The Governor is the titular head of the state and has both formal and discretionary powers. The constitutional powers and responsibilities of the Governor in India are as follows:

• Appointing the Chief Minister and other ministers in consultation with the Chief Minister and the Council of Ministers.
• Summoning, proroguing, or dissolving the state legislature, and addressing the same.
• Giving assent to bills passed by the state legislature and forwarding them to the President.
• Reserving certain bills for the consideration of the President.
• Making recommendations to the President about the imposition of President's Rule in a state.
• Judicial powers to appoint judges of the high court and to grant pardons and reprieves.

However, the Governor's powers are not absolute and come with limitations. These limitations include that the Governor must act on the advice of the Council of Ministers, and they cannot act independently of the constitution or the laws of the country. Additionally, the Governor's discretion on certain matters, such as the appointment of Chief Minister, is limited by the Constitution as well as established conventions and norms.