During the tenure of which Prime Minister of India did the Lok Sabha never actually meet, because the ministry resigned before facing the House?

Introduction / Context:
In parliamentary systems, a new Prime Minister is expected to prove majority support in the lower house soon after taking office. Indian political history includes rare situations where a Prime Minister resigned before facing a vote of confidence, leading to a ministry that never actually met the Lok Sabha in session. This question asks you to identify which Prime Minister headed such a ministry, making it a notable case in the study of coalition politics and minority governments.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The options list Chaudhary Charan Singh, H D Deve Gowda, Morarji Desai, and I K Gujral.
• The question specifies that during the tenure of this Prime Minister the Lok Sabha never met while the ministry was in office.
• We assume knowledge of broad timelines of Indian Prime Ministers and their majority situations.

Concept / Approach:
Chaudhary Charan Singh became Prime Minister in 1979, heading a government that depended on outside support. Before he could prove his majority in the Lok Sabha through a confidence vote, the supporting party withdrew its support. Rather than face certain defeat on the floor of the House, he resigned. As a result, his ministry never faced a session of the Lok Sabha in which it could seek or lose a vote of confidence. This makes his tenure unique among the options provided.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that Morarji Desai, H D Deve Gowda, and I K Gujral all led governments that faced Parliament and, at various times, won or lost support through votes. Step 2: Remember that Chaudhary Charan Singh became Prime Minister after the fall of the Morarji Desai government and depended on outside support. Step 3: Note that this outside support was withdrawn before a confidence motion could be held. Step 4: Recognise that Charan Singh resigned without facing the Lok Sabha, leading to a situation in which Parliament never met during his brief tenure. Step 5: Therefore, identify Chaudhary Charan Singh as the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
You can verify this by reviewing summaries of Indian Prime Ministers. While several have led short lived coalitions, most at least faced a vote of confidence. The case of Chaudhary Charan Singh is often highlighted as an exception, where the ministry did not face Parliament at all and the Lok Sabha was dissolved soon after. This distinct feature is regularly mentioned in exam oriented political history notes.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option B, H D Deve Gowda, is incorrect because his government did face Parliament and later lost support through political developments. Option C, Morarji Desai, led the first non Congress government and faced the Lok Sabha during his tenure. Option D, I K Gujral, also led a coalition government that faced Parliament before eventually losing support. None of these cases match the specific condition that the Lok Sabha never met during the tenure.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes confuse different short lived governments of the late 1970s and 1990s, since several coalitions fell quickly. A common error is to mix up Charan Singh with other Prime Ministers who led minority governments but did face the House. To avoid this, remember that Charan Singh is singled out in many sources as the Prime Minister whose ministry did not present a confidence motion because the supporting party withdrew even before the first test.

Final Answer:
The Prime Minister of India during whose tenure the Lok Sabha never actually met was Chaudhary Charan Singh.