Haryana is an Indian state located in the northern part of the country. It was formed on 1 November 1966, from the former state called East Punjab by Punjab Reorganisation Act. The capital of Haryana is Chandigarh, which is also the capital of the neighbouring state, Punjab. Faridabad is the most populous city of Haryana and is a part of the National Capital Region (NCR). Gurgaon, or Gurugram (as it is called now), is one of India’s leading hubs of finance and technology. It is also a part of NCR. There are 6 administrative divisions in Haryana. To the north east of Haryana lies Himachal Pradesh. River Yamuna and the state Uttar Pradesh share the eastern border. The northern border is shared with Punjab, while Delhi surrounds it from 3 sides.
Demographics and Culture of Haryana
- As per the 2011 census, Hinduism is the major religion in Haryana (87.46%). The official language is Hindi. Several other dialects are also spoken, prominently Haryanvi or Bangru. After Hindi and Haryanvi, Punjabi is the third most popular language in Haryana.
- They have inclusive societies consisting of 36 jatis/communities. Notable among these are Jat, Rajput, Gurjar, Saini, etc.
- Phulkari and shisha embroidery are famous art forms of Haryana.
- The climate of Haryana is arid to semi-arid.
- As per the 2011 census, the actual population of Haryana was 25,351,462. The population of males was 13,494,734 whereas the female population was 11,856,728 i.e., the sex ratio in Haryana was 879. The national average sex ratio was 940 females for every 1000 males.
- The total child population (0-6 ages) was 3,380,721, out of which 1,843,109 were male children and 1,537,612 were female children.
Administration of Haryana
The administration of Haryana is divided into six revenue divisions. These are Ambala, Rohtak, Gurugram, Hisar, Karnal, and Faridabad. Haryana also has eleven municipal corporations. These are Gurugram, Faridabad, Ambala, Panchkula, Rohtak, Yamunanagar, Hisar, Karnal, Panipat, Manesar, and Sonepat.
There are five police ranges in Haryana: Ambala, Karnal, Hisar, Rohtak, and Rewari. There are also 3 police commissionerates in Haryana: Gurugram, Panchkula, and Faridabad.
Governance and Administration of Haryana
The Haryana Legislative Assembly is also known as the Haryana Vidhan Sabha in the state legislature of Haryana. It is unicameral, i.e., it is a government with only one legislative chamber/house. The term limit is five years. Initially, there were 54 seats in the Haryana Legislative Assembly. 10 seats were reserved for the scheduled castes/tribes. Later on, in March 1967, the number of seats increased to 81. In 1977, the strength was further raised to 90, of which 17 seats were reserved. There are twelve permanent committees in the Assembly.
- The last election was held on 21 October 2019, and the next elections are scheduled for October 2024. Out of the total 90 seats of the Haryana Legislative Assembly, 56 seats were secured by the government (comprising 40 seats of BJP, 10 seats of JJP, 5 seats of IND, and 1 seat of HLP).
- 31 seats were secured by the Opposition (INC). The remaining three seats comprise 1 seat of INLD and 2 seats of IND.
- Gian Chand Gupta from BJP has been the Speaker since 4 November 2019.
- Deputy Speaker is Ranbir Singh Gangwa from BJP since 26 November 2019.
- The Leader of the House is the Chief Minister of Haryana. Haryana CM is Manohar Lal Khattar from BJP since 26 October 2014.
- Dushyant Chautala from JJP is the Deputy Chief Minister since 27 October 2019.
- Bhupinder Singh Hooda from INC is the current leader of the Opposition since 2 November 2019.
- The Assembly Secretary is Rajender Kumar Nandal.
- The Head of Government is the Haryana CM appointed by the Governor of Haryana and has to report to the Governor of Haryana. The current Governor of Haryana is Bandaru Dattatreya. De facto authority is with the CM while the governor is de jure head of the state. After the elections, the governor usually invites a party/coalition having majority seats to form the government.
- The first Haryana CM was BD Sharma of the Indian National Congress party.
The CS Haryana
The post of chief secretary originated in the central government in 1799 during the rule of Lord Wellesley.
The chief secretary is the executive head of the state secretariat as well as the administrative head of the state administration. The CS is picked up by the chief minister of the state, who may consult the union government or the cabinet in this regard, but his decision is final.
The CS of Haryana is Sanjeev Kaushal. He was appointed on 30 November 2021. He is a 1986 batch IAS officer and took over from Vijai Vardhan, the former CS Haryana.
Conclusion
Haryana is the state of India located in the northern area, formed on 1 November 1966 from the former state called East Punjab by the Punjab Reorganisation Act. Faridabad and Gurgaon are two of Haryana’s important cities. The Haryana Legislative Assembly is a unicameral legislature. Haryana CM is Manohar Lal Khattar from BJP since 26 October 2014. The current Governor of Haryana is Bandaru Dattatreya.