively responsible to the Parliament. 2. The Union Ministers shall hold the office during the pleasure of the President of India. 3. The Prime Minister shall communicate to the President about the proposals for legislation. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

The correct answer is B) 2 and 3 only. Let's break down each statement: Statement 1: The Council of Ministers in the Centre shall be collectively responsible to the Parliament. This is incorrect. The Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha (the lower house of Parliament). Article 75 of the Constitution explicitly states this. Statement 2: The Union Ministers shall hold the office during the pleasure of the President of India. This is correct. Article 75 states that ministers hold office at the pleasure of the President. This means the President can dismiss a minister, though in practice, this is done on the advice of the Prime Minister. Statement 3: The Prime Minister shall communicate to the President about the proposals for legislation. This is correct. The Prime Minister, as the head of the government, informs the President about all policy matters, including legislative proposals. The President is a part of the legislative process and needs to be informed. Therefore, only statements 2 and 3 are correct.