Published Paper Details:

The Constitution of India under Article153 provides for the office of the Governor. It provides that the Governor is the nominee of the Central Government and shall be appointed by the President. He is considered to be the Constitutional head of a State. The Governor plays a key role in facilitating Centre-State relations. He acts as a link between the central and state executives. While intended to act as a constitutional bridge between the centre and the states, this office has been embroiled in numerous controversies throughout India's democratic history. Firstly, the controversy surrounding the appointment process of Governors has been a persistent issue. Historically, the Governors have often been chosen for political reasons, leading to allegations of partisanship and favouritism. Such appointments have raised questions about the credibility of the office and its ability to act impartially. Secondly, in order to enable the Governor to perform his role, the Constitution of India has provided the Governor with wide discretionary powers such as the selection of the chief minister; the determination of the timing for proving legislative majority; the demand for information about day-to-day administration; the power to assent bills or reserve bills for consideration by the President; his role as chancellor of universities etc. However, at times the Governor misuses the power entrusted to him thereby causing a friction with the State Governments. This is especially true when the State Governments are ruled by parties other than by a party ruling the Centre. Recent controversies of the Governor with the Governments of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Telangana, West Bengal etc. have thus stressed upon the need to revisit the office of the Governor. This research paper focusses on whether there is a need for the office of Governor and if there is a need then how can it be reformed in order to ensure that that the office of the Governor can fulfil its intended role as a guardian of federalism and the Constitution in the Indian political landscape.