Polity & Governance
State Government
GS Paper II
State Government — Quick Revision
One-page UPSC revision of State government: Governor's powers and discretion, assent to Bills, CM and Council of Ministers, Assembly and Legislative Council.
SyllabusGS II · Structure, organisation and functioning of the Executive; Parliament and State legislatures — structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers and privileges
A last-week revision sheet for Part VI — the State executive and legislature.
Article Map
| Article | Provision |
|---|---|
| 153–154 | Governor; executive power of the State |
| 155–159 | Appointment, tenure, qualifications, conditions, oath |
| 161 | Pardoning power |
| 163 | Council of Ministers to aid and advise; Governor’s discretion |
| 164 | CM and ministers; 15% cap, minimum 12; tribal welfare minister |
| 165 | Advocate General |
| 167 | CM’s duties to the Governor |
| 168–169 | State Legislature; creation and abolition of Councils |
| 170–171 | Composition of Assembly and Council |
| 174 | Sessions, prorogation, dissolution |
| 200–201 | Assent to Bills; reserved Bills |
| 213 | Ordinances |
| 361 | Immunity of the President and Governors |
Governor vs President
| Point | President | Governor |
|---|---|---|
| Selection | Indirectly elected | Appointed by the President |
| Removal | Impeachment (Art 61) | At the President’s pleasure; not arbitrary (B.P. Singhal, 2010) |
| Oath by | Chief Justice of India | Chief Justice of the High Court |
| Death sentence | Can pardon | Cannot pardon (can commute, remit, suspend) |
| Court-martial | Covered | Not covered |
| Send advice back | Yes, once (Art 74) | No express provision |
| Ordinance | Art 123 | Art 213 — President’s instructions needed in three cases |
Assent Options
| Authority | Options |
|---|---|
| Governor (Art 200) | Assent; withhold; return non-Money Bill once; reserve for President (mandatory if High Court’s powers affected) |
| President (Art 201) | Assent; withhold; direct return of non-Money Bill — not bound even after reconsideration |
Legislative Council
| Point | Fact |
|---|---|
| Creation/abolition | Art 169 — Assembly special majority + Parliament simple majority law |
| Size | Max one-third of Assembly; min 40 |
| Composition | 1/3 local bodies; 1/12 graduates; 1/12 teachers; 1/3 MLAs; ~1/6 nominated |
| Term | Permanent; six-year terms; one-third retire every two years |
| Power over ordinary Bills | Delay up to 3 months + 1 month |
| States | Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh |
High-yield facts
- Governor: minimum age 35; 7th Amendment (1956) allows one Governor for two or more States.
- State Council of Ministers: 15% cap, minimum 12 (91st Amendment, 2003).
- Tribal welfare minister: Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha (94th Amendment, 2006).
- No joint sitting in State legislatures.
- Commissions on Centre–State relations: Sarkaria (1983–88), Punchhi (2007–10).
Traps
Common confusions
- Governor’s discretion under Art 163 is decided by the Governor, and that decision cannot be questioned.
- The Governor is bound by a re-passed Bill; the President is not.
- Creating a Legislative Council is not an Article 368 amendment.
Related Topics
- The Governor and the State Executive
- State Government — practice questions
- The Union Executive — quick revision
- Federalism and Centre-State Relations
- All quick revision sheets
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