On December 25 2024, President of India, Droupadi Murmu, appointed new Governors for 5 states Kerala, Odisha, Bihar, Mizoram and Manipur at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi,Delhi.
- All the appointments will be effective from the dates, the Governors assume charge of their respective offices.
- President Droupadi Murmu has accepted the resignation of Raghubar Das as Governor of Odisha and appointed Hari Babu Kambhampati as the new Governor of Odisha.
New Governors of the 5 States:
| State | New Governor | Previous Governor |
|---|---|---|
| Kerala | Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar | Arif Mohammed Khan |
| Odisha | Hari Babu Kambhampati | Raghubar Das |
| Bihar | Arif Mohammed Khan | Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar |
| Mizoram | General (Dr) Vijay Kumar Singh (Retired) | Hari Babu Kambhampati |
| Manipur | Ajay Kumar Bhalla | Lakshman Prasad Acharya |
About Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar:
i.Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar was appointed as the 23rd Governor of Kerala by replacing Arif Mohammed Khan.
- He previously served as the 29th Governor of Bihar (16 February 2023 – 24 December 2024).
ii.He also served as the 21st Governor of Himachal Pradesh (HP) from 13 July 2021 to 16 February 2023, being the first person to serve as the Governor of HP from Goa.
About Hari Babu Kambhampati:
i.Hari Babu Kambhampati was appointed as the 27th Governor of Odisha by replacing Raghubar Das
- He was the 1st person from Andhra Pradesh (AP) who served as 15 th Governor of Mizoram in North East India from 2021 to 2024 .
ii.From 2014 to 2019, he served as a Member of Parliament (MP) in the 16th Lok Sabha, representing the Visakhapatnam, AP Lok Sabha constituency.
About Arif Mohammed Khan:
i.Arif Mohammed Khan was appointed as the 30th Governor of Bihar by replacing Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar
- He previously served as the 22nd Governor of Kerala from 6 September 2019 to 24 December 2024.
ii.Shri Arif Mohammed Khan was born on 18 November 1951 in Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh. He was a former Union Cabinet Minister of Civil aviation 1989 – 1990).
iii.He served as the Member of Parliament (MP) in the Lok Sabha, representing the Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh (UP) constituency from 1980–1984 and the Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh (UP) constituency from the period of (1984–1991) & (1998–1999).
About General (Dr) VK Singh (Retired):
i.General Vijay Kumar Singh(retd) was appointed as the 29th Governor of Mizoram by replacing Hari Babu Kambhampati.
- He previously served as the Minister of State (MoS) for Road Transport and Highways from 30 May 2019 to 11 June 2024.
- He served as the Member of Parliament (MP) in the Lok Sabha, representing the Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh (UP) constituency from 2014-2024.
ii.In 2014, he served as Minister of State for External Affairs, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of the North-Eastern Region and Minister of State for Statistics and Programme Implementation in the 1st PM Narendra Modi ministry
iii.A former 4-star general in the Indian Army (IA), he served as the 24th chief of the Army Staff (COAS) from 2010 to 2012.
About Ajay Kumar Bhalla:
i.Ajay Kumar Bhalla was appointed as the 19th Governor of Manipur by replacing Lakshman Prasad Acharya.
- He previously served as the Home secretary of India for a period of 5 years from 2019 to 2024.
- He also served as the Secretary of India under the Ministry of Power (MoP) from July 2017 to 2019.
ii.He was a retired Indian Administrative Officer (IAS) officer of 1984 batch from Assam Meghalaya cadre.
Roles and Responsibilities of Governor:
i.Appointment: According to Article 153, a Governor must be appointed for each state, with one person being able to serve as Governor for multiple states.
ii.Eligibility: Article 157 and 158 outline the eligibility criteria for a person to be appointed as a Governor.
- Tenure: The Governor holds office for a 5-year term, but can remain in office only at the pleasure of the President.
- Article 157: To be eligible for appointment as governor, a person must be a citizen of India and at least 35 years old.
- Article 158:The Governor shall not be a member of the Legislature or Parliament; shall not hold any office of profit, shall be entitled to emoluments and allowances.
iii.Pardon Powers: Under Article 161, the Governor has the authority to grant pardons, reprieves, or remissions of punishment.
iv.Council of Ministers: As per Article 163, the Governor is aided by a Council of Ministers headed by the Chief Minister (CM), who advises the Governor, except in certain discretionary matters.
v.Appointment of CM and Ministers: Under Article 164, the Governor appoints the CM and other Ministers.
vii.Assent to Bills: Under Article 200, the Governor has the power to assent to or withhold assent to bills passed by the Legislative Assembly, or reserve the bill for the President’s consideration.
viii.Ordinance Power: The Governor can promulgate Ordinances under Article 213 when the legislature is not in session, in exceptional circumstances.
