Consider the following statements : 1. A person who is not a member of either House of the Parliament can be appointed a member of the Council of Ministers. 2. Anyone can be appointed as a member of the Council of Ministers for a maximum period of three years. 3. A person shall not be less than 25 years of age in order to become a minister. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Statement 1 is correct as the Constitution allows a person who is not a member of either House of Parliament to be appointed as a Minister [3]. However, under Article 75(5), such a person must secure a seat in either the Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha within six consecutive months, or they cease to be a minister [1]. This makes Statement 2 incorrect, as the maximum period for a non-member is six months, not three years. Statement 3 is correct because the minimum age for a minister is tied to the eligibility for membership in Parliament. Since a person can be a member of the Lok Sabha at 25 years of age, they can also be appointed as a minister at that age. Therefore, statements 1 and 3 are correct, while statement 2 is false.

Sources

1. [3] Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 23: Parliament > Rights of Ministers and Attorney General > p. 239
2. [1] Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 21: Central Council of Ministers > APPOINTMENT OF MINISTERS > p. 215