Which one of the following suggested that the Governor should be an eminent person from outside the State and should be a detached figure without intense political links or should not have taken part in politics in the recent past?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (c) Sarkaria Commission (1983)
The Sarkaria Commission on Centre-State Relations, set up in 1983, laid down these criteria for a Governor in its report. He should be eminent in some walk of life, come from outside the State, be a detached figure not too intimately connected with the State's local politics, and not have taken too great a part in politics, particularly in the recent past.
- ✓ (c) Paragraph 4.6.09 of the Sarkaria Commission report (Chapter IV, Role of the Governor) lists four criteria for appointing a Governor, and the question paraphrases three of them. The Commission drew on Jawaharlal Nehru's remarks in the Constituent Assembly.
- ✗ (a) The Administrative Reforms Commission is cited in the Sarkaria report only for stressing that a Governor should be impartial and command the respect of all parties. The four-part test in the question is Sarkaria's own.
Remember · Sarkaria (1983) on Governors: eminent, from outside the State, detached from local politics, and not too active in politics recently.
📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 11 Indian Constitution at Work, Ch 7 (practise this chapter)
Sources
- Report of the Sarkaria Commission, Chapter IV 'Role of the Governor', para 4.6.09 (Inter-State Council Secretariat) ↗ “He should be a person from outside the State. (iii) He should be a detached figure and not too intimately connected with the local politics of the State;”
- NCERT Class 11 · Indian Constitution at Work, Chapter 7 “recommended that appointments of Governors should be strictly non-partisan”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2019, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·