Question

According to the Constitution of India, who is the head of the State Government?
A. Governor
B. Chief Minister
C. High Court Judge
D. All the above

Answer 1

Hint: The power of the head of State Government is analogous to those of the President of India. The head of the State government is vested with the executive power of the state, which shall be exercised by him directly or indirectly through his subordinate officers.

Complete Step by Step Answer: Each State has its own Governor and has to act according to the recommendation of the Council of Ministers. Also, the same person can be appointed as a Governor to one or more States under the Seventh Amendment Act of 1956. An executive action of the State is often taken in the name of the Governor.
The Governor of the State is appointed by the President of India for a term of 5 years. He has similar powers and functions at the state level as that of the President. The real power lies in the hands of the Chief Minister of the state and his Council of ministers whereas the Governor acts as the nominal head. He is not an elected body. The Governor enjoys different types of powers such as executive power, legislative power and discretionary powers.
 Now let us examine the options:
Option A – The Governor indeed is the head of the State Government, as mentioned in the Indian Constitution.
Option B – The Chief Minister is the real executive and exercises the de facto executive authority. The position of the Chief Minister of a State is analogous to that of the Prime Minister at the Union level.
Option C – The High Court Judge is not assigned to be the head of the State Government and such a provision is not backed by the Constitution.
Option D – This option is null and void as the correct answer is the Governor.

Thus, the correct answer is option (A).

Note: The head of the State Government can be terminated earlier either through dismissal by the President on the advice of the Prime Minister or if he himself resigns. There is no provision of impeachment for the head of the State Government, unlike the President.