RAS question
The Governor of Rajasthan holds office during the pleasure of the:
Correct answer: (A) President of India.
The Governor of Rajasthan holds office during the pleasure of the President of India under Article 156 of the Constitution.
Explanation
Article 156 directly governs the tenure of a State Governor. The Governor holds office during the pleasure of the President. Article 156 also provides for a five-year term from the date the Governor enters office, but that term is expressly subject to the preceding pleasure clause. So the five-year period is not an absolute guarantee of tenure. The President is therefore the constitutional authority linked to the Governor's continuance in office, and the Constitution does not lay down a fixed removal procedure for the Governor in this context.
Why the other options are wrong
- (B) The Prime Minister may be politically relevant in Union decision-making, but Article 156 places the Governor's pleasure-tenure with the President, not the Prime Minister.
- (C) The Speaker of the Lok Sabha has no constitutional role in the Governor's tenure under Article 156.
- (D) The Chief Minister heads the State government, but Article 156 does not give the Chief Minister the power to remove the Governor.
Concept
The Governor's constitutional position belongs to the State executive chapter. RAS repeatedly asks such provisions because they define the relationship between the Union, the State government and constitutional offices in Rajasthan's polity.