SSC
The real executive authority and head of the government in a state is the:
Answer (Detailed Solution Below)View answer ▾Hide ▴
Answer: Option C — Chief Minister
Detailed Solution
In the parliamentary system followed in the states, the Governor is the nominal (constitutional) head, while the Chief Minister is the real executive authority and the head of the government.
Appointment of the Chief Minister:
- Under Article 164, the Chief Minister is appointed by the Governor.
- Normally, the Governor appoints the leader of the majority party or coalition in the Legislative Assembly.
- If no party has a clear majority, the Governor may use his discretion and may ask the appointee to prove his majority on the floor of the House.
Powers of the Chief Minister:
- He recommends persons to be appointed as ministers and allocates portfolios among them.
- He can ask a minister to resign or advise the Governor to dismiss him.
- He presides over meetings of the Council of Ministers and guides its work.
- He is the chief link between the Governor and the Council of Ministers (Article 167).
- He advises the Governor on summoning and proroguing sessions of the legislature and on dissolving the Assembly.
- He announces government policies in the House.
- He is a member of the NITI Aayog Governing Council and of the Zonal Council of his region.
Duties under Article 167:
- To communicate to the Governor all decisions of the Council of Ministers relating to the administration of the state and proposals for legislation.
- To furnish information relating to administration and legislation as the Governor may call for.
Tenure:
The Chief Minister holds office during the pleasure of the Governor, but in practice he remains in office as long as he enjoys the majority in the Assembly.
Membership of the legislature:
A person who is not a member of the state legislature can be appointed Chief Minister, but he must become a member within six months.
Notable firsts:
- Sucheta Kripalani of Uttar Pradesh was the first woman Chief Minister in India.
- Pawan Kumar Chamling of Sikkim was the longest-serving Chief Minister.
Why not the other options?
- ✗The Governor is the nominal head.
- ✗The Chief Secretary is the senior-most civil servant of the state.
- ✗The Speaker presides over the Assembly.
Quick tip
Remember: Real executive in a state = Chief Minister; nominal head = Governor (parallel to PM and President).
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State Executive & Legislature — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of State Executive & Legislature, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers government at the state level: the Governor, the Chief Minister and the State Council of Ministers, the Advocate General, the State Legislature, including the legislative councils in states that have them, and the special provisions for certain states. Questions usually cover the appointment and powers of the Governor, the Governor's discretionary powers, which states have a bicameral legislature, and how a legislative council is created or abolished (Article 169). Remember that the Governor is appointed by the President and holds office during the President's pleasure. Practise the state executive and legislature questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.