Structure of Government in Himachal Pradesh

Legislature

• Unicameral Legislative Assembly of 68 members, five-year term. 17 seats reserved for SC and 3 for ST.
• Kangra has the most assembly seats (15); Lahaul & Spiti and Kinnaur have one each.
• 4 Lok Sabha constituencies — Kangra, Mandi, Hamirpur, Shimla (SC). 3 Rajya Sabha seats.
• Mandi is the largest Lok Sabha constituency in India by area.

Executive

• Governor — constitutional head, appointed by the President.
• Chief Minister and Council of Ministers, collectively responsible to the Assembly. Ministry size capped at 15% of the Assembly (i.e. about 10 ministers).
• Chief Secretary heads the administration; 3 divisions under Divisional Commissioners — Kangra, Mandi, Shimla.
• 12 districts under Deputy Commissioners, then sub-divisions, tehsils and sub-tehsils.

Judiciary

• Himachal Pradesh High Court, at Shimla, established 25 January 1971 — the same day as statehood. It occupies Ravenswood, Shimla.
• Before 1971 the territory fell under the Delhi and then the Punjab & Haryana High Court jurisdiction.

Capitals and symbols

• Shimla — capital. Dharamshala — second (winter) capital since 19 January 2017.
• Official language Hindi; Sanskrit made the second official language on 16 February 2019 — Himachal was the second state after Uttarakhand to do so.

Other bodies

• Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission, Shimla — constituted in 1971.
• HP State Election Commission, HP State Information Commission, Lokayukta, State Human Rights Commission.
• HP Administrative Tribunal — abolished, revived and abolished again; check the current position before the exam.