6.7 Government in the States
India is a vast and varied country, and it is not governed only from Delhi. Each state has its own government, with the power to make laws and run affairs within the state. Remarkably, the same parliamentary design that works at the national level is mirrored, almost exactly, in every state. Once you understand the Union government, you already understand the states.
The same system, one level down
A Mirror of the Centre Just as the Union has Parliament and a Council of Ministers, each state has its own Legislature (the State Legislature) and its own Executive (the Chief Minister and Council of Ministers). The principles are the same: the state Executive is drawn from and answerable to the state Legislature.
The State Legislature
Vidhan Sabha and Vidhan Parishad The main house of a state legislature is the Vidhan Sabha (Legislative Assembly), whose members (MLAs) are directly elected by the people of the state. Some states also have a second house, the Vidhan Parishad (Legislative Council). So some state legislatures have one house and others have two, just as Parliament is bicameral at the Centre.
The State Executive
Governor and Chief Minister At the head of the state stands the Governor, the constitutional head of the state, a role parallel to the President at the Centre (largely formal). The real power lies with the Chief Minister and the state Council of Ministers, who run the state government, parallel to the Prime Minister and Cabinet at the Centre. The Chief Minister is the leader of the majority party in the Vidhan Sabha.
Comparing the Centre and the States
| Role | At the Centre (Union) | In a State |
|---|---|---|
| Legislature | Parliament (Lok Sabha + Rajya Sabha) | Vidhan Sabha (+ Vidhan Parishad in some states) |
| Constitutional head | President | Governor |
| Head of government (real power) | Prime Minister | Chief Minister |
| Directly elected members | MPs (Lok Sabha) | MLAs (Vidhan Sabha) |
Think About It India runs the same parliamentary system at two levels, the Centre and the states. Why is it useful for a large, diverse country to have state governments as well as a national one? Think of issues that are better handled close to home.
One Pattern, Two Levels President : Prime Minister :: Governor : Chief Minister. Parliament (MPs) :: Vidhan Sabha (MLAs). The same parliamentary logic, the Executive drawn from and answerable to the Legislature, runs at both the Union and the state level.
Let’s Explore Find out the name of your state’s Chief Minister and your Vidhan Sabha (and whether your state has a Vidhan Parishad). Then match each to its national equivalent (President/PM/Parliament). Write the pairs in your notebook.
That completes the working machinery of Indian democracy, at the Centre and in the states. The Going Deeper section ties it together with diagrams, revision aids and CBSE-style practice.