RAS question
The State Election Commissioner is appointed by the:
Correct answer: (B) Governor.
Under Article 243K of the Constitution of India, the State Election Commissioner is appointed by the Governor.
Explanation
Article 243K makes the Governor the appointing authority for the State Election Commissioner. The provision vests the superintendence, direction and control of preparing electoral rolls and conducting Panchayat elections in a State Election Commission, which consists of a State Election Commissioner appointed by the Governor. That is why the answer is not the Chief Justice of the High Court, the President of India, or the Chief Minister. The office is constitutionally tied to the Governor for appointment, even though the State Election Commission then performs an independent election-administration role under Article 243K.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) The Chief Justice of the High Court has no role in appointing the State Election Commissioner under Article 243K.
- (C) The President of India is associated with the Central Election Commission, not the appointment of a State Election Commissioner under Article 243K.
- (D) The Chief Minister may be part of the political executive's process, but the formal constitutional appointment under Article 243K is made by the Governor.
Concept
This tests constitutional bodies in state and local self-government, especially the election machinery created for Panchayati Raj institutions. RAS repeats this because Rajasthan polity questions often ask the exact appointing authority for state-level constitutional offices.