Do you think that the Office of Governor in the states is a replica of the Office of President of India?
Answer:
The Constitution of India provides for parliamentary form of government in the Centre as well as states. Consequently, there lies dual executive wherein President and Governor are the nominal executives of Centre and state respectively.
The office of Governor has dual role, one as a constitutional head of the state and other as the representatives of the Centre i.e. President.
As a constitutional head, the office of Governor has nearly the same powers and functions as that of President.
But as a representative of Centre, it has differing roles:
- Legislative Powers: With regard to ordinary and money bills, the Governor may reserve the bill for the consideration of the President.
- Pardoning Powers:
Governor cannot pardon a death sentence. He can only suspend, remit or commute a death sentence.
He cannot grant pardon, reprieve, respite, suspension, remission or commutation in respect to punishment or sentence by a court martial.
- Discretionary powers: Governor’s discretionary powers are wider than President’s. While the constitution envisages the possibility of Governor acting at times in his discretion, no such possibility exists for the President. For instance:
- Recommendation for President’s rule;
- Reservation of bill for consideration of President.
- Amount payable to governments of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram etc.
Ordinance-Making Power: Governor cannot make ordinance without the instruction from the President in certain cases whereas President needs no instruction for making an ordinance.
Though they have similar powers and functions, but the office of Governor is not the exact replica of the office of the President.