Union and State Government

Overview

Union and State Government is a core civics topic for GTET Paper-2 Social Science, covering the constitutional framework that divides powers between the Centre and States in India's federal system. Questions typically test knowledge of key offices (President, Prime Minister, Governor, Chief Minister), composition of Parliament and State Legislatures, and the relationships between these institutions.

This topic connects directly to the Indian Constitution unit and forms the basis for understanding how democracy functions at both levels. Students must master the qualifications, powers, and functions of each office, along with the structure of legislative bodies. Expect direct factual questions as well as application-based items comparing Union and State arrangements.

Key Concepts

• **Federal Structure with Unitary Bias**: India has a dual polity—Union Government at the Centre and State Governments in each state—but the Centre holds overriding powers during emergencies, making it "quasi-federal."

• **Parliamentary System**: Both Union and State governments follow the Westminster model where the executive (PM/CM and Council of Ministers) is drawn from and answerable to the legislature.

• **Separation of Constitutional Head and Real Executive**: The President and Governor are nominal heads; real executive power rests with the Prime Minister and Chief Minister respectively.

• **Collective Responsibility**: The Council of Ministers at both levels is collectively responsible to the lower house (Lok Sabha / Vidhan Sabha). If the government loses majority support, it must resign.

• **Bicameral vs Unicameral Legislatures**: Parliament is bicameral (Lok Sabha + Rajya Sabha). States may be unicameral (only Vidhan Sabha) or bicameral (Vidhan Sabha + Vidhan Parishad)—currently six states have both houses.

• **Constitutional Supremacy**: All offices derive authority from the Constitution; no office is above constitutional limits.

Formulas / Key Facts

| Office | Qualification | Term | Elected/Appointed By | |--------|---------------|------|---------------------| | President | Citizen, 35+ years, qualified for Lok Sabha | 5 years | Electoral College (MPs + MLAs) | | Vice-President | Citizen, 35+ years, qualified for Rajya Sabha | 5 years | MPs of both Houses | | Prime Minister | Member of Parliament | No fixed term (depends on majority) | Appointed by President | | Governor | Citizen, 35+ years | 5 years (pleasure of President) | Appointed by President | | Chief Minister | Member of State Legislature | No fixed term (depends on majority) | Appointed by Governor |

**Parliament Composition**: