UPSC Prelims 2016 · GS Paper I
Question 25: Polity and Governance
Consider the following statements :
- 1.The Chief Secretary in a State is appointed by the Governor of that State.
- 2.The Chief Secretary in a State has a fixed tenure.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
AnswerUPSC’s answer is (d).
The Chief Secretary, head of the state's civil services, is chosen by the Chief Minister from among senior IAS officers and formally appointed by the state government, not by the Governor in his own judgment. He has no fixed tenure and holds the post at the government's pleasure, though extensions are common. So neither statement is correct.
- 1. The Chief Minister's government selects the Chief Secretary; the Governor does not choose him independently.
- 2. The Chief Secretary has no fixed tenure.
How you could have got this
- If you were sure statement 1 is not correct, (a) and (c) go: each of them includes 1.
What you needed to know: The Chief Minister's government selects the Chief Secretary; the Governor does not choose him independently.
- Then, if you were sure statement 2 is not correct, (b) goes: it includes 2.
What you needed to know: The Chief Secretary has no fixed tenure.
Only (d) is left. This one needs every statement.
Which options go is worked out from UPSC’s key and the options, not by a model.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Statement 1 is false: the Governor does not choose the Chief Secretary on his own judgment.
- (b) Statement 2 is false: the post has no fixed tenure.
- (c) Both statements are false, so 'both' fails.
- (d) Right: the Chief Minister's government chooses the Chief Secretary, and there is no fixed tenure.
Answer: UPSC’s key. Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.
Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2016, General Studies Paper I, Series A. The paper on upsc.gov.in.