Which Article of the Indian Constitution mentions that ‘The Council of Ministers shall be collectively responsible to the Legislative Assembly of the state’?

The correct answer is Article 164(2) of the Indian Constitution.

Article 164 of the Indian Constitution deals with the appointment and responsibilities of the Council of Ministers at the State level. It has multiple sub-clauses, each addressing a distinct aspect of the state ministerial structure. Let us understand each clause briefly to clearly see why Article 164(2) is the correct answer:

Article 164(1): This clause provides that the Chief Minister shall be appointed by the Governor, and other Ministers shall be appointed by the Governor on the advice of the Chief Minister. It also deals with the tenure of ministers at the pleasure of the Governor.

Article 164(2): This is the key clause in question. It explicitly states:
"The Council of Ministers shall be collectively responsible to the Legislative Assembly of the State."
This establishes the principle of Collective Responsibility — a foundational feature of the parliamentary system of government at the state level. Just as at the Centre (under Article 75(3)), the state cabinet must collectively answer to the directly elected house, i.e., the Vidhan Sabha (Legislative Assembly). If the Legislative Assembly passes a vote of no-confidence, the entire Council of Ministers — not just one minister — must resign.

Article 164(3): This clause requires that a Minister who is not a member of the State Legislature for a continuous period of six consecutive months shall cease to be a Minister at the end of that period.

Article 164(4): This clause deals with the salaries and allowances of Ministers, stating they shall be determined by the State Legislature by law.

Why Collective Responsibility matters:
The doctrine of Collective Responsibility ensures that:

• All ministers stand or fall together — they must publicly support cabinet decisions even if they personally disagree.
• The government remains accountable to the people through their elected representatives in the Legislative Assembly.
• If the cabinet loses majority confidence in the Vidhan Sabha, the entire government resigns, ensuring democratic accountability.

Therefore, it is clearly Article 164(2) that contains the provision: "The Council of Ministers shall be collectively responsible to the Legislative Assembly of the state."