Governor's Address to the State Legislature

Governor address legislature powers flow from Article 175 of the Constitution, which gives the Governor two distinct means of communicating directly with a state's legislature: the right to address it in person, and the right to send it written messages. Together with the summoning, prorogation and dissolution powers under Article 174, Article 175 places the Governor at the centre of how the executive formally interacts with the legislative branch of a state.

Article 175(1): The Right to Address

Article 175(1) allows the Governor to address the Legislative Assembly, or, in a state with a Legislative Council, either House of the state legislature, or both Houses assembled together. For this purpose, the Governor may require the attendance of members. This gives the Governor a standing constitutional channel to speak directly to the elected representatives of the state, separate from and in addition to any specific occasion the legislature itself might create for the purpose.

Article 175(2): The Power to Send Messages

Under Article 175(2), the Governor may also send messages to the House or Houses of the state legislature, whether the message relates to a Bill then pending before the legislature or to any other matter. The provision does not leave such a message as a mere formality: a House to which a message is sent is constitutionally required to consider, with all convenient despatch, the matter that the message requires it to take up. This creates an obligation of prompt attention, ensuring that a communication from the Governor cannot simply be shelved or ignored by the House.

How This Differs From the Special Address

Article 175's general right to address the House should not be confused with the separate, dedicated provision on a special address by the Governor, which the Constitution deals with independently. Where Article 175 sets out a general, standing power to address or message the legislature at the Governor's discretion, the special-address provision is a distinct constitutional mechanism tied to specific occasions in the legislature's calendar. The two provisions work together but serve different purposes, and students should be careful not to treat them as interchangeable.

Parallel With the Union Executive

Article 175 for the states closely tracks Article 86 at the Union level, which gives the President the corresponding right to address and send messages to the Houses of Parliament, with a separate provision on the President's special address kept apart in its own article. This structural parallel is typical of Part VI of the Constitution, which mirrors the Union executive-legislative relationship (Part V) at the state level with only the necessary adaptations for a Governor and a state legislature.

UPSC Relevance

Prelims

• Article 175(1): Governor's right to address the Assembly, either House, or both Houses together, and to require members' attendance.
• Article 175(2): Governor's right to send messages to the House(s), which must be considered with all convenient despatch.
• Article 175 (states) parallels Article 86 (Union, President's address and message powers).
• The special address by the Governor is a separate, distinct provision from the general Article 175 power.

Mains

• Discuss the constitutional significance of the Governor's power under Article 175 to send messages to the state legislature, and the House's corresponding duty to act on them promptly.
• Compare the Governor's Article 175 powers with the President's Article 86 powers over Parliament, highlighting the structural parallel between the Union and state executives.

FAQ

Q1. What does Article 175(1) allow the Governor to do? It allows the Governor to address the Legislative Assembly, either House of a bicameral state legislature, or both Houses assembled together, and to require the attendance of members for that purpose.

Q2. What is the Governor's power to send messages under Article 175(2)? The Governor may send a message to the House or Houses about a pending Bill or any other matter, and the House receiving it must consider the matter with all convenient despatch.

Q3. Is a House obligated to act on a Governor's message? Yes. Article 175(2) requires the House to consider, with all convenient despatch, whatever matter the message requires it to take into consideration.

Q4. How is Article 175 different from the Governor's special address? Article 175 is a general, standing power to address or message the legislature; the special address is dealt with under a separate, distinct constitutional provision tied to particular occasions rather than being a discretionary standing power.

Q5. Does Article 175 have a parallel provision for Parliament? Yes. Article 86 gives the President the corresponding right to address and send messages to the Houses of Parliament, with the President's special address kept in a separate article, mirroring the state-level structure.

Quick Revision

• Article 175(1): Governor may address the Assembly, either House, or a joint sitting, and require members' attendance.
• Article 175(2): Governor may send messages on a pending Bill or any other matter.
• Houses must consider a Governor's message with all convenient despatch.
• The special address by the Governor is a distinct, separate provision from Article 175.
• Article 175 parallels Article 86, the President's equivalent power over Parliament.

Sources

• Constitution of India, Article 175 — legislative.gov.in

Further Reference

For deeper reading on this topic and the wider polity syllabus, these standard works are recommended:

• Indian Polity — M. Laxmikanth — the standard UPSC handbook.
• Introduction to the Constitution of India — D.D. Basu — authoritative constitutional-law treatment.
• The Constitution of India — Bare Act — the official text.