Business Standard

Do Indian governors carry their own weight or are they mere rubber stamps?

While the nominal head of a state or union territory is its de facto CEO, he is quite often the conveyor of the Centre' agenda. There are, of course, exceptions

West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankar
Premium

When West Bengal governor Jagdeep Dhankar (pictured) raises the law and order issue in the state, he is not out of line. He is just performing his duty as a state executive

Nitin Kumar New Delhi
India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru wanted the governor to be an eminent person, respected in his or her field, whether in academics, science or art. He did not favour a political appointee—a person whom the ruling party sought to give the office. During a debate of the Constituent Assembly, he said: “I think it would be infinitely better if he were not so intimately connected with local politics of the province.” But today, 25 of the 28 governors are former politicians; while one is an army man. Of the remaining two, one is a bureaucrat, and the other an

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