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By:

Bhalchandra Chorghade

11 August 2025 at 1:54:18 pm

Healing Beyond the Clinic

Dr Kirti Samudra “If you want to change the world, go home and love your family.” This thought by Mother Teresa finds reflection in the life of Panvel-based diabetologist Dr Kirti Samudra, who has spent decades caring not only for her family but also thousands of patients who see her as their guide. As we mark International Women’s Day, stories like hers remind us that women of substance often shape society quietly through compassion, resilience and dedication. Doctor, mother, homemaker,...

Healing Beyond the Clinic

Dr Kirti Samudra “If you want to change the world, go home and love your family.” This thought by Mother Teresa finds reflection in the life of Panvel-based diabetologist Dr Kirti Samudra, who has spent decades caring not only for her family but also thousands of patients who see her as their guide. As we mark International Women’s Day, stories like hers remind us that women of substance often shape society quietly through compassion, resilience and dedication. Doctor, mother, homemaker, mentor and philanthropist — Dr Samudra has balanced many roles with commitment. While she manages a busy medical practice, her deeper calling has always been service. For her, medicine is not merely a profession but a responsibility towards the people who depend on her guidance. Nagpur to Panvel Born and raised in Nagpur, Dr Samudra completed her medical education there before moving to Mumbai in search of better opportunities. The early years were challenging. With determination, she and her husband Girish Samudra, an entrepreneur involved in underwater pipeline projects, chose to build their life in Panvel. At a time when the town was still developing and healthcare awareness was limited, she decided to make it both her workplace and home. What began with modest resources gradually grew into a trusted medical practice built on long-standing relationships with patients. Fighting Diabetes Recognising the growing threat of diabetes, Dr Samudra dedicated her career to treating and educating patients about the disease. Over the years, she has registered nearly 30,000 patients from Panvel and nearby areas. Yet she believes treatment alone is not enough. “Diabetes is a lifelong disease. Medicines are important, but patient education is equally critical. If people understand the condition, they can manage it better and prevent complications,” she says. For more than 27 years, she has organised an Annual Patients’ Education Programme, offering diagnostic tests at concessional rates and sessions on lifestyle management. Family, Practice With her husband frequently travelling for business, much of the responsibility of raising their two children fell on Dr Samudra. Instead of expanding her practice aggressively, she kept it close to home and adjusted her OPD timings around her children’s schedules. “It was not easy,” she recalls, “but I wanted to fulfil my responsibilities as a mother while continuing to serve my patients.” Beyond Medicine Today, Dr Samudra also devotes time to social initiatives through the Bharat Vikas Parishad, where she serves as Regional Head. Her projects include  Plastic Mukta Vasundhara , which promotes reduced use of single-use plastic, and  Sainik Ho Tumchyasathi , an initiative that sends Diwali  faral  (snack hamper) to Indian soldiers posted at the borders. Last year alone, 15,000 boxes were sent to troops. Despite decades of service, she measures success not in wealth but in goodwill. “I may not have earned huge money,” she says, “but I have earned immense love and respect from my patients. That is something I will always be grateful for.”

The Governor’s Dilemma

Caught between constitutional duty and political suspicion, the new gubernatorial appointments underscore how the Governor’s office remains one of the most contested pillars of India’s federal system.

The recent appointment and reshuffling of Governors and Lieutenant Governors for six states and two Union Territories by the President of India, Droupadi Murmu, including the politically significant state of West Bengal on the eve of crucial Assembly elections, has once again brought the office of the Governor into sharp public focus. Within India’s federal framework, the Governor functions as the constitutional head of the state and occupies an important position in the governance structure, exercising executive, legislative and certain discretionary powers that influence the functioning of the state government.


Introducing Flexibility

Article 153 of the Constitution of India provides that each state shall have a Governor. However, the Seventh Constitutional Amendment Act, 1956 introduced flexibility by permitting the appointment of the same individual as Governor for two or more states. Unlike the President of India, the Governor is neither directly nor indirectly elected. The office follows a model inspired by the Canadian system of governance, under which the Governor is appointed by the President through a warrant under his hand and seal, while the oath of office is administered by the Chief Justice of the concerned High Court. By long-standing convention, the appointee is generally an outsider to the state concerned, and the President is expected to consult the Chief Minister prior to such appointment.


As the de jure constitutional head of the state, the Governor is ordinarily expected to act on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers, except in situations where the Constitution expressly permits the exercise of discretion. It is this sphere of discretionary authority that lies at the heart of the ongoing debate surrounding the Governor’s office. These powers allow the Governor to act according to personal judgment without ministerial advice and, in certain respects, are considered broader than those of the President. They include functions such as reserving bills for the consideration of the President or recommending the imposition of President’s Rule, making their exercise a frequent subject of constitutional and political scrutiny.


Controversial Instances

Over the years, several instances have highlighted the controversies surrounding the exercise of such discretion. In 2016, the Governor of Arunachal Pradesh advanced a session of the state Assembly, triggering a political crisis that was later declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. In the same year, the recommendation of President’s Rule in Uttarakhand by the Governor was set aside by the High Court. In Karnataka in 2018, the Governor invited the single largest party to form the government despite a post-poll coalition claiming majority support. In 2020, the Governor of Kerala faced criticism for delaying assent to a bill passed by the state legislature.


More recently, the issue resurfaced in Tamil Nadu, where Governor R. N. Ravi was criticized for delaying assent to several bills passed by the state Assembly, an action widely described as a “pocket veto.” Observations by the Supreme Court regarding the delay in granting assent to these bills have once again revived debates on the constitutional limits of gubernatorial discretion. Similarly, the West Bengal government has frequently accused Governor C. V. Ananda Bose of unwarranted interference in the functioning of the elected administration, reflecting recurring tensions between Raj Bhavans and state governments, particularly in opposition-ruled states.


Against this backdrop, the recent reshuffling and appointment of Governors by the Union government assumes particular significance, especially in politically sensitive and poll-bound states such as West Bengal. The Governor’s discretionary powers both constitutional and situational may become crucial in times of political instability, including situations such as the appointment of a Chief Minister in a hung Assembly, fragile coalition arrangements, or constitutional deadlocks before or after elections. In such circumstances, the Governor may also be called upon to dismiss a Council of Ministers that fails to demonstrate majority support or recommend the dissolution of the state legislative assembly. Consequently, the office of the Governor often becomes central to resolving political and constitutional uncertainties.


Situational Discretion

At the same time, opposition-ruled states have frequently argued that the exercise of such situational discretion may reflect the influence of the Union government rather than an independent constitutional judgment. This perception has continued to fuel tensions within India’s federal framework, particularly in states governed by parties opposed to the ruling party at the Centre.


The constitutional vision of the Governor’s office, however, demands a high degree of neutrality, restraint and institutional integrity. The Governor was envisaged as an impartial constitutional authority and a vital link between the Union and the states, rather than as a political instrument. Preserving the dignity and neutrality of this office is therefore essential for maintaining the spirit of cooperative federalism that lies at the heart of India’s constitutional design.


In this context, the recommendations of expert bodies such as the Sarkaria Commission (1988), the Venkatachaliah Commission (2002) and the Punchhi Commission (2010) assume renewed relevance. Their proposals, aimed at insulating the office of the Governor from partisan politics and strengthening its constitutional role, merit serious consideration if India’s federal democracy is to function effectively in both letter and spirit.


(The writers are advocates practicing before the Supreme Court of India. Views personal.)

 


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