White Paper on Indian States (1950)/Part 11/The Position of the Rajpramukh

by Ministry of States, Government of India

(2) The position of the Rajpramukh.

Articles 155, 156 and 157 which govern the appointment of the Provincial Governors, terms of their office and their qualifications, do not apply to the Rajpramukhs. However, the term "Rajpramukh" which is to be substituted for the term "Governor" in so far as the provisions of Part VI are to be applied to States specified in Part B, has been defined as follows:—

" 'Rajpramukh' means:

(a) in relation to the State of Hyderabad, the person who for the time being is recognised by the President as the Nizam of Hyderabad;

(b) in relation to the State of Jammu and Kashmir or the State of Mysore, the person who for the time being is recognised by the President as the Maharaja of that State; and

(c) in relation to any other State specified in Part B of the First Schedule, the person who for the time being is recognised by the President as the Rajpramukh of that State,

and includes in relation to any of the said States any person for the time being recognised by the President as competent to exercise the powers of the Rajpramukh in relation to that State".

The position therefore is that, while the Governor of a Province is to be appointed by the President, so too the Rajpramukh has been defined to be the person for the time being recognised by the President as such. It follows that, while a Governor could be removed for violating the Constitution or for misconduct in the event of the Rajpramukh acting in such irresponsible manner, the President may be trusted to withdraw his original recognition and to recognise a suitable successor.

In Part A States the salary and allowances of the Governor are charged on the revenues and do not require to be voted each year. Similarly, it has been provided that the allowances of the Rajpramukh of a Part B State shall be charged on the State revenues. There is, however, a difference as to the authority for determining the amount to be charged in the two cases. In the case of Governors, the amount is to be determined by the Parliament by law and until provision is made in that behalf it is to be the figure prescribed in the Second Schedule to the Constitution. It has not been considered necessary to make a similar provision in the case of Rajpramukhs. The allowances of some of the Rajpramukhs of Unions of States are prescribed in the Covenants and the Government of India have guaranteed the provisions of these Covenants. The power to fix the salary and allowances of the Rajpramukh now vests in the President. In fixing the amount to be charged the President will no doubt consider the terms of the Covenant in the case of Unions of States and in the case of single States, where there is no Covenant, he will doubtless take into consideration the views of the Government and the Legislature of the State.