List of governors of Tamil Nadu facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Governor of Tamil Nadu |
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Emblem of Tamil Nadu
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| Style | His Excellency |
| Reports to | President of India Government of India |
| Residence |
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| Appointer | President of India |
| Term length | At the pleasure of the President
Renewable
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| Inaugural holder | Archibald Edward Nye (1946–1948) |
| Formation | 6 May 1946 |
| Salary | ₹350,000 (US$6,000) (per month) |
The Governor of Tamil Nadu is like the main representative of the President of India in the state of Tamil Nadu. Think of them as the ceremonial head of the state, similar to how the President is the ceremonial head of the whole country.
Governors are chosen by the President of India. They usually come from outside the state they are appointed to. Even though the Governor is the official head, the real power to make decisions and run the state belongs to the Chief Minister and their team of ministers.
The person currently serving as the Governor of Tamil Nadu is R. N. Ravi. He started his term on September 18, 2021.
Contents
What Does a Governor Do?
The Governor has several important jobs and powers. These can be grouped into three main types:
- Executive powers: These are about managing the state's government. The Governor makes appointments and can remove certain officials.
- Legislative powers: These relate to making laws. The Governor plays a role in the state's lawmaking body, like the Vidhan Sabha (State Assembly).
- Discretionary powers: These are special powers the Governor can use on their own, especially in certain situations not clearly covered by rules.
A Look Back: Governors of Tamil Nadu
From Madras Presidency to Tamil Nadu
Before Tamil Nadu became the state we know today, it was part of a much larger area called the Madras Presidency. This was a big province under British rule, starting way back in 1653. It included parts of what are now Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka.
After India gained its independence in 1947, the Madras Presidency became the Madras State. This new state still included parts of present-day Karnataka and Kerala. Later, on January 14, 1969, Madras State was officially renamed Tamil Nadu, which means "Tamil country" in the Tamil language.
Since then, the Governor's role has been to serve as the state's official head, working with the Chief Minister and their Council of Ministers to govern the state.
Governors of Tamil Nadu (Since 1969)
Here is a list of the Governors who have served Tamil Nadu since it got its current name:
| No. | Name
(Birth–Death) |
Portrait | Home state | Term of office | Previous post | Appointed by | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assumed office | Left office | Time in office | ||||||
| 1 | Ujjal Singh (1895–1983) |
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Punjab | 14 January 1969 | 25 May 1971 | 2 years, 131 days | Governor of Punjab | Zakir Hussain |
| 2 | K. K. Shah (1908–1986) |
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Gujarat | 26 May 1971 | 15 June 1976 | 5 years, 20 days | – | Varahagiri Venkata Giri |
| 3 | Mohan Lal Sukhadia (1916–1982) |
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Rajasthan | 16 June 1976 | 8 April 1977 | 296 days | Governor of Andhra Pradesh | Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed |
| - | P. Govindan Nair (Unknown–Unknown)(Acting) |
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Kerala | 9 April 1977 | 26 April 1977 | 17 days | – | B. D. Jatti (Acting President) |
| 4 | Prabhudas B. Patwari (1909–1985) |
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Gujarat | 27 April 1977 | 26 October 1980 | 3 years, 182 days | Indian Lawyer | |
| - | M. M. Ismail (1921–2005) (Acting) |
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Tamil Nadu | 27 October 1980 | 3 November 1980 | 37 days | Chief Justice of Madras High Court | Neelam Sanjiva Reddy |
| 5 | Sadiq Ali (1910–2001) |
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Rajasthan | 4 November 1980 | 2 September 1982 | 1 year, 302 days | Governor of Maharashtra | |
| 6 | S. L. Khurana (1918–2007) |
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National Capital Territory of Delhi | 3 September 1982 | 16 February 1988 | 5 years, 166 days | Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry | Giani Zail Singh |
| 7 | P. C. Alexander (1921–2011) |
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Kerala | 17 February 1988 | 23 May 1990 | 2 years, 95 days | I.A.S. Officer | R. Venkataraman |
| 8 | Surjit Singh Barnala (1925–2017) |
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Haryana | 24 May 1990 | 14 February 1991 | 266 days | Chief Minister of Punjab | |
| 9 | Bhishma Narain Singh (1933–2018) |
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Rajasthan | 15 February 1991 | 30 May 1993 | 2 years, 104 days | Governor of Assam | |
| 10 | M. Channa Reddy (1919–1996) |
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Andhra Pradesh | 31 May 1993 | 2 December 1996 | 3 years, 185 days | Governor of Rajasthan | Shanker Dayal Sharma |
| – | Krishan Kant (1927–2002) (Acting) |
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Punjab | 2 December 1996 | 24 January 1997 | 53 days | Governor of Andhra Pradesh | |
| 11 | M. Fathima Beevi (1927–2023) |
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Kerala | 25 January 1997 | 2 July 2001 | 4 years, 158 days | Judge of the Supreme Court of India | |
| - | C. Rangarajan (1932-) (Acting) |
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Tamil Nadu | 3 July 2001 | 17 January 2002 | 198 days | Governor of the Reserve Bank of India | K. R. Narayanan |
| 12 | P. S. Ramamohan Rao (1934-) |
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Andhra Pradesh | 18 January 2002 | 2 November 2004 | 2 years, 289 days | Director General of Andhra Pradesh Police | A. P. J. Abdul Kalam |
| (8) | Surjit Singh Barnala (1925–2017) |
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Haryana | 3 November 2004 | 30 August 2011 | 6 years, 300 days | Governor of Andhra Pradesh | |
| 13 | Konijeti Rosaiah (1933–2021) |
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Andhra Pradesh | 31 August 2011 | 1 September 2016 | 5 years, 1 day | Chief minister of Andhra Pradesh | Pratibha Devisingh Patil |
| – | C. Vidyasagar Rao (1942–) |
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Andhra Pradesh | 2 September 2016 | 5 October 2017 | 1 year, 33 days | Governor of Maharashtra | Pranab Mukherjee |
| 14 | Banwarilal Purohit (1939–) |
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Rajasthan | 6 October 2017 | 17 September 2021 | 3 years, 346 days | Governor of Assam | Ram Nath Kovind |
| 15 | R. N. Ravi (1952–) |
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Bihar | 18 September 2021 | Incumbent | 3 years, 268 days | Governor of Nagaland | |
- Graphical Timeline of Governors of Tamil Nadu
Interesting Facts About Governors
- Surjit Singh Barnala is the only Governor who served two separate times in office. His terms were from May 24, 1990, to February 15, 1991, and again from November 3, 2004, to August 31, 2011.
- The longest time a Governor served was also by Surjit Singh Barnala, for almost six and a half years during his second term.
- The shortest time an acting Governor served was M. M. Ismail, for just nine days, from October 27, 1980, to November 4, 1980.
- The longest time someone served as an additional (temporary) in-charge Governor was C. Vidyasagar Rao, for 1 year, 1 month, and 4 days.
See also
- Governors of India
- History of Tamil Nadu
- List of chief ministers of Tamil Nadu
- List of colonial governors and presidents of Madras Presidency
Images for kids
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William Thomas Denison, who served twice as Governor of Madras Presidency.
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George Freeman Freeman-Thomas, Baron Willingdon.
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Lieutenant-General Sir Archibald Edward Nye.
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Sri Prakasa.
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Bhishnuram Medhi.
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Maharaja Sir Jayachamaraja Wodeyar Bahadur.
