Arif Mohammad Khan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Arif Mohammad Khan
30th Governor of Bihar
Incumbent
Assumed office 2 January 2025 (2025-01-02)
Chief Minister	Nitish Kumar
Preceded by	Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar
22nd Governor of Kerala
In office 6 September 2019 – 2 January 2025
Chief Minister	Pinarayi Vijayan
Preceded by	P. Sathasivam
Succeeded by	Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar
23rd Union Minister of Civil Aviation
In office 6 December 1989 – 10 November 1990
Prime Minister	V. P. Singh
Preceded by	Shivraj Patil
Succeeded by	Harmohan Dhawan
Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
In office 1980 (1980)–1984 (1984)
Preceded by	Manohar Lal
Succeeded by	Naresh Chander Chaturvedi
Constituency	Kanpur
In office 1984 (1984)–1991 (1991)
Preceded by	Maulana Saiyad Muzaffar Hussain
Succeeded by	Rudrasen Chaudhary
Constituency	Bahraich
In office 1998 (1998)–1999 (1999)
Preceded by	Padamsen Chaudhary
Succeeded by	Padamsen Chaudhary
Constituency	Bahraich
Personal details
Born	(1951-11-18) 18 November 1951 (age 73) Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh, India
Nationality	India
Political party	Bharatiya Janata Party
Spouse	Reshma Arif
Residence	Raj Bhavan, Patna

Arif Mohammad Khan (born 18 November 1951) is an important Indian politician. He is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Currently, he serves as the Governor of Bihar. Before this, he was the Governor of Kerala. He has also been a Union Minister, holding various important roles in the government.

Early Life and Education

Arif Mohammad Khan was born on 18 November 1951 in Bulandshahr, India. He went to school at Jamia Millia School in Delhi. He also studied at Aligarh Muslim University and Shia College at the University of Lucknow. His younger brother is Ex-MLA Asif Muhammad Khan.

Political Journey

Khan began his political journey as a student leader. He was the President of the Aligarh Muslim University Students' Union in 1972-73. He also served as its honorary Secretary a year earlier. In 1977, at the age of 26, he became a member of the legislative assembly in Uttar Pradesh.

Khan joined the Indian National Congress party. He was elected to the Lok Sabha (India's lower house of Parliament) in 1980 and again in 1984. In 1986, he left the Indian National Congress. This was because he disagreed with a new law about Muslim personal matters. He believed the law was unfair to divorced Muslim women. He felt women should receive support after divorce.

After leaving, Khan joined the Janata Dal party. He was re-elected to the Lok Sabha in 1989. During the Janata Dal government, he served as a Union Minister. He was in charge of areas like Civil Aviation and Energy. He later joined the Bahujan Samaj Party and was elected to the Lok Sabha again in 1998. In 2004, he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The BJP later appointed him as the Governor of Kerala. He was then appointed as the Governor of Bihar.

Views on Society

Arif Mohammad Khan has always supported making positive changes within Muslim society. He believes in equal rights for women. He resigned from his minister position in 1986. This was to protest a government decision regarding a case about divorced Muslim women. He supported the Supreme Court's decision in the Shah Bano case. This decision aimed to ensure divorced Muslim women received financial support.

Khan has also spoken against "triple talaq." This is a quick way some Muslim men used to divorce their wives. He believes it is unfair to women. He also supports women's freedom to choose their attire. He believes women should be able to participate fully in all parts of society.

Current Work

Arif Mohammad Khan has been writing since his student days. He wrote a popular book in 2010. It is called Text and Context: Quran and Contemporary Challenges. Today, he writes articles and columns about Islam and Sufism. He has also supported the idea of giving divorced Muslim women the right to financial support.

Governor of Kerala (2019 - 2024)

On 1 September 2019, Arif Mohammad Khan was appointed the Governor of Kerala. He officially took office on 6 September 2019. He served as Governor until 24 December 2024. During his time, there were some disagreements with the state government. These were mainly about appointing university leaders. When he left office, the Chief Minister and cabinet ministers did not attend his farewell.

Governor of Bihar (2024-Present)

On 24 December 2024, the President of India appointed Khan as the Governor of Bihar.

See Also

• Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act 1986
• Mohd. Ahmed Khan v. Shah Bano Begum
• Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi
• Syed Zafar Islam
• Tahir Aslam Gora
• Tarek Fatah

Images for kids

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  Arif Mohammad Khan

Sources

• Parliament of India profile