120. Who has the constitutional power to appoint the Chief Minister of a state?
[SSC Selection Post Matriculation, 30 July 2025, Shift 1]
(A) President of India
(B) Prime Minister
(C) Chief Justice of India
(D) Governor of the state
Answer: (D) Governor of the state
Explanation: Article 164(1) provides that the Chief Minister shall be appointed by the Governor. Ordinarily, the Governor invites the leader capable of securing a majority in the Legislative Assembly, rather than choosing an office-holder on purely personal preference.
119. Who heads the Council of Ministers in an Indian state?
[Punjab Police Constable, 12 May 2025, Shift 2]
(A) Governor
(B) President
(C) Speaker of the Assembly
(D) Chief Minister
Answer: (D) Chief Minister
Explanation: The Chief Minister is the head of the state Council of Ministers. Under Article 163, that Council aids and advises the Governor except where the Constitution permits discretion. The Chief Minister coordinates ministers and leads the elected government.
118. What does Article 164 of the Constitution provide regarding appointment of the Chief Minister?
[RPF Constable, 2 March 2025, Shift 2]
(A) The Governor appoints the Chief Minister
(B) The Assembly directly elects the Chief Minister
(C) The Chief Minister is chosen by referendum
(D) The President appoints the Chief Minister
Answer: (A) The Governor appoints the Chief Minister
Explanation: Article 164(1) assigns appointment of the Chief Minister to the Governor. Voters elect representatives to the Legislative Assembly; they do not directly elect the Chief Minister. The Governor ordinarily appoints a leader who can demonstrate legislative majority support.
117. Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, who lost the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister’s office in 2024, leads which party?
[SSC GD Constable, 25 February 2025, Shift 1]
(A) Jana Sena Party
(B) YSR Congress Party
(C) Indian National Congress
(D) Telugu Desam Party
Answer: (B) YSR Congress Party
Explanation: Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy headed the YSR Congress Party and served as Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister between 2019 and 2024. A party losing the Assembly election ordinarily relinquishes office to a new government commanding legislative confidence.
116. Who decides certain disqualification questions concerning state legislators after obtaining the Election Commission’s opinion?
[SSC GD Constable, 19 February 2025, Shift 2]
(A) Chief Minister
(B) Chairperson of Legislative Council
(C) Governor
(D) Chief Secretary
Answer: (C) Governor
Explanation: Under Article 192, the Governor determines specified disqualification questions after obtaining the Election Commission’s opinion and must act according to that opinion. This power is distinct from the Chief Minister’s administrative leadership and the Speaker’s role under anti-defection provisions.
115. Who was Chief Minister of Delhi as of October 2024?
[SSC GD Constable, 17 February 2025, Shift 1]
(A) Hemant Soren
(B) Atishi
(C) Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu
(D) Bhupendra Patel
Answer: (B) Atishi
Explanation: Atishi was Delhi Chief Minister in October 2024. She assumed office in September 2024 and served until February 2025. Delhi operates under Article 239AA, with a Chief Minister but a distinctive distribution of powers involving the Lieutenant Governor.
114. Who serves as chairperson of a state Planning Commission?
[SSC GD Constable, 17 February 2025, Shift 2]
(A) Governor
(B) Chief Secretary
(C) Chief Minister
(D) Finance Minister
Answer: (C) Chief Minister
Explanation: The Chief Minister ordinarily chairs the state Planning Commission or its equivalent advisory planning body. This is an administrative convention and institutional arrangement, not a separately enumerated constitutional duty. The Chief Minister oversees the government’s overall development priorities.
113. Who rotates as Vice-Chairperson of a Zonal Council for one year?
[SSC GD Constable, 13 February 2025, Shift 2]
(A) State Governor
(B) State Chief Secretary
(C) Director General of Police
(D) Chief Minister of a member state
Answer: (D) Chief Minister of a member state
Explanation: The Chief Ministers of the member states serve as Vice-Chairpersons of the respective Zonal Council by annual rotation. Zonal Councils promote consultation and coordination across state boundaries and were established under the States Reorganisation Act, 1956.
112. Who succeeded Arvind Kejriwal as Delhi Chief Minister in September 2024?
[SSC GD Constable, 12 February 2025, Shift 3]
(A) Manish Sisodia
(B) Arvind Kejriwal
(C) Sanjay Singh
(D) Atishi
Answer: (D) Atishi
Explanation: Atishi assumed office in September 2024 after Arvind Kejriwal resigned. She served until February 2025. This was a change in Council leadership within Delhi’s Assembly framework; a new general election was not constitutionally required for every change of Chief Minister.
111. Who nominates one-sixth of the members of a State Legislative Council?
[SSC GD Constable, 12 February 2025, Shift 2]
(A) State Election Commissioner
(B) President
(C) Governor
(D) Chief Minister
Answer: (C) Governor
Explanation: Article 171(3)(e) provides for gubernatorial nomination of specified Legislative Council members from recognised fields. Although the Governor formally nominates, this is generally exercised within the constitutional system of ministerial advice rather than as a Chief Minister’s personal nomination power.
