Page 189 - SST Class 07

Chief Minister. In this case, the Governor has no
change the death sentence into life imprisonment
or may pardon an offender completely.
Quiz Time
Fill in the blanks :
1. The speaker presides over the meetings of the
___________ . a minister. The Chief Minister can ask any minister
2. The Governor is appointed by the ___________
of India on the advice of the ___________ .
3. A member of a ___________ is called a Member
of Legislative Council.
4. The members of Vidhan Sabha are called
Members of ___________ . to.
5. The state governments can make laws on the
subjects mentioned in the ___________ List.
Discretionary Powers : The status of the Governor
is like the President of India at the centre. He has
to act on the advice of the Chief Minister, but he
enjoys certain discretionary powers also, for
which he does not need the advice of the Chief
Minister. It is he who decides which party or
coalition is in majority in the Vidhan Sabha. In
case of a dispute, he takes a decision himself. He
can recommend the imposition of President’s rule
in the state if the Council of Ministers has lost the
confidence of the Vidhan Sabha. He can also
recommend it if the government machinery has
broken down in the state. In such a case, he takes
over the administration and runs it as per the
directions of the President of India.
F ind Outind Out
Find out the name of the Governor of your state.
CHIEF MINISTER AND COUNCIL OF MINISTERS
After general elections, the leader of the majority
party in the Vidhan Sabha is appointed the Chief
Minister by the Governor and is invited to form
the government. If there is no clear majority of
any one party, then the
Governor can appoint the
leader of the majority coalition
as the Chief Minister. The
ministers of the Council of
Ministers are appointed by the
Governor on the advice of the Pinarayi Vijayan
12th Chief Minister
of Kerala
choice. He has to act according to the advice of
the Chief Minister. A minister should be a
member of the Vidhan Sabha; in case he is not,
then he has to become a member of the Vidhan
Sabha within six months, else he will cease to be
to resign from his post at any time.
F ind Outind Out
Find out the names of the Chief Ministers of at
least five states and also party names they belong
There are three types of ministers in the Council of
Ministers—(a) the cabinet ministers, (b) the
ministers of state, and (c) the deputy ministers.
The cabinet ministers are important ministers and
together form the Cabinet. Other ministers assist
them in their duties.
The Council of Ministers, headed by the Chief
Minister, is collectively responsible to the Vidhan
Sabha. The Chief Minister is the real executive,
though all functions are performed in the name of
the Governor.
The Council of Ministers acts as a single team. If a
bill introduced by it is not passed, the Council of
Ministers has to resign; similar is the case if a no-
confidence motion is passed by the Vidhan Sabha.
If the Chief Minister resigns, it is considered as the
resignation of the entire Council of Ministers.
STATE ADMINISTRATION
The Chief Minister looks after the administration
of the state through the State Secretariat. The
senior most officer of the State Secretariat is the
Chief Secretary, who is assisted by a large number
of officers. Different ministers look after different
ministries, which have a number of officers
headed by the Secretaries.
STATE JUDICIARY
Normally, each state has a High Court, but some
of them work for two or more states. This is the
highest court of law in the state. It is constituted of
a Chief Justice and other judges. The Chief Justice
State Government
189