Social Studies Notes on State Government

By Neha Joshi|Updated : March 2nd, 2021

In this article, we should read civics study notes related to the state government. This article tends to be beneficial for the following exams - REETUPTETCTETSuper TETDSSSBKVS, etc. 4-5 questions can be asked from this section. 

State Governments in India are the governments ruling over 28 states and 8 union territories of India and the head of the Council of Ministers in a state is the Chief Minister. Power is divided between the Union Government and State Governments. Each state has a legislative assembly.

 

Structure of the state government

Executive: State Executive comprises the governor and the chief minister with his council of Ministers. The Governor of each state is appointed by the President for a period of five years. The executive power of the state is vested in the governor. But the actual powers for the proper functioning of the state are vested in the CM and his council of ministers.

Judiciary: State high courts have jurisdiction over the whole state. In the states, the judicial setup is headed by the chief justice. He manages and controls the entire judicial system of the state pertaining to criminal, civil and all other forms of litigation. State high courts have to, however, report to the Supreme Court of India, which may override the high court’s findings and judgements.

Legislature: Each state has a legislative assembly. It consists of the governor and one House or two Houses, as the case may be. In seven states, the state government’s legislature is bicameral. These states are Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh. These states have two Houses known as the legislative council and legislative assembly. The rest of the states are unicameral. There is only one House known as a legislative assembly. State Legislature or State Assemblies are headed by the CM.

The Governor

  1. The Governor is the De Jure executive head at the state level. His position is analogous to that of the President at the centre.
  2. The president appoints the Governor.
  3. To be appointed as the Governor of any state or two or more states as a person
    (a) Should be a citizen of India.
    (b) And should have attained 35 years of age.
  1. He should not hold any office of profit as well.
  2. Like the President, the governor is also entitled to several immunities and privileges. During his term of office, he is immune from any criminal proceedings, even in respect of his acts.
  3. The oath - is administered by the chief justice of the corresponding state high court and in case he’s absent, the senior-most judge of that particular court.
  4. A governor holds office for a term of five years from the date on which he enters upon his office. He holds office until the pleasure of the President, and he offers his resignation to the President.
  5. All executive actions of the government of a state are formally taken in his name. He appoints the chief minister and other ministers. They also hold office during his pleasure.
  6. He appoints the advocate general of a state and determines his remuneration. The advocate general holds office during the pleasure of the governor.
  7. He appoints the state election commissioner. However, the state election commissioner can be removed only in the like manner and on similar grounds as a judge of a high court.
  8. He appoints the chairman and members of the state public service commission. However, they can be removed only by the president and not by a governor.
  9. A governor is an integral part of the state legislature. He can summon or prorogue the state legislature and dissolve the state legislative assembly.
  10. He nominates one-sixth of the members of the state legislative council.
  11. He can nominate one member to the state legislative assembly from the Anglo-Indian Community.
  12. The Governor can withhold consent to bills, return the bills for reconsideration (if they’re not money bills), and even reserve the bills for consideration by the President. (He can also reserve a money bill for consideration by the President).
  13. He can promulgate ordinances when the state legislature is not in session. The state legislature must approve the ordinances within six weeks of its reassembly. He can also withdraw an ordinance anytime (Article 213).
  14. Money bills can be introduced in the state legislature only with his prior recommendation.
  15. He can grant pardons, reprieves, respites, and remissions of punishment or suspend, remit and commute the sentence of any person convicted of any offence against any law relating to a matter to which the executive power of the state extends (Article 161).
  16. He is consulted by the president while appointing the judges of the concerned state high court.

Important Articles about the office of Governor

  • 153 - Governors of states
  • 154 - Executive power of the state
  • 155 - Appointment of Governor
  • 156 - Term of office of Governor
  • 157 - Qualifications for the appointment as the Governor
  • 158 - Conditions of the Governor’s office
  • 159 – Governor’s Oath or Affirmation
  • 161 - Power of the Governor to grant pardons and others
  • 163 – Aid and Advice by the Council of Ministers to the Governor
  • 165 - Advocate-General for the state
  • 200 - Assent to bills (i.e. assent of the Governor to the bills passed by the state legislature)
  • 201 - Bills reserved by the Governor for consideration of the President
  • 213 – Governor’s power to promulgate ordinances
  • 217 – Consultation of Governor by the President in the matter of the appointments of the judges of the High Courts

 Chief Minister and State Council of Ministers

  1. Chief Minister is the real executive authority (de facto executive). He is the head of the government.
  2. The total strength of the number of ministers, including the C.M, in the state’s CoM, should not exceed 15% of the overall strength of the legislative assembly of that state. However, the number of ministers, including the C.M, in a state should also not be less than 12. The 91st Amendment Act of 2003 added this provision.
  3. A member of either House of state legislature belonging to any political party who is disqualified on the ground of defection shall also be disqualified to be appointed as a minister. The 91st Amendment Act of 2003 also added the provision.

The State Legislature

The organisation of the State Legislature

  1. Most of the states in India have a Unicameral Legislature. Seven States have Bicameral Legislature, that is-Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar, U.P, J&K and Karnataka.
  2. The Legislative Council (Vidhan Parishad) is the upper house (second chamber or house of elders), while the Legislative Assembly (Vidhan Sabha) is the lower house (first chamber or popular house). Delhi and Puducherry are the only two UTs that have a Legislative Assembly.

Composition of the State Legislature

  1. The legislative assembly consists of representatives directly elected by the people based on the universal adult franchise. Its maximum strength is fixed at 500 and minimum strength at 60 depending on the population size of the state. However, in the case of Sikkim, it is 32; and in Goa and Mizoram it’s 40.
  2. The members of the legislative council are indirectly elected. The maximum strength of the legislative council is fixed at 1/3rd of the total strength of the corresponding assembly and the minimum strength is set at 40. But an exception is Jammu and Kashmir has 36 members.
  3. Manner of Election Of the total number of members of a legislative council:
    (a) 1/3 are elected by the members of local bodies in the state such as municipalities etc.,
    (b) 1/12 are elected by graduates of three years standing and residing within the state,
    (c) 1/12 are elected by teachers of three years standing in the state, not lower in standard than secondary school,
    (d) 1/3 are elected by the members of the legislative assembly of the state from amongst persons who are not members of the assembly, and
    (e) The remainder is nominated by the governor from amongst the persons who have specialised knowledge or practical experience of literature, science, art, cooperative movement, and social service.

Thus, 5/6 of the total number of members of a legislative council is indirectly elected, and the governor nominates 1/6. The members are elected per the system of proportional representation through a single transferable vote.

Duration of the two Houses

  1. Analogous to the Lok Sabha, the legislative assembly is also not a permanent chamber. The term of the assembly is five years from the date of its first meeting after the general elections.
  2. Analogous to the Rajya Sabha, the legislative council is a continuing chamber, that is, it is a permanent body and is not subject to dissolution. But, one-third of its members retire at the expiration of every second year.

Membership in the State Legislature

  1. The Constitution lays down the following qualifications for a person to be chosen as a member of the State legislature.
    (a) Citizen of India.
    (b) He must be not less than 30 years of age in the case of the legislative council and not less than 25 years of age in the case of the legislative assembly.
  1. He should not have been found guilty as per the provisions of RPA, 1951. In a defection case also a member is liable to be disqualified as per the Anti-Defection Act (10th Schedule).
  2. Also, he should not be of unsound mind, and he should not hold any office of profit; he isn’t declared an undischarged insolvent etc.

Presiding Officers of State Legislature

  1. Each House of the state legislature has its presiding officer. There are a Speaker and a Deputy Speaker for the legislative assembly and Chairman and a Deputy Chairman for the legislative council. A panel of chairmen for the assembly and a panel of vice-chairmen for the council are also appointed.
  2. The assembly itself elects the Speaker from amongst its members.
  3. Like the Speaker, the Deputy Speaker is also elected by the assembly itself from amongst its members. He is elected after the election of the Speaker has taken place.
  4. The council itself elects the Chairman from amongst its members.
  5. The Speaker decides whether a bill is a Money Bill or not, and his decision on this question is final.

Important points related to the State Legislature

  1. The maximum gap between the two sessions of the state legislature cannot be more than six months, that is, the state legislature should meet at least twice a year.
  2. Quorum is the minimum number of members required to be present in the House before it can transact any business. Either it's ten or 1/10th of the total number of members in that particular House (including the presiding officer).
  3. In addition to the members of a House, every minister and the advocate general of the state have the right to speak and take part in the proceedings of either House or any of its committees of which he is named a member, but Advocate General can’t vote.
  4. A Money Bill cannot be introduced in the legislative council. It can be introduced in the legislative assembly only and that too on the recommendation of the governor. Every such bill is considered to be a government bill and can be introduced only by a minister.

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