Government of Uttar Pradesh

The Uttar Pradesh Government is an active state government democratically elected by the people of Uttar Pradesh. The government has appointed the Governor as the Constitutional Head of Uttar Pradesh. The constitutional head is elected by the President of India. In Uttar Pradesh, the Governor holds a tenure of five years. During these five years, he/she is responsible for electing a chief minister and a council of ministers, who ensure every government function is completed according to law. The current Governor of UP is Anandiben Mafatbhai Patel, and the Chief Minister is Yogi Adityanath (BJP), who has been UP’s Chief Minister since 2017. The seat of the government is located in Lucknow. 

Legislature

The largest legislature in India, Uttar Pradesh, is driven by a parliamentary system of representative democracy. The legislature in Uttar Pradesh is bicameral, meaning it has a Legislative Assembly and a Legislative Council. 

• Vidhan Sabha

The assembly of the legislative branch is known as Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly (Vidhan Sabha). This assembly has 403 members. The current Chairman of the Legislative Branch is Dinesh Sharma (BJP). 

• Vidhan Parishad

It also has a council with 100 members and is called the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council (Vidhan Parishad). One-third of the members of the legislative council retire after two years of service. Being the country’s largest legislature, Uttar Pradesh contributes 80 seats to the Lok Sabha and 31 seats to the Rajya Sabha.

Executive

In Uttar Pradesh, the governor appoints the Chief Minister. The Governor is the Constitutional Head of the State. The overall functioning of the different departments of the government is led by the Governor. The current Deputy Chief Ministers are Keshav Prasad Maurya (BJP) and Brajesh Pathak (BJP). The cabinet ministers and ministers of state together make the Council of Ministers. An administrative head of the government, who also acts as the chief secretary, leads and assists the Council of Ministers. The current chief secretary is Durga Shankar Mishra, IAS. Each minister on the council is assigned different departments to handle, along with an additional chief secretary. The additional chief secretary is an officer from the Indian Administrative Services (IAS).  

Judiciary

The High Court of UP, the Allahabad High Court, is located in Allahabad. The court is divided into district courts across session divisions or each district, while there are lower and smaller courts at the Tehsil level. The current Chief of Justice is Justice Rajesh Bindal. According to the rules, the President takes the final decision and appoints Uttar Pradesh’s Chief of Justice. The Governor of Uttar Pradesh and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court also advise the President while he/she selects the Chief of Justice. 

The judicial services are further divided into Higher Judicial Service and Civil Judicial Service. Together, they form the Subordinate Judicial Service. The judicial services include civil judges in the senior division, civil judges in the junior division, and session judges. They are also called Judicial Magistrates. 

Administration

• Divisional Administration 

Uttar Pradesh has 75 administrative districts. They are further grouped into 18 divisions. Every division has 3-7 districts under it. A division and its administration are headed by an IAS officer and a divisional commissioner. The state has 18 police ranges and 8 police zones. There are 2-3 ranges in each zone. Each zone is headed by an IPS officer. Every division also has a minister, who is responsible for law and order and revenue collection.

• District Administration

This administration is divided according to geographical units, and it is headed by an IAS officer and a collector or a District Magistrate (DM). The law and order of each district are the responsibility of a gazetted officer, the Senior Superintendent of Police. The forest area is the responsibility of a divisional forest officer from the Indian Forest Service. Other officers taking charge of departments of health, agriculture, public works, education, animal husbandry, etc., are supposed to present a consolidated report to the DM.

Politics

The ruling party in the government of Uttar Pradesh is Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Other than these, the Indian National Congress, Samajwadi Party, and Bahujan Samaj Party also have dominance in Uttar Pradesh. 

The Working of the UP Government

• The BJP Government, under the guidance of Yogi Adityanath, was successful in demolishing illegal encroachments of criminals and mafias worth ₹1,800 crores. 
• The state showcased its potential, attracting over ₹3 lakh crore investors. UP secured the second position on the National Ease of Doing Business list. Before the BJP government, it ranked 14th.
• UP has succeeded in creating a comparatively healthy environment for women, businessmen, and the common man.
• The government curbed communal violence and riots in the name of religion, for which the state was notorious before the BJP Government came into power.
• Since 2017, 42 lakh economically weaker sections of society have been given houses by the government.
• The employment rate has increased, and currently, around 4.5 lakh young professionals have been employed in the past 56 months. 
• The CM ensured that the victims of natural calamities received due compensation within 24 hours.
• The state was successful in implementing 42 central government-run schemes that promoted development.
• The circulation of fake ration cards was curbed, and people who genuinely needed rationed items were provided valid ration cards.

Conclusion

The structure and the workings of the UP government are simple. Uttar Pradesh is known as a land of rich culture and tradition. The prominent locations in the region, such as Mathura and Ayodhya, attract numerous domestic and international tourists. The state is rich in biodiversity and flora. UP is the fourth-largest state in India and has the largest legislature in the country.