News
- President Ram Nath Kovind has announced the appointment of Lieutenant Governors in the newly formed Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.
- He also announced the appointment of two new Governors in the states of Mizoram and Goa.
Newly appointed Governors/ Lieutenant Governors
- Satya Pal Malik – Governor of Goa
- S. Sreedharan Pillai – Governor of Mizoram
- Radha Krishna Mathur – Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh
- Girish Chandra Murmu – Lieutenant Governor of Jammu-Kashmir
Governor
- Article 153 says that there shall be a Governor for each state.
- 7th Constitutional Amendment Act of 1956 facilitated the appointment of the same person as governor of two or more states.
- Constitutional heads of Union Territories are called Lieutenant Governors.
Appointment
The Governor of a State shall be appointed by the President by warrant under his hand and seal.
Qualification
The only qualifications for appointment as Governor are that he should be a citizen of India and must have completed the age of thirty-five years.
Oath
The oath of office to the governor is administered by the chief justice of concerned HC and in his absence by the senior-most judge of the HC available.
Dual Role
- The Governor acts in ‘Dual Capacity’ as the Constitutional head of the state and as the representative.
- He is the constitutional head of the state, bound by the advice of his council of ministers.
- He functions as a vital link between the Union Government and the State Government.
- He is a Representative of the President (Union Government or Central Government) in the State.
Removal
- Governor holds office for a term of 5 years.
- However this term of five years is subject to the pleasure of the President.
- He may be removed by the President at any time.
- The Constitution does not lay down any ground upon which a Governor may be removed.
Critical Aspects
- He is only `appointed’ by the President, and not `elected.’
- Though he is the head of the executive and the legislature, the people of the State have no voice in his appointment.
- The manner of the appointment and the uncertainty of tenure tend to make the Governor an object of the Central government in politically charged circumstances.
- Governor’s discretionary powers to invite the leader of the largest party/alliance, post-election, to form the government has often been misused to favour a particular political party.
