# Tamil Nadu Council of Ministers

The Tamil Nadu Council of Ministers is the executive wing of the Government of Tamil Nadu and is headed by the State's Chief Minister M. K. Stalin, who is the head of government and leader of the state cabinet. The current state council of ministers were sworn in on 7 May 2021, following the 2021 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election. The term of every executive wing is for 5 years. The council of ministers are assisted by department secretaries attached to each ministry who are from the Tamil Nadu cadre of the IAS. The chief executive officer responsible for issuing orders on behalf of the Government is the Chief Secretary to the State Government, with Thiru. Shiv Das Meena being the current holder of that position.

## Constitutional requirement
### For the Council of Ministers to aid and advise Governor

According to Article 163 of the Indian Constitution,
   # There shall be a Council of Ministers with the Chief Minister at the head to aid and advise the Governor in the exercise of his function, except in so far as he is by or under this Constitution required to exercise his functions or any of them in his discretion.
   * If any question arises whether any matter is or is not a matter as respects which the Governor is by or under this Constitution required to act in his discretion, the decision of the Governor in his discretion shall be final, and the validity of anything done by the Governor shall not be called in question on the ground that he ought or ought not to have acted in his discretion.
   * The question whether any, and if so what, advice was tendered by Ministers to the Governor shall not be inquired into in any court.
This means that the Ministers serve under the pleasure of the Governor and he/she may remove them, on the advice of the Chief Minister, whenever they want.
The Chief Minister shall be appointed by the Governor and the other Ministers shall be appointed by the Governor on the advice of the Chief Minister, and the Minister shall hold office during the pleasure of the Governor: Provided that in the States of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Orissa, there shall be a Minister in charge of tribal welfare who may in addition be in charge of the welfare of the Scheduled Castes and backward classes or any other work.
   # The Council of Minister shall be collectively responsible to the Legislative Assembly of the State.
   * Before a Minister enters upon his office, the Governor shall administer to him the oaths of office and of secrecy according to the forms set out for the purpose in the Third Schedule.
   * A Minister who for any period of six consecutive months is not a member of the Legislature of the State shall at the expiration of that period cease to be a Minister.
   * The salaries and allowances of Ministers shall be such as the Legislature of the State may from time to time by law determine and, until the Legislature of the State so determines, shall be a specified in the Second Schedule.

## Chief Minister

Like any Indian state, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu is the real head of the government and responsible for state administration. He is the leader of the parliamentary party in the legislature and heads the state cabinet.

## Deputy Chief Minister

Like any state, Deputy Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu is the deputy head of the government and senior minister of cabinet after the Chief Minister and mostly the position was vacant.

## State Cabinet

As per Indian Constitution, all portfolios of state government is vested in Chief Minister, who distribute various portfolio to individual ministers whom he nominates to the State Governor. The state governor appoints individual ministers for various portfolios and departments as per advice of Chief Minister and together form the State Cabinet. As the original portfolios are vested with CM, who delegates to others upon his/her wish, actions of individual ministers are part of collective responsibility of the state cabinet and Chief Minister is responsible for actions of each minister. The state cabinet along with Chief Minister, prepares General policy and individual department policy, which will be guiding policy for day-to-day administration of each minister.

## Council of Ministers

| S.No | Name | Constituency | Designation | Department | Party |
| 1. | M. K. Stalin | Kolathur | Chief Minister | Public General Administration Indian Administrative Service Indian Police Service Indian Forest Service All India Service District Revenue Officers Police Home Special Initiatives Special Programme Implementation Welfare of Differently abled persons. | DMK |
| Cabinet Ministers |||||||
| 2. | Durai Murugan | Katpadi | Minister for Water Resources | Irrigation Projects including small irrigation Legislative Assembly Governor and Ministry Elections and Passports Minerals and Mines. | DMK |
| 3. | Udhayanidhi Stalin | Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni | Deputy Chief Minister | Youth Development Sports Development Special Programme Implementation Department Poverty Alleviation Programme and Rural Indebtedness Planning and development | DMK |
| 4. | K. N. Nehru | Tiruchirappalli West | Minister for Municipal Administration | Municipal Administration Urban Water Supply. | DMK |
| 5. | I. Periyaswamy | Athoor | Minister for Rural Development | Rural Development Panchayats Panchayat Unions | DMK |
| 6. | Dr. K. Ponmudy | Tirukkoyilur Assembly constituency | Minister for Forests | Forests | DMK |
| 7. | E. V. Velu | Tiruvannamalai | Minister for Public Works | Public Works Buildings Highways Minor Ports | DMK |
| 8. | M. R. K. Panneerselvam | Kurinjipadi | Minister for Agriculture and Farmer's Welfare | Agriculture Agricultural Engineering Agro Service Co-operatives Horticulture Waste Land Development | DMK |
| 9. | K. K. S. S. R. Ramachandran | Aruppukottai | Minister for Revenue and Disaster Management | Revenue District Revenue Establishment Deputy Collectors Disaster Management | DMK |
| 10. | Thangam Thennarasu | Tiruchuli | Minister for Finance and Environment Climate Change | Finance Pensions and Pensionary benefits. Environment Pollution Control Board and Climate Change Archeology | DMK |
| 11. | S. Regupathy | Thirumayam | Minister for Law | Law Courts Prisons Prevention of Corruption | DMK |
| 12. | S. Muthusamy | Erode West | Minister for Housing and Urban Development | Housing Rural Housing Town Planning projects Housing Development Accommodation Control Town Planning Urban Planning Urban Development | DMK |
| 13. | K. R. Periyakaruppan | Tiruppattur (Sivaganga) | Minister for Co-operation | Co-operation | DMK |
| 14. | T. M. Anbarasan | Alandur | Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MS&ME) | Rural Industries including cottage industries Small Industries Urban Habitat Development Board | DMK |
| 15. | M. P. Saminathan | Kangayam | Minister for Tamil Development, Information & Publicity | Information & Publicity Film Technology and Cinematograph Act Newsprint Control Stationery and Printing Government Press Tamil Official Language Tamil Culture | DMK |
| 16. | P. Geetha Jeevan | Thoothukkudi | Minister for Social Welfare & Women Empowerment | Social Welfare including Women and Children Welfare Orphanages and Correctional Administration Integrated Child Development Scheme Beggar Homes and Social Reforms & Nutritious Meal Programme | DMK |
| 17. | Anitha R. Radhakrishnan | Tiruchendur | Minister for Fisheries – Fishermen Welfare and Animal Husbandry | Fisheries Fisheries Development Corporation Animal Husbandry | DMK |
| 18 | R.S.Rajakannappan | Mudukulathur | Minister for Milk & Dairy Development | Milk and Dairy Development Khadi and Village Industries Board | DMK |
| 19 | R. Rajendran | Salem North | Minister for Tourism | Tourism Tourism Development Corporation Sugar Sugarcane Excise Sugarcane Development | DMK |
| 20 | R. Sakkarapani | Oddanchatram | Minister for Food and Civil Supplies | Food and Civil Supplies Consumer Protection Price Control | DMK |
| 21. | V.Senthilbalaji | Karur | Minister for Electricity, Prohibition and Excise | Electricity Non Conventional Energy Development Prohibition and Excise, Molasses | DMK |
| 22. | R. Gandhi | Ranipet | Minister for Handlooms and Textiles | Handlooms and Textiles Boodhan and Gramadhan. | DMK |
| 23. | M. Subramaniam | Saidapet | Minister for Medical and Family Welfare | Health Medical Education Family Welfare | DMK |
| 24. | P. Moorthy | Madurai East | Minister for Commercial Taxes and Registration | Commercial Taxes Registration and Stamp Act Weights and Measures Debt Relief including legislation on Money lending Chits and Registration of Companies | DMK |
| 25. | S. S. Sivasankar | Kunnam | Minister for Transport | Transport Nationalised Transport Motor Vehicles Act | DMK |
| 26. | P. K. Sekar Babu | Harbour | Minister for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments | Hindu Religious Charitable Endowments Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (Additional charge) | DMK |
| 27. | Dr. Govi Chezhian | Thiruvidamarudur | Minister for Higher Education | Higher Education including Technical Education Electronics, Science and Technology | DMK |
| 28. | Palanivel Thiagarajan | Madurai Central | Minister for Information Technology | Information Technology and Digital Services | DMK |
| 29. | S.M. Nasar | Avadi | Minister for Minorities Welfare and Non Resident Tamils Welfare | Minorities Welfare Non Resident Tamils Welfare Refugees & Evacuees Wakf Board | DMK |
| 30. | Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi | Thiruverumbur | Minister for School Education | School Education | DMK |
| 31. | Siva. V. Meyyanathan | Alangudi | Minister for Backward Classes Welfare | Backward Classes Welfare Most Backward Classes Welfare Denofied Communities Welfare | DMK |
| 32. | C.V. Ganesan | Tittakudi | Minister for Labour Welfare and Skill Development | Labour Welfare Population Employment and Training Census Urban and Rural Employment | DMK |
| 33. | Dr. T. R. B. Rajaa | Mannargudi | Minister for Industries, Investment Promotions and Commerce. | Industries Investment Promotions Commerce Airports State Public Sectors . | DMK |
| 34. | M. Mathiventhan | Rasipuram | Minister for Adi Dravidar Welfare | Adi Dravidar Welfare Hill Tribes Bonded Labour Welfare | DMK |
| 35. | N. Kayalvizhi Selvaraj | Dharapuram | Minister for Human Resources Management | Human Resources Management Ex-Servicemen Welfare | DMK |

## Past Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu

| Sl. no | Chief Minister | Ministry | Party | Election |
| 20. | Edappadi K. Palaniswami | Palaniswami ministry | AIADMK | 2016 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election |
| 19. | O. Panneerselvam | Third Panneerselvam ministry | AIADMK | 2016 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election |
| 18. | J. Jayalalithaa | Sixth Jayalalithaa ministry | AIADMK | 2016 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election |
| 17. | J. Jayalalithaa | Fifth Jayalalithaa ministry | AIADMK | 2011 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election |
| 16. | O. Panneerselvam | Second Panneerselvam ministry | AIADMK | 2011 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election |
| 15. | J. Jayalalithaa | Fourth Jayalalithaa ministry | AIADMK | 2011 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election |
| 14. | M. Karunanidhi | Fifth Karunanidhi ministry | DMK | 2006 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election |
| 13. | J. Jayalalithaa | Third Jayalalithaa ministry | AIADMK | 2001 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election |
| 12. | O. Panneerselvam | First Panneerselvam ministry | AIADMK | 2001 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election |
| 11. | J. Jayalalithaa | Second Jayalalithaa ministry | AIADMK | 2001 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election |
| 10. | M. Karunanidhi | Fourth Karunanidhi ministry | DMK | 1996 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election |
| 9. | J. Jayalalithaa | First Jayalalithaa ministry | AIADMK | 1991 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election |
| 8. | M. Karunanidhi | Third Karunanidhi ministry | DMK | 1989 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election |
| 7. | V. N. Janaki | V. N. Janaki Ramachandran ministry | AIADMK | 1984 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election |
| Interim | V. R. Nedunchezhiyan | Second Nedunchezhiyan ministry | AIADMK | 1984 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election |
| 6. | M. G. Ramachandran | Third Ramachandran ministry | AIADMK | 1984 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election |
| 5. | M. G. Ramachandran | Second Ramachandran ministry | AIADMK | 1980 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election |
| 4. | M. G. Ramachandran | First Ramachandran ministry | AIADMK | 1977 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election |
| 3. | M. Karunanidhi | Second Karunanidhi ministry | DMK | 1971 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election |
| 2. | M. Karunanidhi | First Karunanidhi ministry | DMK | 1967 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election |
| Interim | V. R. Nedunchezhiyan | First Nedunchezhiyan ministry | DMK | 1967 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election |
| 1. | C. N. Annadurai | Annadurai ministry | DMK | 1967 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election |