Meaningless formality, Pg6

Key Highlights:

• On January 20, the Governors of Tamil Nadu and Kerala deviated from customary Legislative Assembly address protocols.
• Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi refused to read the speech, citing "unsubstantiated claims".
• Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan corrected Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar for skipping and adding portions to the address.
• Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has favored a constitutional amendment to eliminate the Governor's address.
• Former President R. Venkataraman suggested repealing the practice 35 years ago, calling it a "meaningless formality".

Detailed Insights:

• The actions of the Governors are seen as a violation of the constitutional convention where they act as mouthpieces of the State governments.
• Article 87 and Article 176 mandate special addresses by the President and Governors at the start of the new year.
• The central government is considering repealing "outdated colonial laws," aligning with the suggestion to remove the Governor's address.
• Scrapping Articles 87 and 176 would not affect the President's and Governors' right to address the legislature under Articles 86 and 175.
• Governors should not overstep their constitutional powers and must respect the Constitution's letter and spirit.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Article 87: Requires the President to address both Houses of Parliament assembled together at the commencement of the first session after each general election and at the commencement of the first session of each year.
• Article 176: Requires the Governor to address the Legislative Assembly at the commencement of the first session after each general election and at the commencement of the first session of each year.
• Westminster Model: A democratic parliamentary system of government modeled after that of the United Kingdom.