Uttarakhand Polity is a scoring area of every UKPSC paper. These free Uttarakhand Polity Notes cover the State’s Constitution-based institutions in 19 short, topic-wise articles — from the Governor and the Vidhan Sabha to Panchayati Raj, the High Court and the Uniform Civil Code. Each article gives the exact lists, dates and firsts that UKPSC asks, with real past questions. Facts are updated as on 29 October 2026.
Who holds which office in Uttarakhand (as on 29 October 2026)
UKPSC often asks who holds an office now, or who held it first. This table answers the first question at a glance.
| Office | Present holder | Since | Read more |
|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | Dr Dhal Singh Bisen (9th Governor) | 19 October 2026 | Governors list |
| Chief Minister | Pushkar Singh Dhami | 4 July 2021 (second term from 23 March 2022) | CM list |
| Speaker, Vidhan Sabha | Ritu Khanduri Bhushan (first woman Speaker) | 26 March 2022 | Vidhan Sabha |
| Deputy Speaker | Vacant (not elected in the fifth Assembly) | Vidhan Sabha | |
| Leader of Opposition | Yashpal Arya | April 2022 | Vidhan Sabha |
| Chief Justice, High Court | Justice Manoj Kumar Tiwari (Acting); Justice Sudhir Singh recommended on 26 October 2026 | 9 October 2026 | High Court |
| Chief Secretary | Anand Bardhan | 1 April 2025 | Civil administration |
| Director General of Police | Deepam Seth | Civil administration | |
| Advocate General | S. N. Babulkar | 2017 | Civil administration |
| UKPSC Chairman | Lt Gen Gajendra Joshi (Retd) | July 2026 | UKPSC |
| State Election Commissioner | Sushil Kumar | 29 August 2024 | Statutory bodies |
| State Chief Information Commissioner | Radha Raturi (first woman CIC) | 12 April 2025 | Statutory bodies |
| Lokayukta | Vacant since 2013 | Statutory bodies |
Uttarakhand Polity syllabus for UKPSC Prelims
The UKPSC Upper PCS prelims syllabus lists the Political System of Uttarakhand: governance, Governor, legislature, Chief Minister and Council of Ministers; Centre–State relations; public services and the Public Service Commission; audit, Advocate General, the High Court and its jurisdiction; provisions for minorities, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes; special category status; official language; Consolidated and Contingency Funds; political parties and elections; local government and Panchayati Raj; community development and public policy; rights issues; and governance tools such as anti-corruption, Lokayukta, citizen charters, e-governance, RTI and grievance redress. See the full UKPSC Upper PCS syllabus.
Uttarakhand Polity Notes: all topics
The State and its territory
- Formation of Uttarakhand — UP Reorganisation Act 2000, renaming, capitals and official languages.
- State Symbols of Uttarakhand — animal, bird, tree, flower, butterfly, sport, song and the myths.
- Districts and Divisions of Uttarakhand — 13 districts, two divisions and how they evolved.
The Executive
- List of Governors of Uttarakhand — all nine Governors, powers and records.
- List of Chief Ministers of Uttarakhand — every CM with party, President’s Rule 2016 and the cap of 12 ministers.
- Civil Administration and Revenue Police — Chief Secretary, Advocate General, police and the patwari system.
Legislature and Parliament
- Uttarakhand Vidhan Sabha — Speakers, Deputy and pro-tem Speakers, Interim Assembly, opposition.
- Vidhan Sabha Seats and Election Results — 70 seats, reserved seats, delimitation and five elections.
- Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Seats — 5 + 3 seats, present MPs and historic firsts.
Judiciary
- High Court of Uttarakhand — Chief Justices list, landmark judgments, courts and legal services.
Local government
- Panchayati Raj in Uttarakhand — Act of 2016, 2019 amendment and the three tiers.
- Urban Local Bodies and Nagar Nigam List — 11 Nagar Nigams, mayors and the 2025 elections.
Bodies, laws and governance
- UKPSC Chairman List — the Commission, its chairmen and UKSSSC.
- Constitutional and Statutory Bodies — Election, Finance, Information and Human Rights Commissions, Lokayukta.
- Uniform Civil Code of Uttarakhand — the 2024 Act, key provisions and amendments.
- Reservation and Key State Laws — SC, ST, OBC and women’s reservation; five Scheduled Tribes.
- Centre–State Relations and State Finances — Central Zonal Council, special category status, State funds.
- Governance in Uttarakhand — RTI, Right to Service Act, e-governance and grievance redress.
Quick revision
Short of time before the exam? Start with Firsts of Uttarakhand Polity — every “first” and record that UKPSC asks, on one page.
Important Articles of the Constitution for Uttarakhand Polity
| Subject | Articles |
|---|---|
| Governor and executive | 153 Governor; 155 appointment; 156 term; 157 qualifications; 159 oath; 161 pardon; 163 Council of Ministers; 164 CM and ministers; 165 Advocate General; 167 duties of CM; 213 Ordinances |
| State Legislature | 168 Legislature; 170 Assembly; 173 qualifications; 174 summoning and dissolution; 178–179 Speaker; 191 disqualifications |
| State finance | 198–199 Money Bills; 202 budget; 204 Appropriation; 205 excess grants; 266 Consolidated Fund and Public Account; 267 Contingency Fund |
| Judiciary | 214 High Courts; 216 constitution; 217 appointment of judges; 226 writs; 227 superintendence; 233 district judges |
| Local government | 243–243-O Panchayats; 243-I State Finance Commission; 243K State Election Commission; 243P–243ZG Municipalities |
| Services and audit | 148–151 CAG; 315 Public Service Commissions; 316 term; 323 annual report |
| Special provisions | 330 and 332 SC/ST seats; 341 and 342 SC and ST lists; 343 and 345 official language; 356 President’s Rule; 44 Uniform Civil Code |
How to use these notes
- Read one topic a day. Each article takes about ten minutes and ends with a one-page revision box.
- Check the past questions. Every article lists real UKPSC questions on that topic, with the exam and year.
- Practise daily. Solve the free Daily 25 practice questions and the UKPSC previous year papers, then test yourself in the UKPSC 2026 Prelims Test Series.
Polity facts change with every appointment. Follow Uttarakhand current affairs and the monthly Uttarakhand Current Affairs magazine; for the rest of the State’s static GK, see Uttarakhand GK.
Preparing for UKPSC Upper PCS, Lower PCS or RO/ARO? Join SAMVEG IAS, Dehradun. For batch details, call or WhatsApp +91 84759 04943.
Frequently Asked Questions
They cover the Political System of Uttarakhand in the UKPSC syllabus in 19 topic-wise articles. Topics include the Governor, Chief Minister, Vidhan Sabha, High Court, Panchayati Raj, State bodies, the Uniform Civil Code, reservation and governance.
Dr Dhal Singh Bisen is the 9th Governor of Uttarakhand. He took oath on 19 October 2026 (as on 29 October 2026).
Pushkar Singh Dhami is the Chief Minister. He first took office on 4 July 2021, and his second term began on 23 March 2022.
The Vidhan Sabha has 70 elected seats, and the legislature is unicameral. Since 2012, 13 seats are reserved for SC and 2 for ST.
Uttarakhand has 13 districts in two divisions. Garhwal has seven districts and Kumaon has six.
Read one topic a day from these notes and revise its one-page box. Then solve the past UKPSC questions given in each article, and practise daily questions.
Facts as on 29 October 2026. Sources: Lok Bhavan (Raj Bhavan) Uttarakhand, High Court of Uttarakhand, Uttarakhand Vidhan Sabha, Election Commission of India, State departments, India Code and PIB.