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President Murmu Appoints Governors for Six States
What’s the News?
President Droupadi Murmu has approved Governors’ appointments for Tamil Nadu, Keralam, Odisha, Karnataka, Uttarakhand and Sikkim.
- The reshuffle comprises four fresh appointments and two transfers of serving Governors.
- The appointments take effect when the appointees assume charge of their respective offices.
- Braj Mohan Ram has been appointed Governor of Odisha, succeeding Hari Babu Kambhampati.
New Appointments and Transfers
| State | Governor appointed | Nature of appointment |
|---|---|---|
| Tamil Nadu | Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar | Transferred from Keralam |
| Keralam | Om Prakash Mathur | Transferred from Sikkim |
| Odisha | Braj Mohan Ram | Fresh appointment |
| Karnataka | Dr. Sudha Yadav | Fresh appointment |
| Uttarakhand | Dr. Dhal Singh Bisen | Fresh appointment |
| Sikkim | Dushyant Gautam | Fresh appointment |
- Arlekar had already been holding additional charge of Tamil Nadu while serving as Governor of Keralam. The new appointment gives him the Tamil Nadu post on a regular basis.
- Mathur moves from Sikkim to Keralam, while Gautam takes his place in Sikkim.
- Sudha Yadav succeeds Thaawarchand Gehlot in Karnataka; Dhal Singh Bisen succeeds Lt. Gen. Gurmit Singh (Retd.) in Uttarakhand.
Background of the Fresh Appointees
- Braj Mohan Ram: Former Lok Sabha member from Palamu, Jharkhand, elected in 1996, 1998 and 1999. He also served in the legislature of undivided Bihar.
- Sudha Yadav: Former Lok Sabha member from Mahendragarh, Haryana, and member of the BJP Parliamentary Board. She served on the National Commission for Backward Classes.
- Dhal Singh Bisen: Former Lok Sabha member from Balaghat, Madhya Pradesh, and former state Cabinet minister. He has also chaired Madhya Pradesh’s Fourth State Finance Commission.
- Dushyant Gautam: Former Rajya Sabha member and senior BJP organisational leader.
Constitutional Framework
- Article 153: Each state has a Governor; the same person may serve two or more states.
- Article 155: The President appoints Governors by a signed and sealed warrant.
- Article 156:
- The Governor holds office during the President’s pleasure.
- The normal term is five years, subject to the pleasure provision.
- Resignation is addressed to the President.
- After term expiry, the Governor continues until a successor enters office.
- Article 157: Requires Indian citizenship and a minimum age of 35 years.
- Article 158: Bars parliamentary or state-legislature membership and another office of profit.
- Article 159: The High Court Chief Justice administers the oath, or the senior-most available judge in the Chief Justice’s absence.
Role in State Government
- Article 154: Vests state executive power in the Governor.
- Article 163: The Chief Minister-led Council of Ministers aids and advises the Governor, except where constitutional discretion applies.
- Article 164: The Governor appoints the Chief Minister; other ministers are appointed on the Chief Minister’s advice.