How Maharashtra is governed

If you are preparing for MPSC Rajyaseva, you are preparing to join the machinery described in this guide — as a Deputy Collector, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, a Tahsildar, a Block Development Officer or another officer. Understanding how the state government is organised is therefore useful twice over: for the examination, and for the interview, where you may be asked what your chosen post actually does.

The constitutional framework

Maharashtra, like other states, is governed under Part VI of the Constitution (Articles 152–237), which provides for:

• the Governor (executive head);
• the Chief Minister and Council of Ministers (real executive);
• the State Legislature;
• the High Court;
• subordinate courts.

The Governor

• Appointed by the President (Article 155) and holds office during the President's pleasure (Article 156), normally for five years.
• The constitutional head of the state; acts on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers, except where the Constitution allows discretion.
• Key functions:
  • appoints the Chief Minister and, on the CM's advice, other ministers;
  • summons and prorogues the Legislature; addresses it;
  • assents to Bills or reserves them for the President;
  • issues ordinances (Article 213) when the Legislature is not in session;
  • appoints the Advocate General, the State Election Commissioner and the chairman and members of the MPSC.
• Special responsibility in Maharashtra: under Article 371(2), the President may provide for the Governor's special responsibility for the establishment of separate development boards for Vidarbha, Marathwada and the rest of Maharashtra (see our separate guide).
• Residence: Raj Bhavan, Malabar Hill, Mumbai; the Governor also has Raj Bhavans in Nagpur and Pune.

The Chief Minister and Council of Ministers

• The Chief Minister is appointed by the Governor (Article 164) — normally the leader of the majority party or coalition in the Vidhan Sabha.
• The Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to the Vidhan Sabha.
• The size of the Council of Ministers cannot exceed 15 per cent of the strength of the Vidhan Sabha (the 91st Amendment, 2003). With 288 members in the Vidhan Sabha, Maharashtra can have up to 43 ministers including the CM.
• Ministers may be Cabinet Ministers or Ministers of State.
• Deputy Chief Minister: not a constitutional post, but Maharashtra has frequently had one or more Deputy Chief Ministers in coalition governments.

Mantralaya: the state secretariat

The state government's headquarters is Mantralaya in Mumbai. Each department is headed politically by a minister and administratively by a secretary (Additional Chief Secretary, Principal Secretary or Secretary — usually senior IAS officers).

Major departments include:

• General Administration Department (GAD) — under the Chief Minister; handles services, appointments and coordination (and the MPSC-related rules);
• Home;
• Finance;
• Revenue and Forests;
• Rural Development;
• Urban Development;
• Water Resources;
• Agriculture;
• School Education, Higher and Technical Education;
• Public Health, Medical Education;
• Social Justice, Tribal Development, Women and Child Development.

The Chief Secretary

The Chief Secretary is the senior-most civil servant in the state, head of the state's administration, and secretary to the Cabinet. The Director General of Police heads the state police.

Divisions and districts

The Collector

The Collector is the pivot of district administration:

• Revenue: land records, land revenue, land acquisition;
• Law and order: as District Magistrate, with the Superintendent of Police;
• Elections: District Election Officer;
• Disaster management: chairs the District Disaster Management Authority;
• Coordination of development schemes.

The Zilla Parishad and the Chief Executive Officer

Alongside the Collector, the Zilla Parishad (district-level rural local body) has an administrative head — the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), usually an IAS officer. The ZP handles rural development, primary education, health and water supply. At the block level, the Block Development Officer (BDO) is the administrative head of the Panchayat Samiti. See our guide to Panchayati Raj in Maharashtra.

Police

Large cities — Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Thane and others — have a Commissionerate system headed by a Commissioner of Police.

The judiciary

• The Bombay High Court is the High Court for Maharashtra, Goa, and the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.
• Principal seat: Mumbai.
• Benches: Nagpur, Aurangabad (Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar) and Panaji (Goa); a Kolhapur bench/circuit bench has also been established more recently.
• District courts and subordinate courts in each district.

Other constitutional and statutory bodies

• Maharashtra Public Service Commission (Article 315).
• Advocate General (Article 165).
• State Election Commission — conducts elections to local bodies (Articles 243K and 243ZA).
• State Finance Commission (Article 243I).
• Lokayukta, State Human Rights Commission, State Information Commission, State Commission for Women and others (see separate guides).

Practice

Prelims-style:

1. What is the maximum size of Maharashtra's Council of Ministers?
2. Who is the head of a revenue division?
3. Where are the benches of the Bombay High Court?
4. Who appoints the chairman of the MPSC?
5. Who is the administrative head of the Zilla Parishad?

Mains-style:

• "The Collector remains the pivot of district administration." Discuss in the context of Maharashtra.
• Examine the role of the Governor in Maharashtra, with reference to Article 371(2).