Context: Recently, the Supreme Court of India has held that a Governor can call for a floor test any time he/she objectively feels a government in power has lost the confidence of the House and is on shaky ground.
About  floor test

• A floor test is a motion through which the government of the day seeks to know whether it still enjoys the confidence of legislature.
• In this procedure, a CM appointed by the Governor can be asked to prove majority on the floor of the Legislative Assembly of the state.
• The chief minister has to move a vote of confidence and win a majority among those present and voting.
• If the confidence motion fails to pass, the chief minister has to resign. The idea behind a floor test is to ensure transparency in the constitutional process.

Verdict of Supreme Court 

• It said “The idea underlying the trust vote is to uphold the political accountability of the elected government to the State legislature.”
• With this, court has made it clear that a Governor’s power to call for a floor test is not restricted only before the inception of a State government immediately after elections, but would continue throughout its five-year term.
• The court clarified that the Governor’s requirement to have a trust vote does not “short-circuit” any disqualification proceedings pending before the Speaker.
• It said a “Governor need not wait for the Speaker’s decision on the resignation of rebel MLAs before calling for a trust vote in the House.”

About Trust Vote

• A confidence motion or a vote of confidence or a trust vote, is sought by the government in power on the floor of the House.
• It enables the elected representatives to determine if the Council of Ministers commanded the confidence of the House.
• The idea underlying the trust vote is to uphold the political accountability of the elected government to the State legislature.

No-confidence motion: A no-confidence motion, or vote of no-confidence, or a no-trust vote, can be sought by any House member to express that they no longer have confidence in the government.
About Constitutional Provisions Related to Governor

• Articles from 153 to 167 in Part VI of the constitution deal with the state executive. The state executive consists of the Governor, the Chief Minister the Council of Ministers and the Advocate General of the State. The post of the Governor at the state level is like the President at the centre.
• Article No. 153 for Governors of states; Article No.  155 for Appointment of Governor; Article No.  156 for Term of office of Governor; Article No.  157 for Qualifications for appointment as Governor; Article No.  158 for Conditions of Governor’s office; Article No.  159 for Oath or affirmation by the Governor; Article No.  160 for Discharge of the functions of the Governor in certain contingencies; Article No.  161 for Power of the Governor to grant pardons and others; Article No.  163 for Council of Ministers to aid and advice the Governor; Article No.  167 for Duties of the Chief Minister regarding furnishing of information to the Governor, and so on
• Article No.174 for Sessions of the state legislature, prorogation and dissolution;
• Article No.175 for Right of the Governor to address and send messages to the house or houses of state legislature;
• Article No.176 for Special address by the Governor;
• Article No.200 for Assent to bills (i.e. assent of the Governor to the bills passed by the state legislature);
• Article No.201 for Bills reserved by the Governor for consideration of the President;
• Article No.213 for Power of Governor to promulgate ordinances;
• Article No.217 for Governor being consulted by the President in the matter of the appointments of the judges of the High Courts;
• Article No.233 for Appointment of district judges by the Governor;
• Article No. 234: for Appointments of persons (other than district judges) to the judicial service of the state by the Governor;
• Article No.256: The executive power of the Union shall extend to the giving of such directions to a State as may appear to the Government of India to be necessary for that purpose.
• Article No.257: The executive power of the Union shall also extend to the giving of directions to a State as to the construction and maintenance of means of communication declared in the direction to be of national or military importance:
• Article No.355: It entrusts the duty upon the Union to protect the states against “external aggression” and “internal disturbance” to ensure that the government of every State is carried on in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution.
• Article No.356: In the event that a state government is unable to function according to constitutional provisions, the Central government can take direct control of the state machinery. The state's governor issues the proclamation, after obtaining the consent of the President of India.
• Article No.357: It deals with Exercise of legislative powers under Proclamation issued under Article 356 by the central government.