List of governors of Kerala: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|None}}
{{Short description|List of Kerala governors}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2019}}
{{Infobox official post
{{Infobox official post
| image =Governor Arif Mohammad Khan.jpg
| image = Rajendra Arlekar, Governor of Kerala.jpg
| imagesize =  
| imagesize =  
| post = Governor of Kerala
| post = Governor of Kerala
| insignia = Government of Kerala Logo.svg
| insignia = Government of Kerala Logo.svg
| insigniasize =  
| insigniasize = 120px
| insigniacaption = [[Emblem of Kerala]]
| insigniacaption = [[Emblem of Kerala]]
| incumbent = [[Arif Mohammad Khan]]
| incumbent = [[Rajendra Arlekar|Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar]]
| incumbentsince = {{Start date|df=yes|2019|9|6}}
| incumbentsince = {{Start date|df=yes|2025|1|2}}
| style = [[The Honourable]], [[His Excellency]]  
| style = [[The Honourable]], [[His Excellency]]
| residence = [[Raj Bhavan (Kerala)|Raj Bhavan, Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram]]
| residence = [[Raj Bhavan (Kerala)|Lok Bhavan, Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram]]
| termlength = Five years
| termlength = [[At His Majesty's pleasure#Derivatives|At the pleasure of the president]]
| formation = {{start date and years ago|df=yes|1956|11|1}}
| formation = {{start date and years ago|df=yes|1956|11|1}}
| appointer = [[President of India]]
| appointer = [[President of India]]
Line 19: Line 19:
| body =  
| body =  
}}  
}}  
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]] for a term of five years, 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. However, the governor must act on the advice of the popularly elected council of ministers, headed by the [[Chief Minister of Kerala]], which thus holds ''[[de facto]]'' executive authority in the state. The [[Constitution of India]] also empowers the governor to act upon his or her 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. Over the years, the exercise of these discretionary powers have given rise to conflict between the elected chief minister and the [[Government of India|central government]]–appointed governor.<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 6 September 2019, [[Arif Mohammad Khan]], is the [[Governor of Kerala]].
Since 2 January 2025, [[Rajendra Arlekar|Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar]], is the 23rd governor of Kerala.


==Governors of Kerala==
==List==


{| class="sortable" width="80%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" border="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 2px #000000 solid"
 
! style="background-color:#666666; color:white" |SL No.
;Legend
! style="background-color:#666666; color:white" |Name
*{{note label|†|†|†}} Died in office
! style="background-color:#666666; color:white" |Portrait
*{{note label|§|§|§}} Transferred
! style="background-color:#666666; color:white" |Took Office
*{{note label|‡|‡|‡}} Resigned/removed
! style="background-color:#666666; color:white" |Left<br> Office
 
;Color key
*{{legend2|wheat}} indicates acting/additional charge
 
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center; border:1px #aaf solid;"
! rowspan="2"| {{abbr|#|Number}}
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable"| Portrait
! rowspan="2" style="width:14em" | Name<br><small>(born{{spaced ndash}}died)</small>
! rowspan="2" style="width:7em" | Home state
! colspan="3"| Tenure in office
! rowspan="2" style="width:7em" | Appointer<br/>(President)
|-
! style="width:7em"| From
! style="width:7em"| To
! style="width:5em"| Time in office
|-
|-
|'''_'''
! {{ndash}}
|P.S. Rao ''(acting)''
| bgcolor="wheat"|[[File:P. S. Rao (cropped).jpg|70px]]
|
| bgcolor="wheat"|'''P. S. Rao'''<br/>(Acting)
| 1 November 1956
| bgcolor="wheat"|[[Andhra Pradesh]]
| 21 November 1956
| bgcolor="wheat"|{{small|1 November}}<br/>1956
| bgcolor="wheat"|{{small|21 November}}<br/>1956
| bgcolor="wheat"|'''{{ayd|1 Nov 1956|21 Nov 1956}}'''
| rowspan="3"| [[Rajendra Prasad]]
|-
|-
|'''1.'''
! 1
| [[Burgula Ramakrishna Rao]]
| [[File:Burgula Ramakrishna Rao, 1952 (cropped).jpg|70px]]
|  
| '''[[Burgula Ramakrishna Rao]]'''<br/>{{small|(1899{{ndash}}1967)}}
| 22 November 1956
| [[Andhra Pradesh]]
| 1 July 1960
| {{small|22 November}}<br/>1956
| {{small|1 July}}<br/>1960{{ref label|§|§|§}}{{efn-lg|Transferred as the [[Governor of Uttar Pradesh]]}}
| '''{{ayd|22 Nov 1956|1 Jul 1960}}'''
|-
|-
|'''2.'''
! 2
| [[V. V. Giri]]
| [[File:President V. V. Giri.jpg|70px]]
|  
| '''[[V. V. Giri]]'''<br/>{{small|(1894{{ndash}}1980)}}
| 1 July 1960
| [[Madras Presidency]]
| 2 April 1965
| {{small|1 July}}<br/>1960
| {{small|2 April}}<br/>1965{{ref label|§|§|§}}{{efn-lg|Transferred as the [[Governor of Tamil Nadu|Governor of Mysore State]]}}
| '''{{ayd|1 Jul 1960|2 Apr 1965}}'''
|-
! 3
| [[File:Ajit Prasad Jain Lok Sabha portrait.gif|70px]]
| '''[[Ajit Prasad Jain]]'''<br/>{{small|(1902{{ndash}}1977)}}
| [[Uttar Pradesh]]
| {{small|2 April}}<br/>1965
| {{small|6 February}}<br/>1966{{ref label|‡|‡|‡}}
| '''{{ayd|2 Apr 1965|6 Feb 1966}}'''
| rowspan="2"| [[Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan]]
|-
! 4
| [[File:Bhagwan Sahay.jpg|70px]]
| '''[[Bhagwan Sahay]]'''<br/>{{small|[[Indian Civil Service|ICS]] (Retd)<br/>(1905{{ndash}}1986)}}
| [[Uttar Pradesh]]
| {{small|6 February}}<br/>1966
| {{small|15 May}}<br/>1967{{ref label|§|§|§}}{{efn-lg|Transferred as the [[Governor of Jammu and Kashmir]]}}
| '''{{ayd|6 Feb 1966|15 May 1967}}'''
|-
|-
|'''3.'''
! 5
| [[Ajith Prasad Jain]]
| [[File:V. Viswanathan.jpg|70px]]
|  
| '''[[V. Viswanathan]]'''<br/>{{small|[[Indian Civil Service|ICS]] (Retd)<br/>(1909{{ndash}}1987)}}
| 2 April 1965
| [[Kerala]]
| 6 February 1966
| {{small|15 May}}<br/>1967
| {{small|1 April}}<br/>1973
| '''{{ayd|15 May 1967|1 Apr 1973}}'''
| [[Zakir Husain]]
|-
|-
|'''4.'''
! 6
| [[Bhagwan Sahay]]
| [[File:N. N. Wanchoo.jpg|70px]]
|  
| '''[[N. N. Wanchoo]]'''<br/>{{small|[[Indian Civil Service|ICS]] (Retd)<br/>(1910{{ndash}}1982)}}
| 6 February 1966
| [[Madhya Pradesh]]
| 15 May 1967
| {{small|1 April}}<br/>1973
| {{small|10 October}}<br/>1977{{ref label|§|§|§}}{{efn-lg|Transferred as the [[Governor of Madhya Pradesh]]}}
| '''{{ayd|1 Apr 1973|10 Oct 1977}}'''
| [[V. V. Giri]]
|-
|-
|'''5.'''
! 7
| [[V. Viswanathan]]
| [[File:Jothi Venkatachalam.jpg|70px]]
|  
| '''[[Jothi Venkatachalam]]'''<br/>{{small|(1917{{ndash}}1992)}}
| 15 May 1967
| [[Tamil Nadu]]
| 1 April 1973
| {{small|14 October}}<br/>1977
| {{small|27 October}}<br/>1982
| '''{{ayd|14 Oct 1977|27 Oct 1982}}'''
| [[Neelam Sanjiva Reddy]]
|-
|-
|'''6.'''
! 8
| [[N. N. Wanchoo]]
| [[File:P. Ramachandran.jpg|70px]]
|  
| '''[[P. Ramachandran]]'''<br/>{{small|(1921{{ndash}}2001)}}
| 1 April 1973
| [[Tamil Nadu]]
| 10 October 1977
| {{small|27 October}}<br/>1982
| {{small|23 February}}<br/>1988
| '''{{ayd|27 Oct 1982|23 Feb 1988}}'''
| [[Zail Singh]]
|-
|-
|'''7.'''
! 9
| [[Jothi Venkatachalam]]
| [[File:Ram Dulari Sinha official portrait.gif|70px]]
|  
| '''[[Ram Dulari Sinha]]'''<br/>{{small|(1922{{ndash}}1994)}}
| 14 October 1977
| [[Bihar]]
| 27 October 1982
| {{small|23 February}}<br/>1988
| {{small|12 February}}<br/>1990{{ref label|‡|‡|‡}}
| '''{{ayd|23 Feb 1988|12 Feb 1990}}'''
| rowspan="3"| [[Ramaswamy Venkataraman]]
|-
|-
|'''8.'''
! 10
| [[P. Ramachandran]]
| [[File:Sarup Singh Rajya Sabha photo.jpg|70px]]
|  
| '''[[Sarup Singh]]'''<br/>{{small|(1917{{ndash}}2003)}}
| 27 October 1982
| [[Haryana]]
| 23 February 1988
| {{small|12 February}}<br/>1990
| {{small|20 December}}<br/>1990{{ref label|§|§|§}}{{efn-lg|Transferred as the [[Governor of Gujarat]]}}
| '''{{ayd|12 Feb 1990|20 Dec 1990}}'''
|-
|-
|'''9.'''
! 11
| [[Ram Dulari Sinha]]
| [[File:B. Rachaiah Lok Sabha photo.jpg|70px]]
|
| '''[[B. Rachaiah]]'''<br/>{{small|(1922{{ndash}}2000)}}
| 23 February 1988
| [[Karnataka]]
| 12 February 1990
| {{small|20 December}}<br/>1990
| {{small|15 April}}<br/>1995
| '''{{ayd|20 Dec 1990|15 Apr 1995}}'''
|-
|-
|'''10.'''
! -
| [[Swaroop Singh|Dr. Sarup Singh]]
| bgcolor="wheat"| [[File:Gopala Ramanujam.jpg|70px]]
|  
| bgcolor="wheat"| '''[[Gopala Ramanujam]]'''<br/>{{small|(1915{{ndash}}2001)<br/>Governor of Orissa}}<br/>(Acting)
| 12 February 1990
| bgcolor="wheat"| [[Tamil Nadu]]
| 20 December 1990
| bgcolor="wheat"| {{small|15 April}}<br/>1995
| bgcolor="wheat"| {{small|30 April}}<br/>1995
| bgcolor="wheat"| '''{{ayd|15 Apr 1995|30 Apr 1995}}'''
| rowspan="5"| [[Shankar Dayal Sharma]]
|-
|-
|'''11.'''
! 12
| [[B. Rachaiah]]
| [[File:B. Rachaiah Lok Sabha photo.jpg|70px]]
|  
| '''[[B. Rachaiah]]'''<br/>{{small|(1922{{ndash}}2000)}}
| 20 December 1990
| [[Karnataka]]
| 9 November 1995
| {{small|1 May}}<br/>1995
| {{small|11 November}}<br/>1995
| '''{{ayd|1 May 1995|11 Nov 1995}}'''
|-
|-
|'''_'''
! 13
|[[Gopala Ramanujam|Gopal Ramanujam]] ''(additional charge)''
| [[File:P. Shiv Shankar (cropped).jpg|70px]]
|
| '''[[P. Shiv Shankar]]'''<br/>{{small|(1929{{ndash}}2017)}}
|20 April 1995
| [[Andhra Pradesh]]
|29 April 1995
| {{small|12 November}}<br/>1995
| {{small|4 May}}<br/>1996{{ref label|‡|‡|‡}}
| '''{{ayd|12 Nov 1995|1 May 1996}}'''
|- bgcolor="wheat"
! -
| [[File:Khurshed Alam Khan (cropped).jpg|70px]]
| '''[[Khurshed Alam Khan]]'''<br/>{{small|(1919{{ndash}}2013)<br/>Governor of Karnataka}}<br/>(Additional Charge)
| [[Uttar Pradesh]]
| {{small|5 May}}<br/>1996
| {{small|25 January}}<br/>1997
| '''{{ayd|5 May 1996|25 Jan 1997}}'''
|-
|-
|'''12.'''
! 14
| [[P. Shiv Shankar]]
| [[File:Justice Sukhdev Singh Kang.jpg|70px]]
|  
| {{small|Justice (Retd)}}<br/>'''[[Sukhdev Singh Kang]]'''<br/>{{small|(1931{{ndash}}2012)}}
| 12 November 1995
| [[Punjab, India|Punjab]]
| 1 May 1996
| {{small|25 January}}<br/>1997
| {{small|29 February}}<br/>2000
| '''{{ayd|25 Jan 1997|29 Feb 2000}}'''
|-
|-
|'''13.'''
! -
| [[Khurshid Alam Khan]]
| 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)
| 5 May 1996
| bgcolor="wheat"| [[Tamil Nadu]]
| 25 January 1997
| 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]]
|-
|-
|rowspan=3 |'''_'''
! (14)
|rowspan=3 |[[Dr. C. Rangarajan]] ''(additional charge)''
| [[File:Justice Sukhdev Singh Kang.jpg|70px]]
|rowspan=3 |
| {{small|Justice (Retd)}}<br/>'''[[Sukhdev Singh Kang]]'''<br/>{{small|(1931{{ndash}}2012)}}
|29 February 2000
| [[Punjab, India|Punjab]]
|23 April 2000
| {{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}}'''
|-
|-
|19 October 2000
! (14)
|7 November 2000
| [[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}}'''
|-
|-
|16 February 2002
! (14)
|28 February 2002
| [[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)
| [[Mohammed Fazal]] ''(additional charge)''
| [[File:Justice Sukhdev Singh Kang.jpg|70px]]
|
| {{small|Justice (Retd)}}<br/>'''[[Sukhdev Singh Kang]]'''<br/>{{small|(1931{{ndash}}2012)}}
|14 September 2001
| [[Punjab, India|Punjab]]
|28 September 2001
| {{small|28 February}}<br/>2002
| {{small|18 April}}<br/>2002
| '''{{ayd|28 Feb 2002|18 Apr 2002}}'''
|-
|-
|'''14.'''
! 15
| [[Sukhdev Singh Kang|Justice Sukhdev Singh Kang]]
| [[File:Sikander Bakht Lok Sabha photo.jpg|70px]]
|  
| '''[[Sikander Bakht]]'''<br/>{{small|(1918{{ndash}}2004)}}
| 25 January 1997
| [[National Capital Territory of Delhi]]
| 18 April 2002
| {{small|18 April}}<br/>2002
| {{small|23 February}}<br/>2004{{ref label|†|†|†}}
| '''{{ayd|18 Apr 2002|23 Feb 2004}}'''
|-
|-
|'''15.'''
! -
| [[Sikander Bakht]]
| 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)
| 18 April 2002
| bgcolor="wheat"| [[Uttar Pradesh]]
| 23 February 2004
| bgcolor="wheat"| {{small|25 February}}<br/>2004
| bgcolor="wheat"| {{small|23 June}}<br/>2004
| bgcolor="wheat"| '''{{ayd|25 Feb 2004|23 Jun 2004}}'''
| rowspan="2"| [[A. P. J. Abdul Kalam]]
|-
|-
|'''_'''
! 16
| [[T. N. Chaturvedi]] ''(additional charge after the death of Sikander Bakht)''
| [[File:R. L. Bhatia.jpg|70px]]
|  
| '''[[R. L. Bhatia]]'''<br/>{{small|(1920{{ndash}}2021)}}
|   25 February 2004
| [[Punjab, India|Punjab]]
| 23 June 2004
| {{small|23 June}}<br/>2004
| {{small|10 July}}<br/>2008{{ref label|§|§|§}}{{efn-lg|name=BR|Transferred as the [[Governor of Bihar]]}}
| '''{{ayd|23 Jun 2004|10 Jul 2008}}'''
|-
|-
|'''16.'''
! 17
| [[R. L. Bhatia]]
| [[File:R. S. Gavai.jpg|70px]]
|  
| '''[[R. S. Gavai]]'''<br/>{{small|(1929{{ndash}}2015)}}
| 23 June 2004
| [[Maharashtra]]
| 10 July 2008
| {{small|11 July}}<br/>2008
| {{small|7 September}}<br/>2011
| '''{{ayd|11 Jul 2008|7 Sep 2011}}'''
| rowspan="3"| [[Pratibha Patil]]
|-
|-
|'''17.'''
! 18
| [[R. S. Gavai]]
| [[File:M. O. H. Farook.jpg|70px]]
|  
| '''[[M. O. H. Farook]]'''<br/>{{small|(1937{{ndash}}2012)}}
| 11 July 2008
| [[Puducherry (union territory)|Puducherry]]
| 7 September 2011
| {{small|8 September}}<br/>2011
| {{small|26 January}}<br/>2012{{ref label|†|†|†}}
| '''{{ayd|8 Sep 2011|26 Jan 2012}}'''
|- bgcolor="wheat"
! -
| [[File:Hans Raj Bhardwaj.png|70px]]
| '''[[H. R. Bhardwaj]]'''<br/>{{small|(1939{{ndash}}2020)<br/>Governor of Karnataka}}<br/>(Additional Charge)
| [[Punjab, India|Punjab]]
| {{small|26 January}}<br/>2012
| {{small|22 March}}<br/>2013
| '''{{ayd|26 Jan 2012|22 Mar 2013}}'''
|-
|-
|'''18.'''
! 19
| [[M. O. H. Farook]]
| [[File:Nikhil Kumar Nagaland Governor (cropped).jpg|70px]]
|
| '''[[Nikhil Kumar (governor)|Nikhil Kumar]]'''<br/>{{small|[[Indian Police Service|IPS]] (Retd)<br/>(born 1941)}}
| 8 September 2011
| [[Bihar]]
| 26 January 2012
| {{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]]}}
| '''{{ayd|23 Mar 2013|5 Mar 2014}}'''
| rowspan="3"| [[Pranab Mukherjee]]
|-
|-
|'''—'''
! 20
|[[Hansraj Bhardwaj]] ''(additional charge after the death of M.O.H. Farook)''
| [[File:Sheila Dikshit Ji.jpg|70px]]
|
| '''[[Sheila Dikshit]]'''<br/>{{small|(1938{{ndash}}2019)}}
| 26 January 2012
| [[National Capital Territory of Delhi]]
| 22 March 2013
| {{small|5 March}}<br/>2014
| {{small|5 September}}<br/>2014{{ref label|‡|‡|‡}}
| '''{{ayd|5 Mar 2014|5 Sep 2014}}'''
|-
|-
|'''19.'''
! 21
| [[Nikhil Kumar]]  
| [[File:Justice P. Sathasivam.jpg|70px]]
|
| {{small|Justice (Retd)}}<br/>'''[[P. Sathasivam]]'''<br/>{{small|(born 1949)}}
| 23 March 2013
| [[Tamil Nadu]]
| 5 March 2014
| {{small|5 September}}<br/>2014
| {{small|5 September}}<br/>2019
| '''{{ayd|5 Sep 2014|5 Sep 2019}}'''
|-
|-
|'''20.'''
! 22
| [[Sheila Dikshit]]
| [[File:Arif Mohammad Khan (cropped).jpg|70px]]
|  
| '''[[Arif Mohammad Khan]]'''<br/>{{small|(born 1951)}}
|   5 March 2014
| [[Uttar Pradesh]]
| 26 August 2014
| {{small|6 September}}<br/>2019
| {{small|1 January}}<br/>2025{{ref label|§|§|§}}{{efn-lg|name=BR}}
| '''{{ayd|6 Sep 2019|1 Jan 2025}}'''
| [[Ram Nath Kovind]]
|-
|-
|'''21.'''
! 23
| [[P Sathasivam]]
| [[File:Rajendra Arlekar, Governor of Kerala.jpg|87x87px]]
|  
| '''[[Rajendra Arlekar]]'''<br/>{{small|(born 1954)}}
|   5 September 2014
| [[Goa]]
| 5 September 2019
| {{small|2 January}}<br/>2025
| Incumbent
| '''{{ayd|2 Jan 2025}}'''
| [[Droupadi Murmu]]
|-
|-
|'''22.'''
| [[Arif Mohammad Khan]]
|
| 6 September 2019
|''Incumbent''
|}
|}
{{reflist|group=lower-greek}}


==See also==
==See also==
Line 214: Line 359:
==External links==
==External links==
* [http://niyamasabha.org/codes/ginfo_4.htm Governors of Kerala]
* [http://niyamasabha.org/codes/ginfo_4.htm Governors of Kerala]
== 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==
==References==

Revision as of 19:58, 9 March 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 23rd 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
– P. S. Rao
(Acting) 		Andhra Pradesh 1 November
1956 		21 November
1956 		20 days Rajendra Prasad
1 Burgula Ramakrishna Rao
(1899–1967) 		Andhra Pradesh 22 November
1956 		1 July
1960[§]Template:Efn-lg 		3 years, 222 days
2 V. V. Giri
(1894–1980) 		Madras Presidency 1 July
1960 		2 April
1965[§]Template:Efn-lg 		4 years, 275 days
3 Ajit Prasad Jain
(1902–1977) 		Uttar Pradesh 2 April
1965 		6 February
1966[‡] 		310 days Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
4 Bhagwan Sahay
ICS (Retd)
(1905–1986) 		Uttar Pradesh 6 February
1966 		15 May
1967[§]Template:Efn-lg 		1 year, 98 days
5 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[§]Template:Efn-lg 		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[§]Template:Efn-lg 		311 days
11 B. Rachaiah
(1922–2000) 		Karnataka 20 December
1990 		15 April
1995 		4 years, 116 days
- Gopala Ramanujam
(1915–2001)
Governor of Orissa
(Acting) 		Tamil Nadu 15 April
1995 		30 April
1995 		15 days Shankar Dayal Sharma
12 B. Rachaiah
(1922–2000) 		Karnataka 1 May
1995 		11 November
1995 		194 days
13 P. Shiv Shankar
(1929–2017) 		Andhra Pradesh 12 November
1995 		4 May
1996[‡] 		171 days
- Khurshed Alam Khan
(1919–2013)
Governor of Karnataka
(Additional Charge) 		Uttar Pradesh 5 May
1996 		25 January
1997 		265 days
14 Justice (Retd)
Sukhdev Singh Kang
(1931–2012) 		Punjab 25 January
1997 		29 February
2000 		3 years, 35 days
- C. Rangarajan
(born 1932)
Governor of Andhra Pradesh
(Acting) 		Tamil Nadu 29 February
2000 		23 April
2000 		54 days K. R. Narayanan
(14) Justice (Retd)
Sukhdev Singh Kang
(1931–2012) 		Punjab 23 April
2000 		19 October
2000 		179 days
- C. Rangarajan
(born 1932)
Governor of Andhra Pradesh
(Acting) 		Tamil Nadu 19 October
2000 		7 November
2000 		19 days
(14) Justice (Retd)
Sukhdev Singh Kang
(1931–2012) 		Punjab 7 November
2000 		14 September
2001 		311 days
- Mohammed Fazal
(1922–2014)
Governor of Goa
(Acting) 		Uttar Pradesh 14 September
2001 		28 September
2001 		14 days
(14) Justice (Retd)
Sukhdev Singh Kang
(1931–2012) 		Punjab 28 September
2001 		16 February
2002 		141 days
- C. Rangarajan
(born 1932)
Governor of Andhra Pradesh
(Acting) 		Tamil Nadu 16 February
2002 		28 February
2002 		12 days
(14) Justice (Retd)
Sukhdev Singh Kang
(1931–2012) 		Punjab 28 February
2002 		18 April
2002 		49 days
15 Sikander Bakht
(1918–2004) 		National Capital Territory of Delhi 18 April
2002 		23 February
2004[†] 		1 year, 311 days
- 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
16 R. L. Bhatia
(1920–2021) 		Punjab 23 June
2004 		10 July
2008[§]Template:Efn-lg 		4 years, 17 days
17 R. S. Gavai
(1929–2015) 		Maharashtra 11 July
2008 		7 September
2011 		3 years, 58 days Pratibha Patil
18 M. O. H. Farook
(1937–2012) 		Puducherry 8 September
2011 		26 January
2012[†] 		140 days
- H. R. Bhardwaj
(1939–2020)
Governor of Karnataka
(Additional Charge) 		Punjab 26 January
2012 		22 March
2013 		1 year, 55 days
19 Nikhil Kumar
IPS (Retd)
(born 1941) 		Bihar 23 March
2013 		5 March
2014[‡]Template:Efn-lg 		347 days Pranab Mukherjee
20 Sheila Dikshit
(1938–2019) 		National Capital Territory of Delhi 5 March
2014 		5 September
2014[‡] 		184 days
21 Justice (Retd)
P. Sathasivam
(born 1949) 		Tamil Nadu 5 September
2014 		5 September
2019 		5 years, 0 days
22 File:Arif Mohammad Khan (cropped).jpg Arif Mohammad Khan
(born 1951) 		Uttar Pradesh 6 September
2019 		1 January
2025[§]Template:Efn-lg 		5 years, 117 days Ram Nath Kovind
23 Rajendra Arlekar
(born 1954) 		Goa 2 January
2025 		Incumbent 1 year, 219 days Droupadi Murmu

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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