Important for:

UPSC, Haryana HCS, Punjab PCS
Prelims: Governor, Floor Test, Constitutional conventions
Mains: GS Paper 2 — Federalism, Centre-State Relations, Constitutional Morality

Why in News?

Following political developments in Tamil Nadu, debates intensified regarding:

The Governor’s constitutional role

especially on:
→ Inviting parties to form government
→ Verifying majority support
→ Delays in constitutional decisions

The issue revived concerns about:
✔ Federalism
✔ Neutrality of Governors
✔ Democratic accountability

What Is the Core Constitutional Principle?

In a parliamentary democracy:

→ The government must reflect:

The mandate of the people

This means:
✔ Majority support in the Assembly matters most.

What Is the Governor’s Role?

The Governor is:
✔ Constitutional head of the state.

However:
→ Real executive authority belongs to:

The elected Council of Ministers

headed by the Chief Minister.

Important Constitutional Articles

Article 163

Governor acts on:
→ Aid and advice of Council of Ministers.

Article 164

Chief Minister is:
→ Appointed by the Governor.

But:
✔ CM must enjoy Assembly majority.

Why Is Delay Controversial?

Critics argue that:
→ Delays in inviting majority parties can:

✔ Create political uncertainty
✔ Encourage defections
✔ Disturb democratic stability

What Is a Floor Test?

A:

Floor Test

is conducted inside the Legislative Assembly to prove:
→ Majority support.

The Supreme Court repeatedly held that:
✔ Floor test is the best democratic method.

Key Supreme Court Judgments

1. S.R. Bommai Case (1994)

Established:
→ Majority should be tested on Assembly floor.

2. Nabam Rebia Case (2016)

Restricted arbitrary use of Governor’s discretionary powers.

3. Shivraj Singh Chouhan Case (2020)

Reinforced:
→ Importance of timely floor tests.

Why Is This Important for Federalism?

The debate affects:

✔ Centre-State balance
✔ Neutral functioning of constitutional offices
✔ Democratic legitimacy

Constitutional Morality Debate

Experts stress that:
→ Governors must uphold:

✔ Democratic values
✔ Constitutional conventions
✔ Political neutrality

instead of partisan considerations.

Special Note for Aspirants

Students preparing through:

UPSC coaching Chandigarh

or

IAS coaching Chandigarh

must focus on:

✔ Governor’s discretionary powers
✔ Floor test jurisprudence
✔ Constitutional morality
✔ Federalism debates
✔ Centre-State relations

These topics are extremely important for:
→ GS2 + Essay + Interview.

Key Insight for UPSC

➤ In parliamentary democracy:

✔ The people’s mandate
✔ Legislative majority
✔ Floor test

are more important than political discretion.

PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

Q1. A floor test is used to determine:

A. Judicial power
B. Legislative majority
C. Election schedule
D. Budget approval

→ Answer: B

Q2. Article 163 is related to:

A. Emergency provisions
B. Governor’s role
C. Election Commission
D. Finance Commission

→ Answer: B

Q3. S.R. Bommai case strengthened:

A. Banking reforms
B. Federalism and Assembly majority test
C. Trade policy
D. Local governance

→ Answer: B

Q4. Real executive power in a state lies with:

A. Governor
B. President
C. Council of Ministers
D. Judiciary

→ Answer: C

Q5. Constitutional morality means:

A. Religious law
B. Political campaigning
C. Respect for constitutional values
D. Public protests

→ Answer: C

CBL Mains Practice Question

“Governors must act as neutral constitutional authorities while respecting the democratic mandate.”
Discuss in the context of recent political controversies in states.

FAQs

1. What is a floor test?

A legislative procedure to prove majority support.

2. Why is Governor’s role debated?

Due to concerns over discretionary powers and political neutrality.

3. Which judgment made floor tests important?

The S.R. Bommai judgment.

4. What is constitutional morality?

Respecting constitutional principles and democratic values.

5. Which GS paper covers this topic?

GS Paper 2.