List of governors of Kerala: Difference between revisions

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{{Use Indian English|date=August 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2019}}
{{Infobox official post
{{Infobox official post
| image = Rajendra Arlekar, Governor of Kerala.jpg
| image = Rajendra Arlekar.jpg
| imagesize =  
| imagesize =  
| post = Governor of Kerala
| post = Governor of Kerala
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The '''governor of Kerala''' is the constitutional head of state of the southern Indian state of [[Kerala]]. The governor is appointed by the [[president of India]], and holds office at the president's pleasure. The governor is ''[[de jure]]'' head of the [[government of Kerala]]; all its executive actions are taken in the governor's name. The elected council of ministers is headed by the [[chief minister of Kerala]], who thus holds ''[[de facto]]'' executive authority in the state. The [[Constitution of India]] also empowers the governor to act upon their own discretion, such as the ability to appoint or dismiss a [[ministry (collective executive)|ministry]], recommend [[President's rule]], or reserve bills for the president's assent.<ref>[[Durga Das Basu]]. ''Introduction to the Constitution of India''. 1960. 20th edition, 2011 reprint. LexisNexis Butterworths Wadhwa Nagpur. {{ISBN|978-81-8038-559-9}}. p. 237, 241–44. Note: although the text talks about Indian state governments in general, it applies for the specific case of Kerala as well.</ref>
The '''governor of Kerala''' is the constitutional head of state of the southern Indian state of [[Kerala]]. The governor is appointed by the [[president of India]], and holds office at the president's pleasure. The governor is ''[[de jure]]'' head of the [[government of Kerala]]; all its executive actions are taken in the governor's name. The elected council of ministers is headed by the [[chief minister of Kerala]], who thus holds ''[[de facto]]'' executive authority in the state. The [[Constitution of India]] also empowers the governor to act upon their own discretion, such as the ability to appoint or dismiss a [[ministry (collective executive)|ministry]], recommend [[President's rule]], or reserve bills for the president's assent.<ref>[[Durga Das Basu]]. ''Introduction to the Constitution of India''. 1960. 20th edition, 2011 reprint. LexisNexis Butterworths Wadhwa Nagpur. {{ISBN|978-81-8038-559-9}}. p. 237, 241–44. Note: although the text talks about Indian state governments in general, it applies for the specific case of Kerala as well.</ref>


Since 2 January 2025, [[Rajendra Arlekar|Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar]], is the 23rd governor of Kerala.
Since 2 January 2025, [[Rajendra Arlekar|Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar]], is the 28th governor of Kerala.


==List==
==List==
Line 46: Line 46:
! style="width:5em"| Time in office
! style="width:5em"| Time in office
|-
|-
! {{ndash}}
! 1
| bgcolor="wheat"|[[File:P. S. Rao (cropped).jpg|70px]]
| bgcolor="wheat"|[[File:P. S. Rao (cropped).jpg|70px]]
| bgcolor="wheat"|'''P. S. Rao'''<br/>(Acting)
| bgcolor="wheat"|'''P. S. Rao'''<br/>(Acting)
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| rowspan="3"| [[Rajendra Prasad]]
| rowspan="3"| [[Rajendra Prasad]]
|-
|-
! 1
! 2
| [[File:Burgula Ramakrishna Rao, 1952 (cropped).jpg|70px]]
| [[File:Burgula Ramakrishna Rao, 1952 (cropped).jpg|70px]]
| '''[[Burgula Ramakrishna Rao]]'''<br/>{{small|(1899{{ndash}}1967)}}
| '''[[Burgula Ramakrishna Rao]]'''<br/>{{small|(1899{{ndash}}1967)}}
Line 63: Line 63:
| '''{{ayd|22 Nov 1956|1 Jul 1960}}'''
| '''{{ayd|22 Nov 1956|1 Jul 1960}}'''
|-
|-
! 2
! 3
| [[File:President V. V. Giri.jpg|70px]]
| [[File:President V. V. Giri.jpg|70px]]
| '''[[V. V. Giri]]'''<br/>{{small|(1894{{ndash}}1980)}}
| '''[[V. V. Giri]]'''<br/>{{small|(1894{{ndash}}1980)}}
Line 71: Line 71:
| '''{{ayd|1 Jul 1960|2 Apr 1965}}'''
| '''{{ayd|1 Jul 1960|2 Apr 1965}}'''
|-
|-
! 3
! 4
| [[File:Ajit Prasad Jain Lok Sabha portrait.gif|70px]]
| [[File:Ajit Prasad Jain Lok Sabha portrait.gif|70px]]
| '''[[Ajit Prasad Jain]]'''<br/>{{small|(1902{{ndash}}1977)}}
| '''[[Ajit Prasad Jain]]'''<br/>{{small|(1902{{ndash}}1977)}}
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| rowspan="2"| [[Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan]]
| rowspan="2"| [[Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan]]
|-
|-
! 4
! 5
| [[File:Bhagwan Sahay.jpg|70px]]
| [[File:Bhagwan Sahay.jpg|70px]]
| '''[[Bhagwan Sahay]]'''<br/>{{small|[[Indian Civil Service|ICS]] (Retd)<br/>(1905{{ndash}}1986)}}
| '''[[Bhagwan Sahay]]'''<br/>{{small|[[Indian Civil Service|ICS]] (Retd)<br/>(1905{{ndash}}1986)}}
Line 88: Line 88:
| '''{{ayd|6 Feb 1966|15 May 1967}}'''
| '''{{ayd|6 Feb 1966|15 May 1967}}'''
|-
|-
! 5
! 6
| [[File:V. Viswanathan.jpg|70px]]
| [[File:V. Viswanathan.jpg|70px]]
| '''[[V. Viswanathan]]'''<br/>{{small|[[Indian Civil Service|ICS]] (Retd)<br/>(1909{{ndash}}1987)}}
| '''[[V. Viswanathan]]'''<br/>{{small|[[Indian Civil Service|ICS]] (Retd)<br/>(1909{{ndash}}1987)}}
Line 149: Line 149:
| '''{{ayd|20 Dec 1990|15 Apr 1995}}'''
| '''{{ayd|20 Dec 1990|15 Apr 1995}}'''
|-
|-
! -
! 12
| bgcolor="wheat"| [[File:Gopala Ramanujam.jpg|70px]]
| bgcolor="wheat"| [[File:Gopala Ramanujam.jpg|70px]]
| bgcolor="wheat"| '''[[Gopala Ramanujam]]'''<br/>{{small|(1915{{ndash}}2001)<br/>Governor of Orissa}}<br/>(Acting)
| bgcolor="wheat"| '''[[Gopala Ramanujam]]'''<br/>{{small|(1915{{ndash}}2001)<br/>Governor of Orissa}}<br/>(Acting)
Line 158: Line 158:
| rowspan="5"| [[Shankar Dayal Sharma]]
| rowspan="5"| [[Shankar Dayal Sharma]]
|-
|-
! 12
! 13
| [[File:B. Rachaiah Lok Sabha photo.jpg|70px]]
| [[File:B. Rachaiah Lok Sabha photo.jpg|70px]]
| '''[[B. Rachaiah]]'''<br/>{{small|(1922{{ndash}}2000)}}
| '''[[B. Rachaiah]]'''<br/>{{small|(1922{{ndash}}2000)}}
Line 166: Line 166:
| '''{{ayd|1 May 1995|11 Nov 1995}}'''
| '''{{ayd|1 May 1995|11 Nov 1995}}'''
|-
|-
! 13
! 14
| [[File:P. Shiv Shankar (cropped).jpg|70px]]
| [[File:P. Shiv Shankar (cropped).jpg|70px]]
| '''[[P. Shiv Shankar]]'''<br/>{{small|(1929{{ndash}}2017)}}
| '''[[P. Shiv Shankar]]'''<br/>{{small|(1929{{ndash}}2017)}}
Line 174: Line 174:
| '''{{ayd|12 Nov 1995|1 May 1996}}'''
| '''{{ayd|12 Nov 1995|1 May 1996}}'''
|- bgcolor="wheat"
|- bgcolor="wheat"
! -
! 15
| [[File:Khurshed Alam Khan (cropped).jpg|70px]]
| [[File:Khurshed Alam Khan (cropped).jpg|70px]]
| '''[[Khurshed Alam Khan]]'''<br/>{{small|(1919{{ndash}}2013)<br/>Governor of Karnataka}}<br/>(Additional Charge)
| '''[[Khurshed Alam Khan]]'''<br/>{{small|(1919{{ndash}}2013)<br/>Governor of Karnataka}}<br/>(Additional Charge)
Line 182: Line 182:
| '''{{ayd|5 May 1996|25 Jan 1997}}'''
| '''{{ayd|5 May 1996|25 Jan 1997}}'''
|-
|-
! 14
! 16
| [[File:Justice Sukhdev Singh Kang.jpg|70px]]
| [[File:Justice Sukhdev Singh Kang.jpg|70px]]
| {{small|Justice (Retd)}}<br/>'''[[Sukhdev Singh Kang]]'''<br/>{{small|(1931{{ndash}}2012)}}
| {{small|Justice (Retd)}}<br/>'''[[Sukhdev Singh Kang]]'''<br/>{{small|(1931{{ndash}}2012)}}
| [[Punjab, India|Punjab]]
| [[Punjab, India|Punjab]]
| {{small|25 January}}<br/>1997
| {{small|25 January}}<br/>1997
| {{small|29 February}}<br/>2000
| {{small|18 April }}<br/>2002
| '''{{ayd|25 Jan 1997|29 Feb 2000}}'''
| '''{{ayd|25 Jan 1997|18 April 2002}}'''
|-
|-
! -
! 17
| bgcolor="wheat"| [[File:The Chairman, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, Dr. C. Rangarajan addressing a press conference on ‘Economic Review 2012-13’, in New Delhi on April 23, 2013 (cropped).jpg|70px]]
| bgcolor="wheat"| '''[[C. Rangarajan]]'''<br/>{{small|(born 1932)<br/>Governor of Andhra Pradesh}}<br/>(Acting)
| bgcolor="wheat"| [[Tamil Nadu]]
| bgcolor="wheat"| {{small|29 February}}<br/>2000
| bgcolor="wheat"| {{small|23 April}}<br/>2000
| bgcolor="wheat"| '''{{ayd|29 Feb 2000|23 Apr 2000}}'''
| rowspan="9"| [[K. R. Narayanan]]
|-
! (14)
| [[File:Justice Sukhdev Singh Kang.jpg|70px]]
| {{small|Justice (Retd)}}<br/>'''[[Sukhdev Singh Kang]]'''<br/>{{small|(1931{{ndash}}2012)}}
| [[Punjab, India|Punjab]]
| {{small|23 April}}<br/>2000
| {{small|19 October}}<br/>2000
| '''{{ayd|23 Apr 2000|19 Oct 2000}}'''
|- bgcolor="wheat"
! -
| [[File:The Chairman, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, Dr. C. Rangarajan addressing a press conference on ‘Economic Review 2012-13’, in New Delhi on April 23, 2013 (cropped).jpg|70px]]
| '''[[C. Rangarajan]]'''<br/>{{small|(born 1932)<br/>Governor of Andhra Pradesh}}<br/>(Acting)
| [[Tamil Nadu]]
| {{small|19 October}}<br/>2000
| {{small|7 November}}<br/>2000
| '''{{ayd|19 Oct 2000|7 Nov 2000}}'''
|-
! (14)
| [[File:Justice Sukhdev Singh Kang.jpg|70px]]
| {{small|Justice (Retd)}}<br/>'''[[Sukhdev Singh Kang]]'''<br/>{{small|(1931{{ndash}}2012)}}
| [[Punjab, India|Punjab]]
| {{small|7 November}}<br/>2000
| {{small|14 September}}<br/>2001
| '''{{ayd|7 Nov 2000|14 Sep 2001}}'''
|- bgcolor="wheat"
! -
| [[File:Mohammad Fazal (cropped).jpg|70px]]
| '''[[Mohammed Fazal]]'''<br>{{small|(1922{{ndash}}2014)<br/>Governor of Goa}}<br/>(Acting)
| [[Uttar Pradesh]]
| {{small|14 September}}<br/>2001
| {{small|28 September}}<br/>2001
| '''{{ayd|14 Sep 2001|28 Sep 2001}}'''
|-
! (14)
| [[File:Justice Sukhdev Singh Kang.jpg|70px]]
| {{small|Justice (Retd)}}<br/>'''[[Sukhdev Singh Kang]]'''<br/>{{small|(1931{{ndash}}2012)}}
| [[Punjab, India|Punjab]]
| {{small|28 September}}<br/>2001
| {{small|16 February}}<br/>2002
| '''{{ayd|28 Sep 2001|16 Feb 2002}}'''
|- bgcolor="wheat"
! -
| [[File:The Chairman, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, Dr. C. Rangarajan addressing a press conference on ‘Economic Review 2012-13’, in New Delhi on April 23, 2013 (cropped).jpg|70px]]
| '''[[C. Rangarajan]]'''<br/>{{small|(born 1932)<br/>Governor of Andhra Pradesh}}<br/>(Acting)
| [[Tamil Nadu]]
| {{small|16 February}}<br/>2002
| {{small|28 February}}<br/>2002
| '''{{ayd|16 Feb 2002|28 Feb 2002}}'''
|-
! (14)
| [[File:Justice Sukhdev Singh Kang.jpg|70px]]
| {{small|Justice (Retd)}}<br/>'''[[Sukhdev Singh Kang]]'''<br/>{{small|(1931{{ndash}}2012)}}
| [[Punjab, India|Punjab]]
| {{small|28 February}}<br/>2002
| {{small|18 April}}<br/>2002
| '''{{ayd|28 Feb 2002|18 Apr 2002}}'''
|-
! 15
| [[File:Sikander Bakht Lok Sabha photo.jpg|70px]]
| [[File:Sikander Bakht Lok Sabha photo.jpg|70px]]
| '''[[Sikander Bakht]]'''<br/>{{small|(1918{{ndash}}2004)}}
| '''[[Sikander Bakht]]'''<br />{{small|(1918{{ndash}}2004)}}
| [[National Capital Territory of Delhi]]
| [[National Capital Territory of Delhi]]
| {{small|18 April}}<br/>2002
| {{small|18 April}}<br />2002
| {{small|23 February}}<br/>2004{{ref label|†|†|†}}
| {{small|23 February}}<br />2004{{ref label|†|†|†}}
| '''{{ayd|18 Apr 2002|23 Feb 2004}}'''
| '''{{ayd|18 Apr 2002|23 Feb 2004}}'''
|[[K. R. Narayanan]]
|-
|-
! -
! 18
| bgcolor="wheat"| [[File:T. N. Chaturvedi.jpg|70px]]
| bgcolor="wheat" | [[File:T. N. Chaturvedi.jpg|70px]]
| bgcolor="wheat"| '''[[T. N. Chaturvedi]]'''<br/>{{small|[[Indian Administrative Service|IAS]] (Retd)<br/>(1928{{ndash}}2020)<br/>Governor of Karnataka}}<br/>(Additional Charge)
| bgcolor="wheat" | '''[[T. N. Chaturvedi]]'''<br />{{small|[[Indian Administrative Service|IAS]] (Retd)<br/>(1928{{ndash}}2020)<br/>Governor of Karnataka}}<br />(Additional Charge)
| bgcolor="wheat"| [[Uttar Pradesh]]
| bgcolor="wheat" | [[Uttar Pradesh]]
| bgcolor="wheat"| {{small|25 February}}<br/>2004
| bgcolor="wheat" | {{small|25 February}}<br />2004
| bgcolor="wheat"| {{small|23 June}}<br/>2004
| bgcolor="wheat" | {{small|23 June}}<br />2004
| bgcolor="wheat"| '''{{ayd|25 Feb 2004|23 Jun 2004}}'''
| bgcolor="wheat" | '''{{ayd|25 Feb 2004|23 Jun 2004}}'''
| rowspan="2"| [[A. P. J. Abdul Kalam]]
| rowspan="2" | [[A. P. J. Abdul Kalam]]
|-
|-
! 16
! 19
| [[File:R. L. Bhatia.jpg|70px]]
| [[File:R. L. Bhatia.jpg|70px]]
| '''[[R. L. Bhatia]]'''<br/>{{small|(1920{{ndash}}2021)}}
| '''[[R. L. Bhatia]]'''<br />{{small|(1920{{ndash}}2021)}}
| [[Punjab, India|Punjab]]
| [[Punjab, India|Punjab]]
| {{small|23 June}}<br/>2004
| {{small|23 June}}<br />2004
| {{small|10 July}}<br/>2008{{ref label|§|§|§}}{{efn-lg|name=BR|Transferred as the [[Governor of Bihar]]}}
| {{small|10 July}}<br />2008{{ref label|§|§|§}}{{efn-lg|name=BR|Transferred as the [[Governor of Bihar]]}}
| '''{{ayd|23 Jun 2004|10 Jul 2008}}'''
| '''{{ayd|23 Jun 2004|10 Jul 2008}}'''
|-
|-
! 17
! 20
| [[File:R. S. Gavai.jpg|70px]]
| [[File:R. S. Gavai.jpg|70px]]
| '''[[R. S. Gavai]]'''<br/>{{small|(1929{{ndash}}2015)}}
| '''[[R. S. Gavai]]'''<br />{{small|(1929{{ndash}}2015)}}
| [[Maharashtra]]
| [[Maharashtra]]
| {{small|11 July}}<br/>2008
| {{small|11 July}}<br />2008
| {{small|7 September}}<br/>2011
| {{small|7 September}}<br />2011
| '''{{ayd|11 Jul 2008|7 Sep 2011}}'''
| '''{{ayd|11 Jul 2008|7 Sep 2011}}'''
| rowspan="3"| [[Pratibha Patil]]
| rowspan="3" | [[Pratibha Patil]]
|-
|-
! 18
! 21
| [[File:M. O. H. Farook.jpg|70px]]
| [[File:M. O. H. Farook.jpg|70px]]
| '''[[M. O. H. Farook]]'''<br/>{{small|(1937{{ndash}}2012)}}
| '''[[M. O. H. Farook]]'''<br />{{small|(1937{{ndash}}2012)}}
| [[Puducherry (union territory)|Puducherry]]
| [[Puducherry (union territory)|Puducherry]]
| {{small|8 September}}<br/>2011
| {{small|8 September}}<br />2011
| {{small|26 January}}<br/>2012{{ref label|†|†|†}}
| {{small|26 January}}<br />2012{{ref label|†|†|†}}
| '''{{ayd|8 Sep 2011|26 Jan 2012}}'''
| '''{{ayd|8 Sep 2011|26 Jan 2012}}'''
|- bgcolor="wheat"
|- bgcolor="wheat"
! -
! 22
| [[File:Hans Raj Bhardwaj.png|70px]]
| [[File:Hans Raj Bhardwaj.png|70px]]
| '''[[H. R. Bhardwaj]]'''<br/>{{small|(1939{{ndash}}2020)<br/>Governor of Karnataka}}<br/>(Additional Charge)
| '''[[H. R. Bhardwaj]]'''<br />{{small|(1939{{ndash}}2020)<br/>Governor of Karnataka}}<br />(Additional Charge)
| [[Punjab, India|Punjab]]
| [[Punjab, India|Punjab]]
| {{small|26 January}}<br/>2012
| {{small|26 January}}<br />2012
| {{small|22 March}}<br/>2013
| {{small|22 March}}<br />2013
| '''{{ayd|26 Jan 2012|22 Mar 2013}}'''
| '''{{ayd|26 Jan 2012|22 Mar 2013}}'''
|-
|-
! 19
! 23
| [[File:Nikhil Kumar Nagaland Governor (cropped).jpg|70px]]
| [[File:Nikhil Kumar Nagaland Governor (cropped).jpg|70px]]
| '''[[Nikhil Kumar (governor)|Nikhil Kumar]]'''<br/>{{small|[[Indian Police Service|IPS]] (Retd)<br/>(born 1941)}}
| '''[[Nikhil Kumar (governor)|Nikhil Kumar]]'''<br />{{small|[[Indian Police Service|IPS]] (Retd)<br/>(born 1941)}}
| [[Bihar]]
| [[Bihar]]
| {{small|23 March}}<br/>2013
| {{small|23 March}}<br />2013
| {{small|5 March}}<br/>2014{{ref label|‡|‡|‡}}{{efn-lg|Resigned to contest in the [[2014 Indian general election|2014 general election]]}}
| {{small|5 March}}<br />2014{{ref label|‡|‡|‡}}{{efn-lg|Resigned to contest in the [[2014 Indian general election|2014 general election]]}}
| '''{{ayd|23 Mar 2013|5 Mar 2014}}'''
| '''{{ayd|23 Mar 2013|5 Mar 2014}}'''
| rowspan="3"| [[Pranab Mukherjee]]
| rowspan="3" | [[Pranab Mukherjee]]
|-
|-
! 20
! 24
| [[File:Sheila Dikshit Ji.jpg|70px]]
| [[File:Sheila Dikshit Ji.jpg|70px]]
| '''[[Sheila Dikshit]]'''<br/>{{small|(1938{{ndash}}2019)}}
| '''[[Sheila Dikshit]]'''<br />{{small|(1938{{ndash}}2019)}}
| [[National Capital Territory of Delhi]]
| [[National Capital Territory of Delhi]]
| {{small|5 March}}<br/>2014
| {{small|5 March}}<br />2014
| {{small|5 September}}<br/>2014{{ref label|‡|‡|‡}}
| {{small|5 September}}<br />2014{{ref label|‡|‡|‡}}
| '''{{ayd|5 Mar 2014|5 Sep 2014}}'''
| '''{{ayd|5 Mar 2014|5 Sep 2014}}'''
|-
|-
! 21
! 25
| [[File:Justice P. Sathasivam.jpg|70px]]
| [[File:Justice P. Sathasivam.jpg|70px]]
| {{small|Justice (Retd)}}<br/>'''[[P. Sathasivam]]'''<br/>{{small|(born 1949)}}
| {{small|Justice (Retd)}}<br />'''[[P. Sathasivam]]'''<br />{{small|(born 1949)}}
| [[Tamil Nadu]]
| [[Tamil Nadu]]
| {{small|5 September}}<br/>2014
| {{small|5 September}}<br />2014
| {{small|5 September}}<br/>2019
| {{small|5 September}}<br />2019
| '''{{ayd|5 Sep 2014|5 Sep 2019}}'''
| '''{{ayd|5 Sep 2014|5 Sep 2019}}'''
|-
|-
! 22
! 26
| [[File:Arif Mohammad Khan (cropped).jpg|70px]]
| [[File:Governor Arif Mohammad Khan.jpg|86x86px]]
| '''[[Arif Mohammad Khan]]'''<br/>{{small|(born 1951)}}
| '''[[Arif Mohammad Khan]]'''<br />{{small|(born 1951)}}
| [[Uttar Pradesh]]
| [[Uttar Pradesh]]
| {{small|6 September}}<br/>2019
| {{small|6 September}}<br />2019
| {{small|1 January}}<br/>2025{{ref label|§|§|§}}{{efn-lg|name=BR}}
| {{small|1 January}}<br />2025{{ref label|§|§|§}}{{efn-lg|name=BR}}
| '''{{ayd|6 Sep 2019|1 Jan 2025}}'''
| '''{{ayd|6 Sep 2019|1 Jan 2025}}'''
| [[Ram Nath Kovind]]
| [[Ram Nath Kovind]]
|-
|-
! 23
! 27
| [[File:Rajendra Arlekar, Governor of Kerala.jpg|87x87px]]
| [[File:Rajendra Arlekar.jpg|80x80px]]
| '''[[Rajendra Arlekar]]'''<br/>{{small|(born 1954)}}
| '''[[Rajendra Arlekar]]'''<br />{{small|(born 1954)}}
| [[Goa]]
| [[Goa]]
| {{small|2 January}}<br/>2025
| {{small|2 January}}<br />2025
| Incumbent
| Incumbent
| '''{{ayd|2 Jan 2025}}'''
| '''{{ayd|2 Jan 2025}}'''

Revision as of 00:49, 9 June 2026

Governor of Kerala
Emblem of Kerala
Incumbent
Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar
since 2 January 2025 (2025-01-02)
StyleThe Honourable, His Excellency
ResidenceLok Bhavan, Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram
AppointerPresident of India
Term lengthAt the pleasure of the president
Formation1 November 1956; 69 years ago (1956-11-01)
Websitewww.rajbhavan.kerala.gov.in

The governor of Kerala is the constitutional head of state of the southern Indian state of Kerala. The governor is appointed by the president of India, and holds office at the president's pleasure. The governor is de jure head of the government of Kerala; all its executive actions are taken in the governor's name. The elected council of ministers is headed by the chief minister of Kerala, who thus holds de facto executive authority in the state. The Constitution of India also empowers the governor to act upon their own discretion, such as the ability to appoint or dismiss a ministry, recommend President's rule, or reserve bills for the president's assent.[1]

Since 2 January 2025, Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, is the 28th governor of Kerala.

List

Legend
  • † Died in office
  • § Transferred
  • ‡ Resigned/removed
Color key
  •    indicates acting/additional charge
# Portrait Name
(born – died) 		Home state Tenure in office Appointer
(President)
From To Time in office
1 P. S. Rao
(Acting) 		Andhra Pradesh

1 November
1956

21 November
1956

20 days Rajendra Prasad
2 Burgula Ramakrishna Rao

(1899–1967)

Andhra Pradesh

22 November
1956

1 July
1960[§][lower-greek 1]

3 years, 222 days
3 V. V. Giri

(1894–1980)

Madras Presidency

1 July
1960

2 April
1965[§][lower-greek 2]

4 years, 275 days
4 Ajit Prasad Jain

(1902–1977)

Uttar Pradesh

2 April
1965

6 February
1966[‡]

310 days Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
5 Bhagwan Sahay

ICS (Retd)
(1905–1986)

Uttar Pradesh

6 February
1966

15 May
1967[§][lower-greek 3]

1 year, 98 days
6 V. Viswanathan

ICS (Retd)
(1909–1987)

Kerala

15 May
1967

1 April
1973

5 years, 321 days Zakir Husain
6 N. N. Wanchoo

ICS (Retd)
(1910–1982)

Madhya Pradesh

1 April
1973

10 October
1977[§][lower-greek 4]

4 years, 192 days V. V. Giri
7 Jothi Venkatachalam

(1917–1992)

Tamil Nadu

14 October
1977

27 October
1982

5 years, 13 days Neelam Sanjiva Reddy
8 P. Ramachandran

(1921–2001)

Tamil Nadu

27 October
1982

23 February
1988

5 years, 119 days Zail Singh
9 Ram Dulari Sinha

(1922–1994)

Bihar

23 February
1988

12 February
1990[‡]

1 year, 354 days Ramaswamy Venkataraman
10 Sarup Singh

(1917–2003)

Haryana

12 February
1990

20 December
1990[§][lower-greek 5]

311 days
11 B. Rachaiah

(1922–2000)

Karnataka

20 December
1990

15 April
1995

4 years, 116 days
12 Gopala Ramanujam

(1915–2001)
Governor of Orissa
(Acting)

Tamil Nadu

15 April
1995

30 April
1995

15 days Shankar Dayal Sharma
13 B. Rachaiah

(1922–2000)

Karnataka

1 May
1995

11 November
1995

194 days
14 P. Shiv Shankar

(1929–2017)

Andhra Pradesh

12 November
1995

4 May
1996[‡]

171 days
15 Khurshed Alam Khan

(1919–2013)
Governor of Karnataka
(Additional Charge)

Uttar Pradesh

5 May
1996

25 January
1997

265 days
16

Justice (Retd)
Sukhdev Singh Kang
(1931–2012)

Punjab

25 January
1997

18 April
2002

5 years, 83 days
17 Sikander Bakht

(1918–2004)

National Capital Territory of Delhi

18 April
2002

23 February
2004[†]

1 year, 311 days K. R. Narayanan
18 T. N. Chaturvedi

IAS (Retd)
(1928–2020)
Governor of Karnataka
(Additional Charge)

Uttar Pradesh

25 February
2004

23 June
2004

119 days A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
19 R. L. Bhatia

(1920–2021)

Punjab

23 June
2004

10 July
2008[§][lower-greek 6]

4 years, 17 days
20 R. S. Gavai

(1929–2015)

Maharashtra

11 July
2008

7 September
2011

3 years, 58 days Pratibha Patil
21 M. O. H. Farook

(1937–2012)

Puducherry

8 September
2011

26 January
2012[†]

140 days
22 H. R. Bhardwaj

(1939–2020)
Governor of Karnataka
(Additional Charge)

Punjab

26 January
2012

22 March
2013

1 year, 55 days
23 Nikhil Kumar

IPS (Retd)
(born 1941)

Bihar

23 March
2013

5 March
2014[‡][lower-greek 7]

347 days Pranab Mukherjee
24 Sheila Dikshit

(1938–2019)

National Capital Territory of Delhi

5 March
2014

5 September
2014[‡]

184 days
25

Justice (Retd)
P. Sathasivam
(born 1949)

Tamil Nadu

5 September
2014

5 September
2019

5 years, 0 days
26 Arif Mohammad Khan

(born 1951)

Uttar Pradesh

6 September
2019

1 January
2025[§][lower-greek 6]

5 years, 117 days Ram Nath Kovind
27 Rajendra Arlekar

(born 1954)

Goa

2 January
2025

Incumbent 1 year, 299 days Droupadi Murmu
  1. ↑ Transferred as the Governor of Uttar Pradesh
  2. ↑ Transferred as the Governor of Mysore State
  3. ↑ Transferred as the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir
  4. ↑ Transferred as the Governor of Madhya Pradesh
  5. ↑ Transferred as the Governor of Gujarat
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Transferred as the Governor of Bihar
  7. ↑ Resigned to contest in the 2014 general election

See also

External links

Oath

“I, A. B., do swear in the name of God/solemly affirm that I will faithfully execute the office of Governor (or discharge the functions of the Governor) of .............(name of the State) and will to the best of my ability preserve, protect and defend the Constitution and the law and that I will devote myself to the service and well-being of the people of ..………(name of the State).”

References

  1. ↑ Durga Das Basu. Introduction to the Constitution of India. 1960. 20th edition, 2011 reprint. LexisNexis Butterworths Wadhwa Nagpur. ISBN 978-81-8038-559-9. p. 237, 241–44. Note: although the text talks about Indian state governments in general, it applies for the specific case of Kerala as well.
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