State governments of India

The state governments of India are the governments that rule over the 28 states and three union territories of India. Each state has its own leader called the Chief Minister, who is the head of the government. There is also a Governor for each state, chosen by the federal government, who plays a ceremonial role.

Each state has its own legislative assembly. Some states have one house, called the State Legislative Assembly, while others have two houses, including the State Legislative Council. These bodies help make laws for the people living in the state.

While the federal government takes care of big topics like defence, external affairs etc., state governments handle things like public order, police, prisons, public health, agriculture, local government, land, and fisheries, etc.. They collect taxes such as State GST, State excise duty, stamp duty, land revenue, and vehicle tax to run their services and projects.

Legislative

Each state in India has a legislature, which includes a Governor and either one or two houses.

Legislative Council

Main article: State legislative councils of India

Six states — Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Telangana, and Uttar Pradesh — have two houses in their legislatures. The Legislative Council in these states has up to one-third of the members of the Legislative Assembly, with at least 40 members. Members are elected or nominated by the Governor for their skills in areas like literature, science, art, cooperative movement, and social service. One-third of the members retire every two years, but the Council itself is not dissolved.

Legislative councils by ruling parties

This section is from State legislative councils of India.

The Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance leads in 4 legislative councils; the Indian National Congress-led Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance leads in 2 legislative councils; and 30 other states or union territories do not have a legislative council.

Legislative Assembly

Main article: State legislative assemblies of India

The Legislative Assembly of a state has between 60 and 500 members, chosen by direct election. The term of an assembly is five years, unless dissolved earlier.

Legislative assemblies by ruling parties

This section is from State legislative assemblies of India.

Powers and Functions

The state legislature has exclusive powers over subjects listed in the State List and shared powers over subjects in List III. It controls the state's finances, including spending, taxation, and borrowing. Only the Legislative Assembly can start money bills, though the Legislative Council can suggest changes within fourteen days. The Governor may reserve certain bills for the President's review. State legislatures monitor the government's work through questions, debates, and committees.

There are 4,121 legislative assembly seats in India's states and union territories. Andhra Pradesh abolished its Legislative Council in 1984 but created a new one after elections in 2007.

Executive

The state executive includes a Governor and the State Council of Ministers, with the Chief Minister as its head.

The Governor of a state is chosen by the President of India for a five-year term. The Governor’s main duties include appointing the Chief Minister and reporting important issues to the President. In some states like Arunachal Pradesh, the Governor has extra responsibilities for keeping peace and order.

The Chief Minister is chosen by the Governor and leads the Council of Ministers. The Council helps the Governor with decisions, except when the Governor must act alone. The Chief Minister and other ministers work with civil servants to create and carry out laws and policies. The Chief Secretary, a top civil servant, helps the Chief Minister and leads the state’s administrative work.

Judiciary

State High courts cover the whole state and must follow the rules of the Supreme Court of India. If the Supreme Court disagrees with a decision from a High Court, it can change that decision.

List of current state and union territory governments

See also: State legislative assemblies of India and State legislative councils of India