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Q66 (IAS/2019) Polity & Governance ā€ŗ State Executive & Legislature ā€ŗ Governor appointment and tenure Official Key

Which one of the following suggested that the Governor should be an eminent person from outside the State and should be a detached figure without intense political links or should not have taken part in politics in the recent past?

Result
Your answer: ā€”  Ā·  Correct: C
Explanation

The correct answer is option C - Sarkaria Commission (1983).

The Sarkaria Commission recommended that a person to be appointed as Governor should be eminent in some walk of life, should be a person from outside the state, should be a detached figure and not too intimately connected with the local politics of the state, and should be a person who has not taken too great a part in politics generally, particularly in the recent past.[1] The Commission further recommended that it is desirable that a politician from the ruling party at the Centre is not appointed as Governor of a State which is being run by some other party or a combination of other parties.[1]

While the First Administrative Reforms Commission (1966) did recommend appointment of persons having long experience in public life and administration and non-partisan attitude as governors[2], it did not specifically emphasize all the criteria mentioned in the question. The National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution (2000) advocated for political neutrality[3], but it actually reiterated the recommendations of the Sarkaria Commission regarding appointment of Governors[4], making the Sarkaria Commission the original source of these comprehensive guidelines.

Sources
  1. [1] Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 30: Governor > Qualifications > p. 314
  2. [2] Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 15: Centre-State Relations > Administrative Reforms Commission > p. 158
  3. [3] https://www.thehindu.com/education/should-governors-be-chancellors-of-state-universities/article69143174.ece
  4. [4] https://www.thehindu.com/news/resources/69440965-Supreme-Court-judgement-in-Tamil-Nadu-Governor-case
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Q. Which one of the following suggested that the Governor should be an eminent person from outside the State and should be a detached figureā€¦
At a glance
Origin: Books + Current Affairs Fairness: Low / Borderline fairness Books / CA: 2.5/10 Ā· 5/10
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This is a classic 'Sitter' found verbatim in standard texts like Laxmikanth (Chapters on Governor or Centre-State Relations). It tests your ability to distinguish the 'moderate/constructive' recommendations of Sarkaria from the 'radical' demands of Rajamannar or the 'legalistic' reforms of Punchhi.

How this question is built

This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.

Statement 1
Did the First Administrative Reforms Commission (1966) recommend that the Governor of an Indian state should be an eminent person from outside the State and a detached figure without intense political links or recent political participation?
Origin: Direct from books Fairness: Straightforward Book-answerable
From standard books
Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 15: Centre-State Relations > Administrative Reforms Commission > p. 158
Presence: 4/5
ā€œThe Central government appointed the First Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC) of India in 1966 under the chairmanship of Morarji Desai (followed by K. Hanumanthayya). Its terms of reference included, among others, the examination of Centre-State relations. In order to examine roughly the various issues in Centre-state relations, the ARC constituted a study team under M.C. Setalvad. ā€¢ Establish ment of an Inter-State Coun cil under Article 263 of the Constitution. ā€¢ Appointment of persons having long experience in public life and administration and non-partisan attitude as governors. ā€¢ Delegation of powers to the maximum extent to the states. ā€¢ Transferring of more financial resources to the states to reduce their dependency upon the Centre. ā€¢ Deployment of Central armed forces in the states either on their request or otherwise.ā€
Why this source?
  • Explicitly records that the First Administrative Reforms Commission (1966) recommended appointment of governors with long experience in public life and a nonā€‘partisan attitude.
  • Directly ties ARC (1966) recommendations to the criteria for choosing governors (experience and nonā€‘partisanship).
Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 30: Governor > Qualifications > p. 314
Presence: 5/5
ā€œA person to be appointed as a Governor should satisfy the following criteria: ā€¢ (i) He/ she should be eminent in some walk of life. ā€¢ (H) He/she should be a person from outside the state. ā€¢ (iii) He/ she should be a detached figure and 110t too intimately connected with the 1Cil i politi cs of the state. ā€¢ (iv) He/ she should be a person who has not taken too great a part in politics generally, and particularly in the recent past. 2. It is desirable that a politician from the ruling party at the Centre is not appointed as Governor of a State which is being run by some other party or a combination of other parties.ā€
Why this source?
  • Enumerates the desirable qualifications for a Governor: eminent in some walk of life and a person from outside the State.
  • Specifies that the Governor should be a detached figure, not too intimately connected with state politics, and should not have taken too great a part in recent politics.
Introduction to the Constitution of India, D. D. Basu (26th ed.). > Chapter 13: The State Executive > 2. The Governor > p. 270
Presence: 4/5
ā€œHe should be a more detached figure acceptable to the province, otherwise he could not function and yet may not be part of the party machine of the province. On the whole it would probably be desirable to have people from outside, eminent in something, education or other fields of life who would naturally cooperate fully.ā€
Why this source?
  • States it is desirable to have governors from outside who are detached and acceptable to the province.
  • Reinforces the notion of detachment and being 'eminent' in some field as desirable attributes for governors.
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