SSC CGL Polity · Government Structure — Parliament, Judiciary and Constitutional Bodies
State Legislatures and Governors
The Governor's appointment, oath and powers, the Chief Minister and the State Council of Ministers, the Advocate General, and the State Legislature with its Legislative Council.
Why this matters
Twenty-seven questions in the bank: ten from the 2023 shifts, nine from the 2024 shifts and eight from the 2025 shifts, and 15 of them MODERATE. Most mirror a Union rule at State level, so the trick is to know where the State rule differs: the Governor cannot pardon a death sentence, and the State ministry answers to the Assembly alone.
Concept 1 of 3: The Governor
Definition
The facts:
- Art 155: appointed by the President. Art 156: a five-year term. Art 158: he may not be a member of Parliament or of any State legislature listed in the First Schedule. Art 159: he takes his oath before the Chief Justice of the High Court of the State.
- The 7th Amendment (1956) lets one person be Governor of two or more States. The Supreme Court (1979) held that the office is independent, not under the Central Government.
- Art 161: he can pardon, but not a death sentence; that is the President's power under Art 72.
- Art 174: he can dissolve the Assembly. Art 200: he may reserve a Bill for the President. Under Art 356 his report can lead to President's Rule.
- He unfurls the flag in the State capital on Republic Day.
- The Sarkaria Commission advised that a Governor not be removed before his term ends except in rare cases.
- Sarojini Naidu (Uttar Pradesh, 1947) was the first woman Governor. Anandiben Patel became Governor of Uttar Pradesh in 2019.
Practice this conceptself-check · 4 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
Example 1 · Government Structure — Parliament, Judiciary and Constitutional Bodies · State Legislatures and Governors
Pardon is Article 72 for the President, 161 for the Governor
The Governor's term was never cut
Concept 2 of 3: Chief Minister, ministers and the Advocate General
Definition
The rules:
- Art 164(1A) (91st Amendment, 2003): ministers, including the Chief Minister, may not exceed 15% of the Assembly's members, and may not be fewer than 12.
- Art 164(2): the State Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to the Legislative Assembly, even where a Council exists. (The Union ministry answers to the Lok Sabha.)
- Art 166: conduct of business of the State government. Art 167: the Chief Minister must communicate the Cabinet's decisions to the Governor.
- Art 165: the Advocate General, the highest law officer of the State, advises the State government on legal matters.
Practice this conceptself-check · 4 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
Example 2 · Government Structure — Parliament, Judiciary and Constitutional Bodies · State Legislatures and Governors
Responsible to the Assembly, not the Council
Concept 3 of 3: The State Legislature
Definition
The facts:
- Articles 168 to 212 (Part VI) cover the State Legislature. The upper House is the Legislative Council (Vidhan Parishad), the lower the Legislative Assembly (Vidhan Sabha).
- Art 169: a State creates or abolishes its Council by an Assembly resolution followed by a law of Parliament. West Bengal passed such a resolution in 2021.
- Art 171: a Council has at most one-third of the Assembly's strength and at least 40 members. Five-sixths are elected indirectly (by local bodies, graduates, teachers and MLAs) and one-sixth are nominated by the Governor; those nominations cannot be challenged in court.
- Art 172(2): the Council is never dissolved.
- Art 207: a Money Bill needs the Governor's recommendation.
- The Governor's power to nominate an Anglo-Indian to the Assembly (Art 333) ended with the 104th Amendment (from January 2020). Telangana's Assembly has 119 elected members.
Practice this conceptself-check · 5 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
Example 3 · Government Structure — Parliament, Judiciary and Constitutional Bodies · State Legislatures and Governors
The Governor's nominations cannot be challenged
Summary — formulas & gotchas at a glance
A revision cheat-sheet for the formulas and gotchas above. Click any concept name to jump back to its full explanation.
Reference tables (3)
Watch out for (4)
- Pardon is Article 72 for the President, 161 for the Governor→ The Governor
- The Governor's term was never cut→ The Governor
- Responsible to the Assembly, not the Council→ Chief Minister, ministers and the Advocate General
- The Governor's nominations cannot be challenged→ The State Legislature
Test yourself on Government Structure — Parliament, Judiciary and Constitutional Bodies
20 past SSC CGL questions from this chapter, timed at 12 minutes and marked the way the exam marks it. You see your score and every answer the moment you finish. Free to start.