In the framework of Indian Polity and the Constitution, the executive at the Union level is ultimately subordinate and accountable to which organ of the state?

Introduction / Context:
India follows a parliamentary system of government at the Union and state levels. Under this system, the relationship between the executive and legislature is different from that in a presidential system. Understanding to whom the executive is constitutionally responsible is central to understanding how Indian democracy works. This question asks which organ of the state the executive is ultimately subordinate and accountable to, which is a basic yet very important concept for examinations on Indian Polity.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The context is the constitutional structure of India.
• The term executive mainly refers to the Council of Ministers headed by the Prime Minister at the Union level.
• Four organs or bodies are listed: judiciary, legislature, Election Commission, and Union Public Service Commission.
• The question tests conceptual understanding, not a rare fact.

Concept / Approach:
In a parliamentary system like India, the real executive authority is exercised by the Council of Ministers. This Council is collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha, which is the lower house of the Parliament, representing the people. This means the executive continues in office only so long as it enjoys the confidence of the majority in the legislature. If it loses that confidence, it must resign. Therefore, the executive is considered subordinate and accountable to the legislature. The judiciary, Election Commission, and Union Public Service Commission are independent constitutional bodies with distinct roles, but the executive is not formally subordinate to them in the same way it is to the legislature.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Step 1: Recall that Article 75 of the Constitution states that the Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to the House of the People, that is the Lok Sabha. Step 2: Recognise that this collective responsibility is a core principle of parliamentary government and implies that the executive must answer to the legislature. Step 3: Note that the judiciary has the power of judicial review but does not supervise the day to day functioning of the executive. Step 4: Understand that the Election Commission and Union Public Service Commission are independent bodies with specialised functions, not organs to which the executive is subordinate. Step 5: Conclude that the correct answer is the legislature.

Verification / Alternative check:
A useful verification technique is to compare parliamentary and presidential systems. In a presidential system like that of the United States, the executive and legislature are separate and both are directly elected. In contrast, in the Indian system, the executive emerges from the legislature and must retain its support. Confidence motions and no confidence motions are instruments through which the legislature exercises control. This comparison reinforces the idea that in India, the executive is subordinate to the legislature, not to independent commissions or to the judiciary in the sense implied by the question.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Judiciary: Courts can review the legality of executive actions, but that does not make the executive formally subordinate to the judiciary in terms of political accountability. Election Commission: This body conducts free and fair elections and is independent of the executive, rather than exercising control over it. Union Public Service Commission: It handles recruitment to higher civil services and maintains autonomy but does not act as a supervising organ over the political executive. None of these bodies carries the collective responsibility relationship that exists between the legislature and the executive.

Common Pitfalls:
One pitfall is to confuse the power to check with the idea of subordination. Because the judiciary can strike down illegal actions, some students think the executive is subordinate to the judiciary. Another error is to assume that constitutional independence of bodies like the Election Commission somehow reverses control. In reality, independence means freedom from executive interference in their own domain, not that the executive reports to them. Remembering the phrase collective responsibility to the Lok Sabha is the key to answering such questions correctly.

Final Answer:
In the Indian constitutional system, the executive is ultimately subordinate and accountable to the Legislature.