What is Article 157 of Indian constitution

www.hinsoli.com July 04, 2025

Article 157 of the Indian Constitution

Title: Qualifications for appointment as Governor

🔹 Text of Article 157:

"No person shall be eligible for appointment as Governor unless he—
(a) is a citizen of India, and
(b) has completed the age of thirty-five years."

📌 Key Points:

Requirement	Details
Citizenship	Must be a citizen of India.
Minimum Age	Must have completed 35 years of age.
Other Qualifications	No educational or professional qualifications required.

❌ Disqualifications or Restrictions:

Article 157 does not mention any disqualifications, but under Article 158, the Governor:
- Cannot be a member of Parliament or State Legislature.
- Must not hold any office of profit.

🧠 Why Article 157 is Important:

Sets the minimum eligibility for one of the highest constitutional positions in a state.
Ensures only mature Indian citizens can be appointed.
Reflects a simple and inclusive eligibility criterion, unlike some other constitutional posts.

Here is a comparison chart of qualifications for the Governor and the President of India, based on the Constitution:

📊 Governor vs President: Qualifications Comparison

Criteria	Governor (Article 157)	President (Article 58)
Citizenship	Must be a citizen of India	Must be a citizen of India
Minimum Age	35 years	35 years
Parliamentary Qualification	Not required	Must be qualified to be a member of the Lok Sabha
Office of Profit	Cannot hold any office of profit (Art. 158)	Cannot hold any office of profit under government
Membership of Legislature	Must not be a member of Parliament or State Legislature (Art. 158)	Can’t be an MP/MLA at the time of election
Educational Qualification	❌ Not required	❌ Not required
Nomination	Appointed by the President	Elected by an Electoral College
Other Conditions	Must not belong to the state (convention, not law)	No specific condition on state or region

🧠 Key Differences:

The President must be qualified to be an MP (Lok Sabha), while the Governor has no such condition.
The President is elected, while the Governor is appointed.
Governor’s role is limited to a state, President’s role is national.