| Governor of Kerala | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Style | The Honourable, His Excellency |
| Residence | Lok Bhavan, Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram |
| Appointer | President of India |
| Term length | At the pleasure of the president |
| Formation | 1 November 1956 |
| Website | www |
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[edit | edit source]
- Legend
- Color key
- indicates acting/additional charge
| # | Portrait | Name (born – died) |
Home state | Tenure in office | Appointer (President) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| From | To | Time in office | |||||
| 1 | .jpg)
|
P. S. Rao (Acting) |
Andhra Pradesh | 1 November 1956 |
21 November 1956 |
20 days | Rajendra Prasad |
| 2 | .jpg)
|
Burgula Ramakrishna Rao (1899–1967) |
Andhra Pradesh | 22 November 1956 |
1 July 1960[§]Template:Efn-lg |
3 years, 222 days | |
| 3 | 
|
V. V. Giri (1894–1980) |
Madras Presidency | 1 July 1960 |
2 April 1965[§]Template:Efn-lg |
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[§]Template:Efn-lg |
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[§]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 | |
| 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 | .jpg)
|
P. Shiv Shankar (1929–2017) |
Andhra Pradesh | 12 November 1995 |
4 May 1996[‡] |
171 days | |
| 15 | .jpg)
|
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[§]Template:Efn-lg |
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 | .jpg)
|
Nikhil Kumar IPS (Retd) (born 1941) |
Bihar | 23 March 2013 |
5 March 2014[‡]Template:Efn-lg |
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[§]Template:Efn-lg |
5 years, 117 days | Ram Nath Kovind |
| 27 | 
|
Rajendra Arlekar (born 1954) |
Goa | 2 January 2025 |
Incumbent | 1 year, 205 days | Droupadi Murmu |
See also[edit | edit source]
External links[edit | edit source]
Oath[edit | edit source]
“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[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 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.
