Central Hall | Is the Governor an Agent of the Union Government?

A position first conceptualised as an agent of the British Crown, the state governor has seen key changes in their remit through the years. From the time when India became a republic to 2014, the governor has largely executed their function within the purview of the constitution. In this episode of Central Hall, Kapil Sibal notes that “today governors are in fact the agents of the union government sitting in power.”

Has the constitution or the concept of federal structure been damaged in the process?

Three experts shed light.

Narinder Nath Vohra, popularly referred to as N. N. Vohra, is an Indian Administrative Service officer, who has been governor of Jammu and Kashmir, back when it was a state.

Madan Lokur is former judge of the Supreme Court, former chief justice of the Andhra Pradesh HC and Gauhati HC, and former judge of the Delhi HC. He is a judge of the Supreme Court of Fiji.

Dr P Thiaga Rajan is the Minister of Information Technology and Digital Services at Tamil Nadu. Sibal notes that he is one of the most articulate legislators in the country.