Governor & CM — Set 7

Correct Answer: B. 25 years

• **Minimum age 25** = a Chief Minister must be at least 25 years old, as the CM must be eligible to be a member of the state Legislative Assembly (MLA). • **Via Legislative Council** — if the CM is a member of the Vidhan Parishad (Legislative Council), the minimum age is 30 years. • 💡 Option A (30 years) is the minimum age for Legislative Council (MLC) membership, not the MLA/CM age from the assembly; Option C (21 years) is the minimum voting age and the age for local body elections — not for state legislature; Option D (35 years) is the minimum age for President and Governor — not for CM.

Correct Answer: B. Yes, for 6 months

• **Non-member can be CM** = a person who is not a member of the state legislature can be appointed Chief Minister, but must become a member within 6 months. • **6-month grace period** — if the person fails to get elected or nominated to the legislature within 6 months, they automatically cease to be CM. • 💡 Option A (Yes, indefinitely) is wrong — the non-member CM cannot continue indefinitely without becoming a legislator; Option C (No) is wrong — the Constitution explicitly permits this for 6 months; Option D (Yes, for 3 months) is incorrect — the grace period is 6 months, not 3.

Correct Answer: C. Governor

• **Pleasure of Governor** = Advocate General holds office during the pleasure of the Governor with no fixed tenure. • **Resignation** — the Advocate General can also resign at any time; typically, the Advocate General resigns when a new government comes to power. • 💡 Option A (Chief Minister) — CM's advice may lead to the appointment but the tenure is at the Governor's pleasure, not CM's; Option B (President) holds the Attorney General at his pleasure, not the Advocate General; Option D (Chief Justice) has no role in the Advocate General's tenure.

Correct Answer: A. State Legislature

• **State Legislature determines ministers' salaries** = the State Legislature fixes the salaries and allowances of state ministers by passing a law. • **State-specific** — salaries vary from state to state since each state legislature independently determines the amount. • 💡 Option B (Governor) does not set ministerial salaries; Option C (Chief Minister) allocates portfolios but does not fix salaries; Option D (Parliament) sets the Governor's salary (charged on state's Consolidated Fund) — not the state ministers' salaries.

Correct Answer: B. The Council of Ministers is dissolved

• **CM resignation dissolves entire Council** = if the Chief Minister resigns, the entire Council of Ministers is deemed to have resigned. • **'Keystone of cabinet arch'** — the CM is the keystone; he is so central that removing him brings down the whole cabinet structure. • 💡 Option A (Fresh elections are held) does not automatically follow a CM's resignation — the Governor may invite another leader to form the government; Option C (Senior most minister becomes CM) has no constitutional basis; Option D (Only CM post is vacant) is wrong — the entire council dissolves, not just the CM's post.

Correct Answer: D. Council of Ministers is dissolved

• **CM's death dissolves Council** = death of the Chief Minister in office causes automatic dissolution of the entire Council of Ministers. • **No automatic succession** — there is no constitutional provision for automatic succession; the Governor steps in and appoints a new leader. • 💡 Option A (Deputy CM takes over) has no constitutional basis — there is no constitutional post of Deputy CM, and no automatic succession; Option B (President's Rule) is not automatic; it may be imposed if no alternative government can be formed; Option C (Governor runs the state) is informal — the Governor appoints a new CM rather than directly running the state.

Correct Answer: A. Governor

• **CM resigns to Governor** = Chief Minister submits his resignation letter to the Governor, who is the appointing authority. • **Government falls** — once the Governor accepts the CM's resignation, the entire Council of Ministers is deemed to have resigned and the government falls. • 💡 Option B (President) receives the Governor's resignation, not the CM's resignation; Option C (Speaker) is the presiding officer of the assembly and has no role in accepting a CM's resignation; Option D (Party President) is a party position with no constitutional role in accepting the CM's resignation.

Correct Answer: D. Governor

• **Governor is Constitutional Head** = the Governor acts as the Constitutional Head of the State; all official administration is carried out in his name. • **Head of state vs head of government** — Governor = head of state (nominal/constitutional); Chief Minister = head of government (real/political). • 💡 Option A (Chief Minister) is the head of the government, not the constitutional head of the state; Option B (Speaker) is the presiding officer of the assembly — not the constitutional head; Option C (Chief Justice) heads the judiciary, not the state constitutionally.

Correct Answer: D. Consolidated Fund of the State

• **Consolidated Fund of the State** = Governor's salary is charged on the Consolidated Fund of the State, making it non-votable by the state legislature. • **Financial independence** — this prevents the state legislature from using budget votes to pressure or punish the Governor. • 💡 Option A (Contingency Fund of the State) is used for unforeseen expenditure, not for recurring salary; Option B (Public Account) records receipts/payments other than tax revenue — not used for salary; Option C (Consolidated Fund of India) is where the President's salary is charged, not the Governor's.

Correct Answer: A. Governor

• **Governor's recommendation for grants** = no demand for a grant in the state legislature can be made except on the recommendation of the Governor. • **Executive financial control** — this ensures the executive branch (government) controls all financial proposals; legislature cannot independently demand expenditure. • 💡 Option B (Chief Minister) is the political head but the constitutional requirement for recommendation is the Governor's, not CM's; Option C (Finance Minister) presents the budget but the recommendation must constitutionally come from the Governor; Option D (Speaker) presides over the session but has no role in financial recommendations.