List of governors of Tamil Nadu

2022-06-20T13:13:43Z

2409:4072:E91:DE26:E97E:45FF:4D07:7B48: robot: Update article (please report if you notice any mistake or error in this edit)

{{Short description|None}}
{{Use Indian English|date=November 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}}
{{Infobox official post
| post = Governor
| body = Tamil Nadu
| native_name = {{lang|ta-Latn|Tamiḻnāṭu Āḷunar}}
| flag = Flag of India.png
| insignia = TamilNadu_Logo.svg
| insigniasize = 50
| insigniacaption = [[Emblem of Tamil Nadu]]
| image = File:R.N. Ravi.jpg
| incumbent = [[R. N. Ravi]]
| incumbentsince = 18 September 2021
| style = [[Excellency|His Excellency]]
| status = [[Head of State]]
| reports_to = [[President of India]] [[Government of India]]
| residence = {{plainlist|
*[[Raj Bhavan, Chennai]] {{small|(primary)}}
*[[Raj Bhavan, Ooty]] {{small|(summer)}}}}
| appointer = [[President of India]]
| termlength = Five years
| termlength_qualified = Renewable
| inaugural = [[Archibald Edward Nye]] {{small|(1946–48)}}
| formation = {{start date and years ago|df=yes|1946|05|06}}
| salary = {{INRConvert|350000}} (per month)
| website = {{URL|http://www.tnrajbhavan.gov.in/}}
}}

[[File:India Tamil Nadu locator map.svg|thumb|The state of Tamil Nadu in India has had 26 Governors since 1946]]

The '''governor of Tamil Nadu''' is the [[head of state]] of the [[India]]n state of [[Tamil Nadu]]. The [[Governor (India)|governors]] have similar powers and functions at the state level as those of the [[President of India]] at central level. They exist in the [[States of India|state]] appointed by the President of India for a term of 5 years and they are not local to the state that they are appointed to govern. The factors based on which the President evaluates the candidates is not mentioned in the [[Constitution of India|constitution]]. The governor acts as the nominal head whereas the real power lies with the [[chief minister of Tamil Nadu|chief minister of the state]] and their [[Tamil Nadu Council of Ministers|council of ministers]].

The [[List of current Indian governors|current incumbent]] is [[R. N. Ravi]] since 18 September 2021.

==Powers and functions==
{{See also|Governors of India#Powers and functions}}
The Governor enjoys many different types of powers:

*'''Executive powers''' related to administration, appointments and removals,
*'''Legislative powers''' related to lawmaking and the state legislature, that is Vidhan Sabha or Vidhan Parishad, and
*'''Discretionary powers''' to be carried out according to the discretion of the Governor.

==Governors==

===Madras Presidency and Madras State===
Headquartered in [[Fort St. George]], [[Madras Presidency]] was a province of [[British India]]. It comprised present-day Tamil Nadu, the [[Malabar region]] of North [[Kerala]], the [[Coastal Andhra|coastal]] and [[Rayalaseema]] regions of [[Andhra Pradesh]], and the [[Bellary]], [[Dakshina Kannada]], and [[Udupi]] districts of [[Karnataka]]. It was established in 1653 to be the headquarters of the English settlements on the [[Coromandel Coast]]. After India's [[Indian independence movement|independence]] in 1947, [[Madras State]], the precursor to the present day state of Tamil Nadu, was carved out of Madras Presidency. It comprised present-day Tamil Nadu and parts of present-day Jack Barlow, Karnataka and Kerala.<ref name="tnhist">[http://www.tn.gov.in/misc/histn.htm Tamil Nadu Secretariat — Brief History] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20070106185926/http://www.tn.gov.in/misc/histn.htm |date=2007-01-06 }} ([[Government of Tamil Nadu]], 17 September 2008)</ref>

=== Tabular ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! #
! Name
! class="unsortable" | Took Office
! class="unsortable" | Left Office
! Term<ref group="nb" name="term">The ordinal number of the term being served by the person specified in the row in the corresponding period</ref>
|-
| 1
| [[Archibald Nye|Lieutenant-General Sir Archibald Edward Nye]]<ref>[Formerly the last Governor of the Madras Presidency.]</ref>
| 6 May 1946
| 7 September 1948
| 1
|-
| 2
| [[Krishna Kumarasingh Bhavasingh|Maharaja Sir Krishna Kumarasinhji Bhavsinhji]]
| 7 September 1948
| 12 March 1952
| 1
|-
| 3
| [[Sri Prakasa]]
| 12 March 1952
| 10 December 1956
| 1
|-
| 4
| [[A. J. John]]

| 10 December 1956
| 30 September 1957
| 1
|-
| -
| [[Pakala Venkata Rajamannar]] ''(acting)''
| 1 October 1957
| 24 January 1958
| 1
|-
| 5
| [[Bhishnuram Medhi]]
| 24 January 1958
| 4 May 1964
| 1
|-
| 6
| [[Jayachamaraja Wodeyar|Maharaja Sir Jayachamaraja Wodeyar Bahadur]]
| 4 May 1964
| 24 November 1964
| 1
|-
| -
| [[P. Chandra Reddy]] ''(acting)''<ref>[http://hc.ap.nic.in/aphc/pcrj.html HON'BLE SRI JUSTICE P.CHANDRA REDDI] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080930001926/http://hc.ap.nic.in/aphc/pcrj.html |date=2008-09-30 }} (High Court of Andhra Pradesh, Hyderabad, 20 September 2008)</ref>
| 24 November 1964
| 7 December 1965
| 1
|-
| (6)
| [[Jayachamaraja Wodeyar|Maharaja Sir Jayachamaraja Wodeyar Bahadur]]<ref group="nb">This term is a continuation of the Jayachamaraja Wodeyar Bahadur's first term. P. Chandra Reddy served as the acting Governor while Jayachamaraja Wodeyar Bahadur was on foreign tours.</ref>
| 7 December 1965
| 28 June 1966
| 1
|-
| 7
| [[Sardar Ujjal Singh]] ''(acting till 16 June 1967)''
| 28 June 1966
| 14 January 1969
| 1
|-
|}

=== Graphical ===
<timeline>
ImageSize = width:800 height:auto barincrement:12
PlotArea = top:10 bottom:50 right:130 left:20
AlignBars = late

DateFormat = yyyy
Period = from:1946 till:1972
TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal
ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:5 start:1946

Colors =
id:canvas value:rgb(0.97,0.97,0.97)
id:PA value:blue legend: Appointed
id:GP value:red legend: Acting
Legend = columns:2 left:150 top:24 columnwidth:100

Backgroundcolors = canvas:canvas

BarData =
barset:TNG

PlotData=
width:5 align:left fontsize:S shift:(5,-4) anchor:till
barset:TNG

from:1946 till:1948 color:PA text:"[[Sir Archibald Edward Nye]] (1946 – 1948)"
from:1948 till:1952 color:PA text:"[[Maharaja Krishna Kumarasingh Bhavasingh]] (1948 – 1952)"
from:1952 till:1956 color:PA text:"[[Sri Prakasa]] (1952 – 1956)"
from:1956 till:1958 color:PA text:"[[A. J. John, Anaparambil]] (1956 – 1958)"
from:1958 till:1958 color:GP text:"[[Dr. Pakala Venkata Rajamannar]] (1958 – 1958)"
from:1958 till:1964 color:PA text:"[[Bhishnuram Medhi]] (1958 – 1964)"
from:1964 till:1964 color:PA text:"[[Maharaja Jayachamaraja Wodeyar Bahadur of Mysore]] (1964 – 1964)"
from:1964 till:1965 color:GP text:"[[P. Chandra Reddy]] (1964 – 1965)"
from:1965 till:1966 color:PA text:"[[Maharaja Jayachamaraja Wodeyar Bahadur of Mysore]] (1965 – 1966)"
from:1966 till:1969 color:PA text:"[[Sardar Ujjal Singh]] (1966 – 1969)"
</timeline>

===Tamil Nadu===

Madras State was renamed as Tamil Nadu ([[Tamil language|Tamil]] for ''Tamil country'') on 14 January 1969. Governors have similar powers and functions at the state level as that of the President of India at the Central government level. The Governor acts as the nominal head of the state while the [[Chief Ministers of India|Chief Ministers of the states]] and the Chief Minister's Council of Ministers are invested with most executive powers.

;Tabular
{|class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%; text-align:center"
! class="unsortable"|S.No
! width=50 class="unsortable"|Portrait
! class="unsortable" ! style="width:17%;"|Name {{small|(birth–death)}}
! colspan=3 style="width:35%;"|Term of office<ref name="term">The ordinal number of the term being served by the person specified in the row in the corresponding period</ref>
! Previous post
! class="unsortable"|Appointed by
|-
| '''1'''
|
! '''[[Sardar Ujjal Singh]]''' (1895–1983)
| 14 January 1969
| 25 May 1971
| {{age in years and days|1969|01|14|1971|05|25}}
| [[List of governors of Punjab (India)|Governor of Punjab]]
| [[Zakir Husain (politician)|Zakir Hussain]]
|-
| '''2'''
| [[File:No_image_available.svg|100px]]
! '''[[Kodardas Kalidas Shah]]''' (1908–1986)
| 26 May 1971
| 15 June 1976
| {{age in years and days|1971|05|26|1976|06|15}}
| -
| [[VV Giri|Varaha Venkata Giri]]
|-
| '''3'''
| [[File:Mohan_Lal_Sukhadia_1988_stamp_of_India.jpg|100px]]
! '''[[Mohan Lal Sukhadia]]''' (1916–1982)
| 16 June 1976
| 8 April 1977
| {{age in years and days|1976|06|16|1977|04|08}}
| [[Governor of Andhra Pradesh]]
| [[Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed]]
|-
| '''-'''
| [[File:No_image_available.svg|100px]]
! '''P. Govindan Nair'''
| 9 April 1977
| 26 April 1977
| {{age in years and days|1977|04|09|1977|04|26}}
| -
| rowspan = "2" | [[Basappa Danappa Jatti]]
|-
| '''4'''
| [[File:No_image_available.svg|100px]]
! '''[[Prabhudas Patwari]]''' (1909–1985)
| 27 April 1977
| 26 October 1980
| {{age in years and days|1977|04|27|1980|10|26}}
| [[India|Indian]] [[Lawyer]]
|-
| '''-'''
| [[File:No_image_available.svg|100px]]
! '''[[M. M. Ismail]]''' (1921–2005)
| 27 October 1980
| 3 November 1980
| {{age in years and days|1980|09|27|1980|11|03}}
| [[Chief justice|Chief Justice of]] [[Madras High Court]]
| rowspan = "2"| [[Neelam Sanjiva Reddy]]
|-
| '''5'''
| [[File:No_image_available.svg|100px]]
! '''[[Sri Sadiq Ali|Sadiq Ali]]''' (1910–2001)
| 4 November 1980
| 2 September 1982
| {{age in years and days|1980|11|04|1982|09|02}}
| [[Governor of Maharashtra]]
|-
| '''6'''
| [[File:No_image_available.svg|100px]]
! '''[[Sundar Lal Khurana]]''' (1918–2007)
| 3 September 1982
| 16 February 1988
| {{age in years and days|1982|09|03|1988|02|16}}
| [[Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry]]
| [[Giani Zail Singh]]
|-
| '''7'''
| [[File:No_image_available.svg|100px]]
! '''[[P. C. Alexander]]''' (1921–2011)
| 17 February 1988
| 23 May 1990
| {{age in years and days|1988|02|17|1990|05|23}}
| [[Indian Administrative Service|I.A.S]] [[Officer]]
| rowspan= "3"| [[R. Venkataraman]]
|-
| '''8'''
| [[File:H_E_Shri_Surjit_Singh_Barnala.jpg|100px]]
! '''[[Surjit Singh Barnala]]''' (1925–2017)
| 24 May 1990
| 14 February 1991
| {{age in years and days|1990|05|24|1991|02|14}}
| [[List of chief ministers of Punjab (India)|Chief Minister of Punjab]]
|-
| '''9'''
| [[File:No_image_available.svg|100px]]
! '''[[Bhishma Narain Singh]]''' (1933–2018)
| 15 February 1991
| 30 May 1993
| {{age in years and days|1991|02|15|1993|05|30}}
| [[Governor of Assam]]
|-
| '''10'''
|
! '''[[Marri Chenna Reddy]]''' (1919–1996)
| 31 May 1993
| 2 December 1996{{ref label|†|†|†}}
| {{age in years and days|1993|05|31|1996|12|02}}
| [[Governor of Rajasthan]]
| rowspan = "3" | [[Shankar Dayal Sharma]]
|-
| '''-'''
| [[File:Krishan_Kant_2005_stamp_of_India.jpg|100px]]
! '''[[Krishan Kant]]''' ''(additional charge)''<ref name="past">[http://www.tnrajbhavan.gov.in/PastGovernors.htm Past Governors] (Raj Bhavan, Chennai, 20 September 2008)</ref> (1927–2002)
| 2 December 1996
| 24 January 1997
| {{age in years and days|1996|12|02|1997|01|24}}
| [[Governor of Andhra Pradesh]]
|-
| '''11'''
| [[File:Justice_Fathima_Beevi.JPG|100px]]
! '''[[M. Fathima Beevi]]''' (1927-)
| 25 January 1997
| 2 July 2001
| {{age in years and days|1997|01|25|2001|07|02}}
| Judge of the [[Supreme Court of India]]
|-
| '''-'''
| [[File:C._Rangrajan_at_the_Conference_on_"Fiscal_Policy_in_India"_(cropped).jpg|100px]]
! '''[[C. Rangarajan]]''' ''(additional charge)'' (1932-)
| 3 July 2001
| 17 January 2002
| {{age in years and days|2001|07|03|2002|01|17}}
| [[Governor of the Reserve Bank of India]]
| [[K. R. Narayanan]]
|-
| '''12'''
| [[File:No_image_available.svg|100px]]
! '''[[P. S. Ramamohan Rao]]''' (1934-)
| 18 January 2002
| 2 November 2004
| {{age in years and days|2002|01|18|2004|11|02}}
| [[Indian Administrative Service|I.P.S]] [[Officer]]
| rowspan = "2" | [[A. P. J. Abdul Kalam]]
|-
| '''(8)'''
| [[File:H_E_Shri_Surjit_Singh_Barnala.jpg|100px]]
! '''[[Surjit Singh Barnala]]''' (1925–2017)
| 3 November 2004
| 30 August 2011
| {{age in years and days|2004|11|03|2011|08|30}}
| [[Governor of Andhra Pradesh]]
|-
| '''13'''
| [[File:Konijeti_Rosaiah_BNC.jpg|100px]]
! '''[[Konijeti Rosaiah]]''' (1933–2021)
| 31 August 2011
| 1 September 2016
| {{age in years and days|2011|08|31|2016|09|01}}
| [[Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh]]
| [[Pratibha Patil]]
|-
| '''-'''
| [[File:Vidhyasagar Rao.jpg|100px]]
! '''[[C. Vidyasagar Rao]]''' ''(additional charge)'' (1942–)
| 2 September 2016
| 5 October 2017
| {{age in years and days|2016|09|02|2017|10|05}}
| [[Governor of Maharashtra]]
| [[Pranab Mukherjee]]
|-
| '''14'''
| [[File:Banwarilal_Purohit.jpg|100px]]
! '''[[Banwarilal Purohit]]''' (1939–)
| 6 October 2017
| 17 September 2021
| {{age in years and days|2017|10|06|2021|09|17}}
| [[Governor of Assam]]
| rowspan = "2" |[[Ram Nath Kovind]]
|-
| '''15'''
| [[File:R.N. Ravi.jpg|100px]]
! '''[[R. N. Ravi]]''' (1952–)
| 18 September 2021
| ''Incumbent''
| {{age in years and days|2021|09|18}}
| [[Governor of Nagaland]]
|}

;Graphical
<onlyinclude>
{{#tag:timeline|
ImageSize = width:800 height:auto barincrement:12
PlotArea = top:10 bottom:50 right:130 left:20
AlignBars = late

DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy
Period = from:1969 till:2025
TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal
ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:5 start:1969

Colors =
id:PA value:blue legend: Appointed
id:GP value:red legend: Acting
Legend = columns:2 left:150 top:24 columnwidth:100

BarData =
barset:TNG

PlotData=
width:5 align:left fontsize:S shift:(5,-4) anchor:till
barset:TNG

from: 14/01/1969 till: 25/05/1971 color:PA text:"[[Sardar Ujjal Singh]]"
from: 26/05/1971 till: 15/06/1976 color:PA text:"[[Kodardas Kalidas Shah]]"
from: 16/06/1976 till: 08/04/1977 color:PA text:"[[Mohan Lal Sukhadia]]"
from: 09/04/1977 till: 26/04/1977 color:GP text:"[[P. Govindan Nair]]"
from: 27/04/1977 till: 26/10/1980 color:PA text:"[[Prabhudas Patwari]]"
from: 27/10/1980 till: 03/11/1980 color:GP text:"[[M. M. Ismail]]"
from: 04/11/1980 till: 02/09/1982 color:PA text:"[[Sadiq Ali]]"
from: 03/09/1982 till: 16/02/1988 color:PA text:"[[Sundar Lal Khurana]]"
from: 17/02/1988 till: 23/05/1990 color:PA text:"[[P. C. Alexander]]"
from: 24/05/1990 till: 14/02/1991 color:PA text:"[[Surjit Singh Barnala]]"
from: 15/02/1991 till: 30/05/1993 color:PA text:"[[Bhishma Narain Singh]]"
from: 31/05/1993 till: 02/12/1996 color:PA text:"[[Marri Chenna Reddy]]"
from: 02/12/1996 till: 24/01/1997 color:GP text:"[[Krishan Kant]]"
from: 25/01/1997 till: 02/07/2001 color:PA text:"[[M. Fathima Beevi]]"
from: 03/07/2001 till: 17/01/2002 color:GP text:"[[C. Rangarajan]]"
from: 18/01/2002 till: 02/11/2004 color:PA text:"[[P. S. Ramamohan Rao]]"
from: 03/11/2004 till: 30/08/2011 color:PA text:"[[Surjit Singh Barnala]]"
from: 31/08/2011 till: 01/09/2016 color:PA text:"[[Konijeti Rosaiah]]"
from: 02/09/2016 till: 05/10/2017 color:GP text:"[[C. Vidyasagar Rao]]"
from: 06/10/2017 till: 17/09/2021 color:PA text:"[[Banwarilal Purohit]]"
from: 18/09/2021 till: {{#time:d/m/Y}} color:PA text:"[[R. N. Ravi]]"
}}</onlyinclude>

==Records==
* Surjit Singh Barnala is the only appointed Governor to have served two terms in office (24 May 1990–15 February 1991 and 3 November 2004–31 August 2011).
* The longest term in office was that of Surjit Singh Barnala who served as the Governor for a period of almost six and a half years (3 November 2004–31 August 2011).
* The shortest term in office was that of M. M. Ismail who served as the acting Governor for a period of nine days (27 October 1980–4 November 1980).
* The longest term in office as additional in-charge was that of C. Vidyasagar Rao for a period of 1 year 1 month and 4 days (2 September 2016– 6 October 2017).

==See also==
* [[Governors of India]]
* [[Governors of Madras]]
* [[History of Tamil Nadu]]
* [[List of Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu]]

==Notes==
<references group="nb"/>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.tnrajbhavan.gov.in Official website of the Governor of Tamil Nadu]

{{Governors_and_Lt_Governors_of_Indian_States}}
{{Governors of Tamil Nadu}}
[[Category:Governors of Tamil Nadu| ]]
[[Category:Lists of governors of Indian states|Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Tamil Nadu politics-related lists|Governors]]

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List of governors of Tamil Nadu