Governor of Indian States
State Emblem of India
Flag of India
StyleHis/Her Excellency
The Honourable
ResidenceLok Bhavan
AppointerPresident of India
Salary₹500,000 (US$5,900)
(incl. allowances) per month

In India, a governor is the constitutional head of state in each of the Indian states and has powers and functions at the state level similar to those of the President of India at the central level. A governor acts as the constitutional head and takes all their decisions based on the advice of chief minister and their council of ministers.[1]

In India, a lieutenant governor (LG) or administrator is the constitutional head of one of the eight union territories. A lieutenant governor heads the five union territories of Andaman and Nicobar Islands,[2] Ladakh,[3] Jammu and Kashmir,[4] Delhi[5][6] and Puducherry,[7] and an administrator heads the three union territories of Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu and Lakshadweep.

Qualifications, appointment and term of office

Qualifications

Article 157 and Article 158 of the Constitution of India[8] specify eligibility requirements for the post of governor. They are as follows:

A governor:

Traditionally, governors are not appointed to lead the states where they reside, although this is not stipulated in the constitution.

Appointment

The President of India appoints the governor of each State.[9] The factors based on which the candidates are evaluated is not mentioned in the Constitution.[9]

A same person can be appointed as the governor of two or more States.[10]

Term of office

A governor shall stay appointed during the pleasure of the President.[11] This alternative assumption is that they are appointed after the 'council of ministers' advise the President for such appointment. Hence, it is the Central Government that appoints them.[12] They shall remain in office until the expiration of five years from the date on which they were appointed.[11] They shall continue to remain in office even after the expiration of 5 years, until a governor is appointed by the President.[11]

Powers and functions

The primary function of the governor is to preserve, protect and defend the constitution and the law as incorporated in their oath of office under Article 159 of the Indian constitution in the administration of the state affairs.[13] All the governor's actions, recommendations and supervisory powers (Article 167c, Article 200, Article 213, Article 355, etc.) over the executive and legislative entities of a state shall be used to implement the provisions of the Constitution.

Unlike the President of India, the governor has no military or diplomatic powers. However, they possess legislative, executive and judicial powers that are similar to the powers of the President.[14]

A governor has different types of powers:

  1. Executive powers related to administration, appointments and removals,
  2. Legislative powers related to lawmaking and the state legislature, that is State Legislative Assembly (Vidhan Sabha/Saasana Sabha) or State Legislative Council (Vidhan Parishad/Saasana Mandali),
  3. Judicial Powers related to grant of pardons, reprieves, etc. and consultations.
  4. Discretionary powers to be carried out according to the discretion of the governor. The governors of India have similar powers and functions of the state level as those of the president of India at central level.

Executive powers

Legislative powers

Judicial powers

Discretionary powers

Emergency powers

The governor has no role or powers in an emergency situation to meet with the external aggression or armed rebellion as the President[42] unless specifically permitted by the president under articles 160, 356 and 357.[43][17][44]

Emoluments/Payment

Governor & Lieutenant Governor's pay
Date established Designation Salary (per month)
1 February 2018 Governors ₹350,000 (equivalent to ₹470,000 or US$5,500 in 2023)
Lieutenant Governor's ₹225,000 (equivalent to ₹300,000 or US$3,600 in 2023)
Source:[45][46]

Various emoluments, allowances and privileges available to a governor are determined by the Governors (Emoluments, Allowances and Privileges) Act, 1982.[46]

In addition to the monthly salary, the governor and their family is entitled to-

Removal

A governor holds their office till five years, but it can be terminated earlier by two ways:

  1. Dismissal by the president without assigning any reason,[56] at whose pleasure the governor holds office. This alternative assumption is that he/she can be removed if the 'council of ministers' advice the President for such dismissal. Hence, it is the Central Government that can remove him/her.[11] However, it is the duty of the president to dismiss a governor whose acts are upheld by courts as unconstitutional and malafide.[56]
  2. Resignation by the governor.[11]

The Constitution does not lay out any specific reasons for removal of a Governor from their office. However, this power may be used in events like bribery, treason, corruption or/and violation of the constitution.[57]

Under Article 361 of the constitution, governor cannot be summoned for questioning except on their voluntary willingness to testify in the court in support of their controversial deeds though the unconstitutional decisions taken by the governor would be declared invalid by the courts. The case would be decided by the courts based on the facts furnished by the union government for the governor's role.

As clarified by the Supreme Court in the case 'Rameshwar Prasad & Ors vs. Union of India & ANR, though governor cannot be prosecuted and imprisoned during their tenure, the governor can be prosecuted after stepping down from the post for the guilt committed during their term of governorship as declared earlier by the courts.[58]

Analysis of role in Government

While the President of India is "elected", the governor is "selected" by the incumbent central government.[59] That is why there have been many instances when governors appointed by a previous government are removed by an incoming government. The reasons are more political.

The supreme court has ruled that governors should be given security of term, but this is generally not adhered to.[59]

Political observers have described governorship as "plush old age homes" wherein the governor does not stay impartial and act against popular state leaders. In 1984, Congressman Thakur Ram Lal dismissed the N. T. Rama Rao government and allowed N. Bhaskara Rao as chief minister of Andhra Pradesh for 31 days.[60]

In January 2014, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) approached the Union Law Ministry under the UPA Government to record statements of West Bengal governor M. K. Narayanan and Goa Governor Bharat Vir Wanchoo.[61] Their statements were considered vital as Narayanan was National Security Adviser and Wanchoo was Chief of Special Protection Group (SPG) at the time of signing of contract with AgustaWestland. Their views were also considered before Indian Government signed the contract with Agusta Westland. However, Union Law ministry stonewalled CBI probe by rejecting CBI's request to examine them claiming they had 'immunity'.[62]

UPA was defeated in the 2014 general election and with the incoming NDA Government's permission, West Bengal governor M. K. Narayanan became the first ever governor to be questioned by police in a criminal case. The CBI questioned M. K. Narayanan as a "witness" in ₹ 3600-crore 2013 Indian helicopter bribery scandal. The CBI said Goa governor Bharat Vir Wanchoo would be questioned in the same case.[63][64] Arunachal Pradesh governor who is also appointed by the ruling party at the center, has been sacked by the president after the Supreme Court has quashed his unconstitutional acts.[65]

Lt Governor of Delhi Najeeb Jung resigned taking moral responsibility for his unconstitutional role when Supreme Court observed that the elected local government is not an unconstitutional institution without any powers.[66]

Oath

“I ..... (name of the governor/lieutenant governor/administrator-designate), do swear in the name of God/solemnly 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).”

List of current governors

State
(list)
Portrait Officeholder Assumed office
(term length)
Appointed By
Andhra Pradesh
(list)
Syed Abdul Nazeer 24 February 2023
(3 years, 22 days)
Droupadi Murmu
Arunachal Pradesh
(list)
Kaiwalya Trivikram Parnaik 16 February 2023
(3 years, 30 days)
Assam
(list)
Lakshman Acharya 30 July 2024
(1 year, 231 days)
Bihar
(list)
Syed Ata Hasnain 14 March 2026
(4 days)
Chhattisgarh
(list)
Ramen Deka 31 July 2024
(1 year, 230 days)
Goa
(list)
Ashok Gajapathi Raju 26 July 2025
(235 days)
Gujarat
(list)
Acharya Devvrat 22 July 2019
(6 years, 239 days)
Ram Nath Kovind
Haryana
(list)
Ashim Kumar Ghosh 21 July 2025
(240 days)
Droupadi Murmu
Himachal Pradesh
(list)
Kavinder Gupta 10 March 2026
(8 days)
Jharkhand
(list)
Santosh Kumar Gangwar 31 July 2024
(1 year, 230 days)
Karnataka
(list)
Thawar Chand Gehlot 11 July 2021
(4 years, 250 days)
Ram Nath Kovind
Kerala
(list)
Rajendra Arlekar 2 January 2025
(1 year, 75 days)
Droupadi Murmu
Madhya Pradesh
(list)
Mangubhai C. Patel 8 July 2021
(4 years, 253 days)
Ram Nath Kovind
Maharashtra

(list)

Jishnu Dev Varma 10 March 2026
(8 days)
Droupadi Murmu
Manipur
(list)
Ajay Kumar Bhalla 3 January 2025
(1 year, 74 days)
Meghalaya

(list)

C. H. Vijayashankar 30 July 2024
(1 year, 231 days)
Mizoram
(list)
V. K. Singh 16 January 2025
(1 year, 61 days)
Nagaland

(list)

Nand Kishore Yadav 13 March 2026
(5 days)
Odisha
(list)
Kambhampati Hari Babu 3 January 2025
(1 year, 74 days)
Punjab
(list)
Gulab Chand Kataria 31 July 2024
(1 year, 230 days)
Rajasthan
(list)
Haribhau Bagade 31 July 2024
(1 year, 230 days)
Sikkim
(list)
Om Prakash Mathur 31 July 2024
(1 year, 230 days)
Tamil Nadu

(list)

Rajendra Arlekar
(additional charge)
12 March 2026
(6 days)
Telangana

(list)

Shiv Pratap Shukla 11 March 2026
(7 days)
Tripura
(list)
N. Indrasena Reddy 26 October 2023
(2 years, 143 days)
Uttarakhand
(list)
Gurmit Singh 15 September 2021
(4 years, 184 days)
Ram Nath Kovind
Uttar Pradesh
(list)
Anandiben Patel 29 July 2019
(6 years, 232 days)
West Bengal
(list)
R. N. Ravi 12 March 2026
(6 days)
Droupadi Murmu

Records

  1. Syed Ata Hasnain , the Governor of Bihar is the recent- most sworn in officeholder.
  2. Acharya Devvrat, the Governor of Gujarat is currently the longest- serving officeholder.
  3. Kavinder Gupta, the Governor of Himachal Pradesh is the youngest officeholder.
  4. Rajendra Arlekar, the Governor of Kerala is the only officeholder who is also holding additional charge. He is holding additional charge of Governor of Tamil Nadu.
  5. Since 1985, the Governor of Punjab (now Gulab Chand Kataria) is also the ex-officio Administrator of Chandigarh.
  6. Anandiben Patel, the Governor of Uttar Pradesh is the oldest incumbent officeholder.

List of incumbent lieutenant governors

No. Union Territory Portrait Officeholder Took office Term length Appointer
1. Andaman and Nicobar Islands

(list)

Devendra Kumar Joshi 8 October 2017 8 years, 161 days Ram Nath Kovind
2. Delhi

(List)

Taranjit Singh Sandhu 11 March 2026 7 days Droupadi Murmu
3. Jammu and Kashmir (List) Manoj Sinha 7 August 2020 5 years, 223 days Ram Nath Kovind
4. Ladakh

(List)

Vinai Kumar Saxena 13 March 2026 5 days Droupadi Murmu
5. Puducherry

(List)

Kuniyil Kailashnathan 7 August 2024 1 year, 223 days

List of incumbent administrators

No. Union Territory Portrait Officeholder Took office Term length Appointer
1. Chandigarh

(List)

Gulab Chand Kataria 31 July 2024 1 year, 230 days Droupadi Murmu
2. Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu

(List)

Praful Khoda Patel 26 January 2020 6 years, 51 days Ram Nath Kovind
3. Lakshadweep

(List)

Praful Khoda Patel
(additional charge)
5 December 2020 5 years, 103 days

See also

References

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  2. "Lt. Governor - Andaman and Nicobar Islands". Andaman and Nicobar Administration, Govt. of India. 14 June 2023. Archived from the original on 28 January 2023.
  3. "Who is who? - Ladakh Administration". Ladakh Administration - Govt. of India. 14 June 2023.
  4. "Raj Bhawan - Govt. of J&K". Raj Bhawan - Govt. of J&K, India. 14 June 2023.
  5. "Lt. Governor of Delhi". The Lieutenant Governor of Delhi - Govt. of India. 14 June 2023.
  6. "Constitution of India - Art. 239AA" (PDF). Legislative Dept., Govt. of India. May 2022. p. 113. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 June 2023.
  7. "LG Secretariat of Puducherry". LG Secretariat of Puducherry - Govt. of India. 14 June 2023.
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  10. "Clause 6 - Constitution (7th Amendment) Act, 1956" (PDF). E-Gazette - Govt. of India. 1956. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 June 2023.
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  35. T. Ramakrishnan (8 February 2022). "House Will Create History if It Re-Adopts NEET Bill Today". The Hindu.
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  50. "Section 8 - Conveyance". India Code - Govt. of India. 16 June 2023.
  51. "Section 7 - Medical Treatment". India Code - Govt. of India. 16 June 2023.
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  65. Rahul Shrivastava (12 September 2016). "Arunachal Pradesh Governor Jyoti Prasad Rajkhowa Sacked". NDTV. Archived from the original on 13 September 2016.
  66. Ashutosh (28 December 2016). "Najeeb Jung Operated as an Assassin of Democracy". NDTV (Opinion). Archived from the original on 28 December 2016.