Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States

<<–2/”>a >h4 style=”text-align: center;”>Central Government

The executive powers of the President are exercised by the Council of Ministers. The Constitution provides that “there shall be a Council of Ministers with the Prime Minister at the head to aid and advise the President in the excercise of his functions”. Here the word “shall” indicates that the President cannot function without the Council of Ministers. The President is the constitutional head of State, but the real Head of the government is the Prime Minister.

The Constitution of India provides for a parliamentary System of Government and, therefore, divides the executive into two parts: the nominal and real executive. The President of India is the nominal executive and the Council of Ministers is the real executive which works under the Leadership of Prime Minister. ARTICLE 74, 75, and 78 of the constitution provide for provisions relating to the council of Ministers and the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister shall be appointed by the President and other Ministers shall be appointed by the President upon the advice of the Prime Minister. The Ministers hold office during the pleasure of the President. The council of Ministers shall be collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha. A minister who for any period of six consecutive months is not a member of the Parliament shall at the expiration of that period cease to be a Minister.

The Prime Minister being the head of the Council of Ministers, selects the Ministers to be sworn in by the President. The Ministers in fact are chosen by the Prime Minister and remain Ministers as long as they enjoy the confidence of the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister distributes portfolios among Ministers. The President can change the portfolios as and when he desires. The Prime Minister can drop a Minister or ask for his/her resignation. The Prime Minister presides over the meetings of the Cabinet and conducts its proceedings. As head of the Cabinet, he/she largely influences the decisions of the Cabinet. The Prime Minister co-ordinates the working of various ministers.

The Prime Minister, as the leader of the Lok Sabha, is also the leader of the Parliament. In the capacity as the leader of the majority party it is he who decides, in consultation with the Speaker, the complete agenda of the house. The summoning and proroguing of the house is decided upon by him. He can address each house of the Parliament but can vote only in the house to which he belongs. The Prime Minister has the most effective power to ask for Dissolution of the Lok Sabha.

The Prime Minister is the Ex-officio Chairman of the Planning Commission (Now Niti Ayog) as well as of the National Development Council. He/She represents the nation at the international conferences as the head of the government.

Constitution of India states that “There shall be a Council of Ministers with the Prime Minister at the head to aid and advise the President who shall, in the exercise of his functions, act in accordance with such advice: Provided that the President may require the Council of Ministers to reconsider such advice, either generally or otherwise, and the President shall act in accordance with the advice tendered after such reconsideration.”

State Government

Constitution of Indian under article 163 states that There shall be a Council of Ministers with the Chief Minister at the head to aid and advise the Governor in the exercise of his functions, except in so far as he is by or under this Constitution required to exercise his functions or any of them in his discretion.Chief Minister is the head of the government in the State. The Council of Ministers with the Chief Minister as its head exercises real authority at the State level. The Council of Ministers has the following categories of ministers: Cabinet Ministers, Minister of State and Deputy Ministers.

The Chief Minister is the link between the Governor and the council of ministers. He is required to communicate to the Governor the workings of the various wings of the government. Similarly, the advice and suggestions of the Governor are communicated to the council of ministers by the Chief Minister. The Chief Minister has a pivotal role in the financial matters of a state, including the budget, basic infrastructural and developmental priorities of the state, financial planning and economic Growth of the state and others.

Functions and powers of Council of Ministers:-

(1) Formulation State Policies. The Council of Ministers has the responsibility of formulating and determining the policies of the state. All the policies are discussed and decided upon by it.
(2) Running Administration. The ministers are responsible for the running the administration of the State in accordance with the policies of the government and the laws passed by the legislature.
(3) Appointment – making powers. The Cabinet, in fact the Chief Minister, makes all appointments in the state. All the appointments of the high dignitaries of the state made by the Governor on the advice of the State Council of Ministers.
(4) Law Making. It is the ministry which really decides the legislative programme. Most of the bills are introduced by the ministers in the State Legislature. The Governor summons, prorogues and dissolve the State Legislature upon the advice of the Council of Ministers.

Functions of The Chief Minister:-

Chief Minister is the real head of the State Government. Ministers are appointed by the Governor on the advice of the Chief Minister. The Governor allocates portfolios to the ministers on the advice of the Chief Minister.
Chief Minister presides over the Cabinet meetings. He/she coordinates the functioning of different ministries. He/she guides the functioning of the Cabinet.
Chief Minister plays a key role in framing the laws and policies of the State Government. Bills are introduced by the ministers in the State legislature with his/her approval. He/she is the chief spokesman of the policies of his government both inside and outside the State Legislature.
The Constitution provides that the Chief Minister shall communicate to the Governor all decisions of the Council of Ministers relating to the administration and the affairs of the State and proposals for legislation.
The Chief Minister furnishes such information relating to the administration of the affairs of the State and proposals for legislation as the Governor may call for.
If the Governor so requires, the Chief Minister submits for consideration of the Council of Ministers any matter on which a decision has been taken by a minister but which has not been considered by the Cabinet.
The Chief Minister is the sole link of Communication between the Cabinet and the Governor. The Governor has the right to be informed by the Chief Minister about the decisions taken by the Council of Ministers.

The Constitution of India divides the powers of the government between the Union (central) government and the state governments. The Union Government has exclusive powers over certain matters, such as defence, foreign affairs, currency, and railways. The state governments have exclusive powers over certain matters, such as Education, Health, and agriculture. There are also some matters that are concurrent, meaning that both the Union and state governments have power to legislate on them. These matters include Trade and Commerce, criminal law, and labour.

The Union government is headed by the President, who is the head of state. The President is elected by an electoral college consisting of members of both houses of Parliament and the legislative assemblies of the states. The President appoints the Prime Minister, who is the head of government. The Prime Minister is the leader of the party or coalition that has the majority of seats in the Lok Sabha, the lower house of Parliament. The Prime Minister appoints the other members of the Union Council of Ministers, who are responsible for the various departments of the Union government.

The state governments are headed by the Governor, who is appointed by the President. The Governor is the head of state and the representative of the President in the state. The Governor appoints the Chief Minister, who is the head of government. The Chief Minister is the leader of the party or coalition that has the majority of seats in the state legislative assembly. The Chief Minister appoints the other members of the state council of ministers, who are responsible for the various departments of the state government.

The Union and state governments are both responsible for the welfare of the people. They provide a number of Services, such as education, health, and agriculture. They also regulate the economy and provide for the security of the country.

The Union and state governments are independent of each other, but they are also interdependent. The Union government can make laws on matters that are in the concurrent list, but the state governments can also make laws on these matters. However, the Union government’s laws prevail over the state governments’ laws. The Union government can also give financial assistance to the state governments.

The Union and state governments are both accountable to the people. The people elect the members of Parliament and the legislative assemblies, who in turn elect the President and the Prime Minister. The people also elect the members of the state legislative assemblies, who in turn elect the Governor and the Chief Minister. The people can also hold the government accountable by voting them out of office.

The Union and state governments are both important for the functioning of the country. They provide a number of services to the people and regulate the economy. They also protect the country from external threats. The Union and state governments are both accountable to the people.

The Union and the States are the two levels of government in India. The Union government is responsible for matters that are of national importance, such as defence, foreign affairs, and currency. The States are responsible for matters that are of local importance, such as education, health, and law and order.

Here are some frequently asked questions about the functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States:

What are the functions of the Union government?

The Union government is responsible for the following matters:

Defence
Foreign affairs
Currency
Railways
Posts and telegraphs
Income tax
Customs duties
Central excise duties
Inter-State Trade and Commerce
What are the functions of the State governments?

The State governments are responsible for the following matters:

Education
Health
Law and order
Local Government
Agriculture
Industries
Public works
Irrigation
Electricity
Transport
What are the sources of revenue for the Union government?

The sources of revenue for the Union government are:

Taxes
Duties
Levies
Borrowings
Grants from the States
What are the sources of revenue for the State governments?

The sources of revenue for the State governments are:

Taxes
Duties
Levies
Borrowings
Grants from the Union government
What is the relationship between the Union government and the State governments?

The Union government and the State governments are co-equal in status. The Union government has certain powers that are exclusive to it, while the State governments have certain powers that are exclusive to them. However, there are also some matters that are concurrent, i.e., both the Union government and the State governments have the power to legislate on them.

How is the relationship between the Union government and the State governments regulated?

The relationship between the Union government and the State governments is regulated by the Constitution of India. The Constitution provides for a Federal System of Government, in which power is shared between the Union government and the State governments.

What are the challenges faced by the Union government and the State governments?

The Union government and the State governments face a number of challenges, including:

POVERTY
Illiteracy
Unemployment
Corruption
Insecurity
Infrastructural development
What are the steps being taken to address the challenges faced by the Union government and the State governments?

The Union government and the State governments are taking a number of steps to address the challenges faced by them, including:

Implementing social welfare schemes
Promoting education and EMPLOYMENT
Fighting corruption
Improving security
Developing Infrastructure-2/”>INFRASTRUCTURE
What is the future of the Union government and the State governments?

The future of the Union government and the State governments is bright. The two levels of government are working together to address the challenges faced by the country and to improve the lives of the people.

Sure, here are some MCQs without mentioning the topic “Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States”:

Which of the following is not a function of the Union government?
(A) Defence
(B) Foreign affairs
(C) Currency
(D) Education
Which of the following is not a function of the State government?
(A) Law and order
(B) Public health
(C) Agriculture
(D) Industry
The President of India is elected by an electoral college consisting of:
(A) Members of both Houses of Parliament
(B) Members of the Legislative Assemblies of the States
(C) Members of the Legislative Councils of the States
(D) All of the above
The Vice-President of India is elected by an electoral college consisting of:
(A) Members of both Houses of Parliament
(B) Members of the Legislative Assemblies of the States
(C) Members of the Legislative Councils of the States
(D) All of the above
The Prime Minister of India is appointed by the:
(A) President of India
(B) Vice-President of India
(C) Speaker of the Lok Sabha
(D) Justice-of-india/”>Chief Justice of India
The Council of Ministers is headed by the:
(A) Prime Minister
(B) President
(C) Vice-President
(D) Speaker of the Lok Sabha
The Parliament of India consists of:
(A) The President
(B) The Rajya Sabha
(C) The Lok Sabha
(D) All of the above
The Rajya Sabha is a permanent House and is not subject to dissolution.
(A) True
(B) False
The Lok Sabha is a temporary House and is subject to dissolution.
(A) True
(B) False
The President of India can address both Houses of Parliament at any time.
(A) True
(B) False
The President of India can summon, prorogue, and dissolve both Houses of Parliament.
(A) True
(B) False
The President of India can send messages to both Houses of Parliament and can ask them to reconsider any law passed by them.
(A) True
(B) False
The President of India can appoint the Prime Minister and other members of the Council of Ministers.
(A) True
(B) False
The President of India can dismiss the Prime Minister and other members of the Council of Ministers.
(A) True
(B) False
The President of India can exercise his powers only on the advice of the Council of Ministers.
(A) True
(B) False

I hope these MCQs are helpful!