The size of the cabinet should be as big as governmental work justifies and as big as the Prime Minister can manage as a team. How far is the efficacy of a government then inversely related to the size of the cabinet? Discuss. (UPSC 2014)

The efficacy of government is not mechanically inverse to Cabinet size, but an oversized Cabinet often weakens coordination, accountability and speed. India’s 91st Constitutional Amendment caps ministers at 15% of Lok Sabha strength, balancing representation with effective collective responsibility.

• Smaller Cabinet: fewer ministers enable quicker decisions, less duplication, clearer command and reduced turf battles.
• Larger Cabinet: India’s diversity, federalism and coalition politics need regional, social and party representation; too few ministers can cause overload and weak supervision.

Thus, Cabinet size should match governmental workload and the Prime Minister’s capacity to manage it, because efficacy depends less on numbers alone and more on cohesion, accountability, political stability and efficient portfolio management.