Governor of Rajasthan: History, List, Important Facts

Governor of Rajasthan: History, List, Important Facts is an important topic under Rajasthan Polity that explains the evolution of the office of the Governor in the state. It covers the historical background, list of Governors, and key facts related to their tenure and role. Understanding this topic helps in analyzing constitutional governance, administrative continuity, and the role of the Governor in Rajasthan.

Governor of Rajasthan

• After India’s independence on 15 August 1947, the India (Provisional Constitution) Order, 1947, in accordance with the Instrument of Accession provisions of the Government of India Act, 1935, unified the 19 princely states and 3 estates of Rajputana.
• This integration was completed in 7 phases.
• On 30 March 1949, at the time of formation of the fourth phase of unification of Rajasthan (Greater Rajasthan), Maharaja Sawai Mansingh of Jaipur was appointed Rajpramukh.
• He was the only Rajpramukh of Rajasthan. On January 26, 1950, Rajasthan became a ‘B’ category state. During this period, the post of Rajpramukh was
• Based on the recommendations of the States Reorganisation Commission, Rajasthan was included in the category of state on 1 November 1956.
• With the 7th Constitutional Amendment, 1956, the post of Rajpramukh was abolished in Rajasthan and the post of Governor was created.
• Shri Gurmukh Nihal Singh was appointed the first Governor of Rajasthan on 25 October 1956.
• He assumed office on 1 November 1956.

President’s rule was imposed four times in Rajasthan

List of Governors of Rajasthan

S. No.	Name of the Governor	tenure	the then Chief Minister
1	Rajpramukh Sawai Shri Mansingh	30.03.1949 – 31.10.1956	Tikaram Paliwal (03-03-1952 to 31-10-1952)Jayanarayan Vyas (01-11-1952 to 12-11-1954)Mohan Lal Sukhadia (13-11-1954 to 09-07-1971)
2	Sardar Shri. Gurmukh Nihal Singh	01.11.1956 – 15.04.1962	Mohan Lal Sukhadia
3	Dr. Sampurnanand	16.04.1962 – 15.04.1967	Mohan Lal Sukhadia
4	Sardar Shri Hukum Singh	16.04.1967 – 19.11.1970	Mohan Lal Sukhadia
5	Justice Jagat Narayan (Acting)	20.11.1970 – 23.12.1970	Mohan Lal Sukhadia
6	Sardar Shri Hukum Singh	24.12.1970 – 30.06.1972	Mohan Lal SukhadiaBarkatullah Khan (09-07-1971 to 11-10-1973)
7	Sardar Shri Joginder Singh	01.07.1972 – 14.02.1977	Barkatullah KhanHardev Joshi (11-10-1973 to 29-04-1977)
8	Shri Justice Vedpal Tyagi (Acting)	15.02.1977 – 11.05.1977	Hardev Joshi
9	Shri Raghukul Tilak	12.05.1977 – 08.08.1981	Bhairon Singh Shekhawat (22-06-1977 to 16-02-1980)Jagannath Pahadia (06-06-1980 to 13-07-1981)Shiv Charan Mathur (14-07-1981 to 23-02-1985)
10	Mr. Justice K.D. Sharma (Acting)	08.08.1981 – 05.03.1982	Shivcharan Mathur
11	Air Chief Marshal OP Mehra	06.03.1982 – 04.01.1985	Shivcharan Mathur
12	Justice PK Banerjee (Acting)	05.01.1985 – 31.01.1985	Shivcharan Mathur
13	Air Chief Marshal OP Mehra	01.02.1985 – 03.11.1985	Shivcharan MathurHiralal Devpura (23-02-1985 to 10-03-1985)Haridev Joshi (10-03-1985 to 20-01-1988)
14	Justice D.P. Gupta (Acting)	04.11.1985 – 19.11.1985	Haridev Joshi
15	Shri Vasant Rao Patil	20.11.1985 – 14.10.1987	Haridev Joshi
16	Justice Jagdish Sharan Verma (Acting)	15.10.1987 – 19.02.1988	Haridev JoshiShiv Charan Mathur (20-01-1988 to 04-12-1989)
17	Mr. Sukhdev Prasad	20.02.1988 – 02.02.1989	Shivcharan Mathur
18	Justice Jagdish Sharan Verma (Acting)	03.02.1989 – 19.02.1989	Shivcharan Mathur
19	Mr. Sukhdev Prasad	20.02.1989 – 02.02.1990	Shivcharan MadhurHaridev Joshi (04-12-1989 to 04-03-1990)
20	Mr. Justice Milap Chand Jain (Acting)	03.02.1990 – 13.02.1990	Haridev Joshi
21	Professor Devi Prasad Chattopadhyay	14.02.1990 – 25.08.1991	Bhairon Singh Shekhawat (04-03-1990 to 15-12-1992)
22	Dr. Swarup Singh (Acting)	26.08.1991 – 04.02.1993	Bhairon Singh Shekhawat
23	Dr. M. Chenna Reddy	05.02.1993 – 30.05.1993	–
24	Mr. Dhaniklal Mandal (Acting)	31.05.1993 – 29.06.1993	–
25	Shri Baliram Bhagat	30.06.1993 – 30.04.1998	Bhairon Singh Shekhawat
26	Shri Sardar Darbara Singh	01.05.1998 – 23.05.1998	Bhairon Singh Shekhawat
27	Mr. Justice N.L. Tibrewal (Acting)	24.05.1998 – 15.01.1999	Bhairon Singh ShekhawatAshok Gehlot (01-12-1998 to 08-12-2003)
28	Mr. Justice Anshuman Singh	16.01.1999 – 13.05.2003	Bhairon Singh Shekhawat
29	Shri Nirmal Chandra Jain	14.05.2003 – 22.09.2003	Bhairon Singh Shekhawat
30	Shri Kailashpati Mishra (Acting)	22.09.2003 – 13.01.2004	Bhairon Singh ShekhawatVasundhara Raje Scindia (08-12-2003 to 13-12-2008)
31	Shri Madan Lal Khurana	14.01.2004 – 31.10.2004	Vasundhara Raje Scindia
32	Shri T.V. Rajeshwar (Acting)	01.11.2004 – 07.11.2004	Vasundhara Raje Scindia
33	Smt. Pratibha Patil	08.11.2004 – 23.06.2007	Vasundhara Raje Scindia
34	Dr. AR Kidwai (Acting)	23.06.2007 – 05.09.2007	Vasundhara Raje Scindia
35	Shri Sheelendra Kumar Singh	06.09.2007 – 09.07.2009	Vasundhara Raje ScindiaAshok Gehlot (13-12-2008 to 13-12-2013)
36	Shri Rameshwar Thakur (Acting)	10.07.2009 – 22.07.2009	Ashok Gehlot
37	Shri Sheelendra Kumar Singh	23.07.2009 – 01.12.2009	Ashok Gehlot
38	Mrs. Prabha Rao (Acting)	03.12.2009 – 24.01.2010	Ashok Gehlot
39	Mrs. Prabha Rao	25.01.2010 – 26.04.2010	Ashok Gehlot
40	Shri Shivraj Patil (Acting)	28.04.2010 – 11.05.2012	Ashok Gehlot
41	Mrs. Margaret Alva	12.05.2012 – 07.08.2014	Ashok GehlotVasundhara Raje Scindia (13-12-2013 to 17-12-2018)
42	Shri Ram Naik (Acting)	08.08.2014 – 03.09.2014	Vasundhara Raje Scindia
43	Shri Kalyan Singh	04.09.2014 – 09.09.2019	Vasundhara Raje ScindiaAshok Gehlot (17-12-2018 to 09-09-2019)
44	Shri Kalraj Mishra	09.09.2019 – 30.07.2024	Ashok GehlotBhajan Lal Sharma (continuously from 15 December 2023)
45	Shri Haribhau Kishanrao Bagde	31.07.2024 – present	Bhajan Lal Sharma

Governor of Rajasthan: Important Personalities and Contributions

1. Rajpramukh Sawai Man Singh

• Tenure:
  • 30 March 1949 to 31 October 1956
• Former Maharaja of Jaipur, the post of Rajpramukh was abolished in 1956 by the Seventh Constitutional Amendment.
• Famous polo players.
• Hereditary member of the Chamber of Princes and the Court of Banaras Hindu University.
• President of the Indian Polo Association (1961)
• President of the General Council of Mayo College, Ajmer.
• Patron of Jaipur Medical Association.
  • Note : With the 7th Constitutional Amendment, 1956, the post of Rajpramukh was abolished in Rajasthan, and the post of Governor was created.

2. Sardar Shri Gurmukh Nihal Singh

• Tenure:
  • November 1, 1956 to April 15, 1962
• He was born on March 14, 1895, in undivided Punjab.
• He assumed office as the first Governor of Rajasthan on November 1, 1956.
• In the first general elections of 1952, he became a member of the Delhi Legislative Assembly.
• On 7 May 1952, he was elected as the Speaker of the Delhi Legislative Assembly.
• He was the Chief Minister of Delhi from 13 February 1955 to 31 October 1956, until the Delhi Legislative Assembly ceased to exist.
• He holds the record of delivering the address in the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly the maximum number of times.
• As Governor of Rajasthan, he delivered the inaugural addresses to two Legislative Assemblies in 1957 and 1962.
• On a special occasion, his Governor’s address was held at the Raj Bhavan instead of the Assembly.
• During his tenure
  • Chief Minister- Mohanlal Sukhania
  • Speaker of the assembly-
    • Narottam Lal Joshi – 1952 – 57
    • Ram Niwas Mirdha – 1957-62 and 1962-67
  • Oath – Kailashnath Wanchoo

3. Dr. Sampurnanand

• Tenure:
  • From 16 April 1962 to 15 April 1967
• From 1918 to 1921, he was the Principal of Dungar College, Bikaner.
• Due to his participation in the Non-Cooperation Movement, he resigned from the post of Principal and was arrested.
• He also actively participated in the Satyagraha movement and was also known as a literary scholar.
• During the Chief Ministership of Govind Vallabh Pant, he served as the Minister of Education, Home, Finance and Labour.
• In the year 1954, he became the second Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh and remained in this position till 1960.
• His work ‘Socialism’ was awarded the Mangala Prasad Award for its outstanding contribution to Hindi literature.
• In the year 1940, he was elected the President of the All India Hindi Sahitya Sammelan.
• While staying in Gyan Mandal organization, he wrote a book named ‘International Vidhan’ and took charge of editing the magazine ‘Maryada’.
• He was the chief editor of the 18-part book ‘History of Hindi Literature’ published by the Hindi Nagari Pracharini Sabha.
• During his tenure, President’s rule was imposed for the first time in Rajasthan in March 1967 due to unclear majority in the fourth assembly elections.
• The ‘Open Jail’ located in Sanganer, Jaipur is considered to be his contribution.

4. Sardar Shri Hukum Singh

• Tenure:
  • 16 April 1967 to 19 November 1970
  • 24 December 1970 to 30 June 1972
• He was a member of the Shiromani Akali Dal and was also its president for three years.
• From December 1947 to November 1948, he was the successor judge of the State High Court at Kapurthala.
• He was a member of the Constituent Assembly, the Interim Parliament and the first, second and third Lok Sabha.
• He served as the Deputy Speaker of the Second Lok Sabha and the Speaker of the Third Lok Sabha.
• Participated in the parliamentary conferences held in Canberra in 1959 and London in 1961.
• He led parliamentary delegations to the Soviet Union in 1962 and to the USA in 1963.
• In 1965, he went to the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia as a member of the parliamentary delegation.
• He was an elected member of the Governing Council of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference for two years.
• While serving as the Governor of Rajasthan, he delivered the inaugural addresses in two different Legislative Assemblies in 1967 and 1972.
• Between his first and second terms, Justice Jagat Narayan Singh (November 20, 1970 to December 23, 1970) was the first acting Governor of Rajasthan (No. 5).

7. Sardar Shri Joginder Singh

• Tenure:
  • 1 July 1972 to 14 February 1977
• He was elected member of the Central Legislative Assembly in the year 1937.
• He had also served as a member of the Indian Constituent Assembly, Interim Parliament, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
• In 1962, he served as the Honorary Secretary General of the National Rifle Association.
• He was a member of the Agriculture Commission and also held the post of Chairman of the Home Committee of the Rajya Sabha.
• Before being appointed Governor of Rajasthan, he was the Governor of Orissa in the year 1971-72.
• During his tenure, the then Chief Minister of Rajasthan was Haridev Joshi.

8. Shri Justice Vedpal Tyagi (In-charge)-

• Tenure:
  • February 15, 1977 to May 11, 1977(Acting)
• President’s Rule was imposed in Rajasthan for the second time in 1977.
• He served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Rajasthan.

9. Raghukul Tilak-

• Tenure:
  • 12 May 1977 to 8 August 1981
• He served as a lecturer at Khurja College and Kashi Vidyapith, and later became the Vice-Chancellor of Kashi Vidyapith.
• He served as the Librarian of the UP Legislative Assembly from 1928 to 1932; he resigned from this post and was arrested following the Round Table Conference.
• He remained active during the Non-Cooperation Movement (1932–35) and the Quit India Movement (1942–44), and was imprisoned.
• He served as an elected member of the UP Legislative Assembly from 1939 to 1946, and as a Parliamentary Secretary within the Assembly in 1944.
• Politically, he was initially associated with the Congress party but later joined the Socialist Party.
• From 1952 to 1958, he served as the Chairman of the Railway Service Selection Board (Northern Region).
• From 1958 to 1960, he served as a member of the Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC).
• He played an active role in the Sarvodaya Movement of 1961 and served as a Professor and Treasurer at the Institute of Gandhian Studies (Kashi).
• During his tenure, President’s Rule remained in force in Rajasthan from April 30 to June 22, 1977.
• While serving as Governor, he delivered the inaugural addresses to the Legislative Assembly on two occasions: in 1977 and 1980.
• During his time in office, the Chief Ministers were Bhairon Singh Shekhawat (the first non-Congress Chief Minister) and Jagannath Pahadia.
• Raghukul Tilak passed away in a road accident.

11. Air Chief Marshal O.P. Mehra (11 & 13)

• Tenure:
  • 6 March 1982 to 4 January 1985
  • February 1, 1985 to November 3, 1985
• He joined the General Duties (Pilots) branch of the Indian Air Force in 1940 and later became Chief of the Air Staff.
• During his service, he was awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal and the Padma Vibhushan in 1977.
• He was awarded the Rajiv Ratna Award (a prestigious honour similar to the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna) in 1991.
• He was the Dean of the Institute of Armament Technology for three years and Chairman of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
• During 1980-82, he was also the Commandant of the Basic Flying Training School, Jodhpur.
• Due to his keen interest in sports, he served as the fifth President of the Indian Olympic Association (1975–80) and President of the Asian Games Federation.
• He also served as the Vice President of the Indian Hockey Federation.
• His autobiography – Sweet and Shore.
• Commandant of Basic Flying Training School (Jodhpur) – 1980 – 82).
• During his tenure, there were a total of 3 CMs in the seventh assembly of Rajasthan.
  • Jagannath Paharia,
  • Shivcharan Mathur
  • Hiralal Devpura
    • Shivcharan Mathur and Hiralal Devpura were sworn in by OP Mehra.
    • The Speaker of the seventh assembly was Punamchand Vishnoi.
    • Punamchand Vishnoi became the Pro-tem Speaker in the fourth and fifth Legislative Assemblies; Deputy Speaker in the fifth Legislative Assembly and Speaker in the seventh Legislative Assembly.

14. Justice D.P. Gupta (Acting)

• Tenure:
  • November 4, 1985 to November 19, 1985
• Before assuming the office of Governor, he held the post of Lokayukta of Rajasthan (from 28 August 1985 to 3 November 1985).
• During his short tenure, the Chief Minister of Rajasthan was Haridev Joshi.
• He was also the Chief Justice of Rajasthan High Court.

15. Shri Vasantrao Patil

• Shri Vasantrao Patil was born in Kolhapur district of Maharashtra and served as the Governor of Rajasthan from October 15, 1987 to February 19, 1988.
• He actively participated in the Satyagraha movement along with Mahatma Gandhi.
• In his political career, he was elected member of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly five times from 1952 to 1985.
• He was a member of the Maharashtra Legislative Council from May 1978 to March 1979 and a member of the Lok Sabha from 1980 to 1982.
• He served as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra twice.
• He held the posts of President of Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee and General Secretary of All India Congress Committee.
• He was awarded the Padma Vibhushan award by the Government of India.
• In the cooperative sector, he was the Chairman of Maharashtra State Cooperative Sugar Mills Federation, National Cooperative Sugar Mills Federation and Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank.
• He also served as the Chairman of Maharashtra State Co-operative Fertilizers and Chemicals Limited.
• He also held the post of Senate member of Shivaji University.

16. & 18. Justice Jagdish Sharan Verma (Acting)

• Tenure:
  • February 3, 1989 to February 19, 1989
  • February 3, 1990 to February 13, 1990
• The first judge of the Rajasthan High Court who, while being the acting Governor, administered the oath of office to the then Chief Minister Shiv Charan Mathur.
• 27th Chief Justice of India
• Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court.
• Chief Justice and Judges of Madhya Pradesh High Court.
• Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission.
• Chairman of the Committee on Amendments to Criminal Laws after the 2012 Delhi Gang Rape Case (three-member commission)
• Known for ‘setting the stage for justice’ in the 2002 Gujarat violence.
• His notable decisions are – 1. S.R. Bommai vs. Union of India, 2. Vishakha vs. State of Rajasthan.

17. Sukhdev Prasad (17 & 19)

• Sukhdev Prasad was born in Gorakhpur district of Uttar Pradesh and his tenure as Governor of Rajasthan was from February 20, 1988 to February 2, 1990.
• He actively participated in the freedom struggle, including the Quit India Movement of 1942.
• In the year 1952, he was elected a member of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly and was also the President of the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee.
• He was elected to the Rajya Sabha three times (1966, 1972 and 1982).
• He served as a member and convener of the Parliamentary Committee on Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Welfare.
• He was also associated as a member of the Indian Sports Council and the All India Sports Council.
• During his tenure, the eighth assembly was active in Rajasthan.
• Haridev Joshi (twice) and Shiv Charan Mathur (once) served as Chief Ministers during this period.
  • Note- Justice Jagdish Sharan Verma – February 3, 1989 to February 19, 1989 (Acting) (18)

20. Shri Milap Chand Jain (Acting) –

• Tenure:
  • February 3, 1990 to February 13, 1990
• Former Chief Justice of Rajasthan High Court.
• Former Chief Justice of Delhi High Court.
• He was the chairman of the Jain Commission formed to investigate the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi.
• Was the Lokayukta of Rajasthan.

21. Prof. Devi Prasad Chattopadhyay

• Tenure:
  • February 14, 1990 to August 25, 1991
• He started his career as a teacher and clerk, after which he became a professor and served as minister and president of various educational institutions.
• He was elected to the Rajya Sabha for the first time in the year 1969 and was re-elected to the Rajya Sabha in July 1975.
• In the Central Government, he served as Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Family Planning from 1971 to 1973.
• He held the post of Union Commerce Minister from February 5, 1973 to March 24, 1977.
• He was the co-chairman of the India-Czechoslovakia and India-Yugoslavia Joint Commissions.
• He holds the distinction of being the first Indian Co-Chairman of the India-France Joint Commission.
• He was awarded the Padma Vibhushan award by the Government of India.
• He was the founder and president of the Indian Council of Philosophical Research.

22. Swaroop Singh (In-charge)

• Tenure:
  • 26 August 1991 to 4 February 1993

• Governor of Kerala and later of Gujarat (1990–1995).
• 1971–1974: Vice-Chancellor of Delhi University.
• 1975–1978: Member of the Union Public Service Commission
• 1978–1984: Member of the Rajya Sabha from Haryana, Lok Dal Party.

23. Dr. M. Chenna Reddy

• Tenure:
  • February 5, 1992 to May 30, 1993
• He was the founder of Andhra Yuva Jana Samiti and Student Congress and actively participated in the Telangana movement.
• Dr. Reddy was nominated to the Interim Parliament in 1950 and appointed Whip of the Congress Parliamentary Party.
• He was elected to the Hyderabad Legislative Assembly in the first general elections and served as the Minister of Agriculture, Food, Planning and Rehabilitation in the Hyderabad State.
• He opposed the merger of Telangana with Andhra State and was one of the four signatories of the famous ‘Gentlemen’s Agreement’ (1956).
• He led the Indian delegation to the World Conference of Agricultural Experts held in Rome in 1953.
• In the year 1955 also, he participated in the conference of ‘Food and Agriculture Organization’ (FAO) in Rome as the deputy leader of the Indian delegation.
• In March 1967, he was appointed a minister in the Union Cabinet; in addition, he served as a member of the Public Accounts Committee and twice as Chairman of the Estimates Committee.
• He also served as the Governor of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Tamil Nadu (he resigned from the post of Governor of Uttar Pradesh in October 1977 and returned to active politics).
• He became the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh in March 1978 and resigned from the post in October 1980.
• He was the last Governor of Rajasthan during whose tenure President’s rule was imposed in the state for the fourth time (1992–1993).

24. Dhanik Lal Mandal (Governor of Haryana, Additional Charge)

• Tenure:
  • May 31, 1993 to June 29, 1993
• President’s rule in Rajasthan.
• Member of Lok Sabha.
• Awarded with Shiromani Award.
• General Secretary of the Socialist Party of India.
• He was Minister of State in the Union Home Ministry in the Morarji Desai government.

25. Baliram Bhagat

• Tenure:
  • From June 30, 1993 to April 30, 1998
• Shri Baliram Bhagat was born in Mehndiganj, Patna district, Bihar and served as the Governor of Rajasthan from June 30, 1993 to April 30, 1998.
• He played an active role in the Quit India Movement of 1942 and during this period edited two underground weekly newspapers, ‘Quit India’ and ‘Our Struggle’.
• He was the General Secretary of Bihar State Student Congress and in the year 1947 he started publishing the Hindi weekly newspaper ‘Rashtradoot’ from Patna.
• He was a member of the Interim Parliament in 1950-52 and after this he was continuously elected as a member of the First to Fifth Lok Sabha and later of the Seventh and Eighth Lok Sabha.
• He served as the Speaker of the Lok Sabha from January 1976 to March 1977.
• In the Central Government, he held important positions like Deputy Minister of Finance, Minister of State for Finance, Minister of State for External Affairs, Planning Minister, Minister of Defence Production, Minister of Foreign Trade and Supplies, Minister of Steel and Heavy Industries and Union External Affairs Minister.
• Before becoming the Governor of Rajasthan, he was also the Governor of Himachal Pradesh.
• He represented India internationally as an Alternate Governor at the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.
• He played a prominent and active role in various international and national political activities.

26. Sardar Darbara Singh

• Tenure:
  • May 1, 1998 to May 23, 1998
• Was the Speaker of the Punjab Legislative Assembly.
• He was the Chief Minister of Punjab and a member of the Lok Sabha.
• While serving as the Governor of Rajasthan, he died due to extreme heat and heat stroke while he was in Pokhran to observe India’s nuclear test (Shakti-98).

27. Navrang Lal Tibrewala (Acting)

• Tenure:
  • May 24, 1998 to January 15, 1999
• He hailed from the Jhunjhunu district.
• He served as an Acting Judge of the Rajasthan High Court.
• He served as the Chairman of the Rajasthan Bar Council.

28. Justice Anshuman Singh

• Tenure:
  • January 16, 1999 to May 13, 2003
• He started his practice as a lawyer in the Allahabad District Court in 1957 and later served as a government lawyer in the Allahabad High Court.
• In the year 1984, he was appointed a judge in the Allahabad High Court.
• In 1994, he was transferred to the Rajasthan High Court as a senior judge and retired as an Administrative Judge.
• He also served as Acting Chief Justice and Administrative Judge of the Rajasthan High Court.
• Between 1994 and 1997, he served as the acting Governor of Rajasthan a total of four times.
• He also held the post of Executive Chairman of Rajasthan State Legal Services Authority (RSLA).
• Before becoming the permanent Governor of Rajasthan, he was appointed Governor of Gujarat on April 17, 1998.
• He died during the first wave of Corona.

29. Nirmal Chandra Jain

• Tenure:
  • 14 May 2003 – 22 September 2003
• He was a member of the Lok Sabha and the Advocate General of Madhya Pradesh.
• Was a member of the 11th Finance Commission.
• He has also been a member of the Central Finance Commission.
• The second Governor of Rajasthan, who passed away prematurely while in office on September 22, 2003.
• Then-Chief Minister: Ashok Gehlot

31. Shri Madan Lal Khurana

• Tenure:
  • 14 January 2004 – 1 November 2004
• He served as the General Secretary of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh (Delhi) and as a member of the Delhi Metropolitan Council.
• He served as the Secretary and President of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Delhi, and in 1999, as the National Vice President of the BJP.
• He served as the Chief Minister of Delhi from 1993 to 1996 and was also known as the “Lion of Delhi.”
• He was elected as a Member of Parliament from Delhi to the 9th, 10th, 12th, and 13th Lok Sabhas.
• In the Lok Sabha, he served as a member of the General Purposes Committee, the Committee on Salaries and Allowances of Members of Parliament, the Business Advisory Committee, and the Committee on Urban and Rural Development.
• He also held the position of Foreign Secretary in the Government of India.
• Prior to becoming the Governor of Rajasthan, he had also served as the Governor of Sikkim.
• As Governor, he initiated the practice of holding “Janata Darbars” (public audiences) in Rajasthan, a move that garnered him significant media attention.
• He was the first Governor of Rajasthan to resign from his post.
• His name was also linked to the high-profile ‘Hawala scandal.’
• During his tenure, the Chief Minister of Rajasthan was Ashok Gehlot.

32. T.V. Rajeshwar (Governor – Additional Charge of Uttar Pradesh)

• Tenure:
  • From November 1, 2004 to November 7, 2004
• Indian Police Service officer and former chief of the Intelligence Bureau.
• He was the Governor of Sikkim, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Lieutenant Governor of Arunachal Pradesh.
• He was Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs of the Government of India.
• Awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 2002.
• He was the Governor of Rajasthan for the shortest period.

33. Smt. Pratibha Patil

• Tenure:
  • 8 November 2004 – 21 June 2007
• She holds the distinction of being Rajasthan’s first female Governor.
• She was the second Governor to resign from the post.
• She served as a member of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly from 1962 to 1985, holding significant portfolios within the Maharashtra government during this period, such as Deputy Minister and Minister for Social Welfare and Education.
• She also served as the Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly from 1979 to 1980.
• She held the office of Deputy Chairperson of the Rajya Sabha (9th) from November 18, 1986, to November 5, 1988.
• She served as a member of the 10th Lok Sabha and chaired the Lok Sabha’s Committee on Home Affairs.
• She established a Women’s Cooperative Bank in the Jalgaon district through the cooperative movement and also served as the Chief Promoter and Chairperson of a sugar factory in Maharashtra.
• She established a Working Women’s Hostel in Bombay (Mumbai).
• She participated as an Indian delegate in the International Council on Social Welfare held in Nairobi.
• She was conferred with Mexico’s highest civilian honor, the “Order of the Aztec Eagle.”
• She was the second Governor of Rajasthan to resign from her post (in order to contest the Presidential election).
• She served as India’s first female President from 2007 to 2012.
• During her tenure as Governor, the Chief Minister of Rajasthan was Ashok Gehlot.

34. A R Kidwai (Governor – Haryana, Additional Charge)

• Tenure:
  • 23 June 2007 to 05 September 2007
• He was an Indian chemist and politician.
• He served as the Governor of Haryana, Bihar, Rajasthan, and West Bengal.
• He served as the Chairman of the Union Public Service Commission from 1974 to 1977.
• He served as the Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University.
• He served as the Chairman of the Selection Board of the Scientists’ Pool.
• He was a member of the Rajya Sabha.
• He served as a Director of the Jammu and Kashmir Bank.

35. Shri Shailendra Kumar Singh (35 & 37)

• Tenure:
  • From 06 September 2007 to 09 July 2009
  • July 23, 2009 to December 1, 2009
• He began his diplomatic career in Tehran as a ‘Third Secretary,’ where he also studied the Persian language.
• He served as a member of the ‘Permanent Mission of India’ to the United Nations (UN) in New York and also chaired the UN’s Group of 77.
• He served as India’s Ambassador to several key nations, including Jordan, Lebanon, Cyprus, Afghanistan, Austria, and Pakistan.
• In 1989, he held the prestigious position of Foreign Secretary to the Government of India.
• He also served in various capacities within the Government of India’s Ministry of Commerce, holding the posts of Director, Additional Foreign Secretary, and Secretary.
• He served as the Secretary-General of the ‘University of Pennsylvania Institute for the Advanced Study of India,’ based in Delhi.
• He also contributed as a Visiting Professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in Delhi.
• Prior to becoming the Governor of Rajasthan, he served as the Governor of Arunachal Pradesh from December 2004 to 2007.
• He passed away on December 1, 2009, while serving as the Governor of Rajasthan.

38. Smt. Prabha Rao 

• Tenure:
  • Acting Governor: December 3, 2009 to January 24, 2010.
  • Governor (Assumed Charge): January 25, 2010 to April 26, 2010 (until demise).
• The second female Governor of Rajasthan.
• She became a member of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly for the first time in 1972 and was elected as a legislator a total of six times.
• She served in the Government of Maharashtra as both a Minister of State and a Cabinet Minister across various departments, including Education, Sports and Youth Affairs, Tourism, Cooperation, Revenue, and Cultural Affairs.
• In 1979, she held the position of Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly.
• She was elected as a Member of Parliament to the 13th Lok Sabha and also served as the Vice President of the All India Congress Committee.
• She rendered her services as the President of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee, the Chairman of the Land Development Bank (Maharashtra), and a Director of the State Cooperative Bank.
• She served as the Governor of Himachal Pradesh, during which period she also held the additional charge of the office of the Governor of Rajasthan.
• On January 25, 2010, she assumed office as the permanent Governor of Rajasthan.
• She served as Governor in both capacities—as Acting Governor and as permanent Governor of Rajasthan.
• On April 26, 2010, she passed away prematurely while still holding the office of the Governor of Rajasthan.

40. Shivraj Patil (Governor of Punjab, Additional Charge)

• Tenure:
  • From April 28, 2010 to May 11, 2012
• Served as India’s Minister of External Affairs.
• The terrorist attacks in Mumbai occurred during his tenure as India’s Minister of Home Affairs.
• Served as the Vice President of the CSIR.
• Instituted the ‘Outstanding Parliamentarian Award’ during his tenure as the Speaker of the Lok Sabha (1992).
• Served as the Minister of Defence in the Union Government.
• Served as a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha.
• Served as the Administrator of the Union Territory of Chandigarh.
• Held the record for the longest tenure as an Acting Governor.

41. Mrs. Margaret Alva 

• Tenure:
  • From 12 May 2012 to 07 August 2014
• She served as the first female Governor of Uttarakhand and, additionally, held the office of Governor for both Gujarat and Goa.
• She served as a member of the Rajya Sabha for four consecutive terms, starting in 1974, and was elected to the Lok Sabha in 1999.
• She also rendered her services as the Deputy Chairperson of the Rajya Sabha.
• She served as a member of the Joint Select Committee constituted for the 84th Constitutional Amendment Bill, which proposed a 33 percent reservation for women in local bodies.
• From 1999 to 2004, she served as the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Women’s Empowerment.
• It was through her efforts that the SAARC nations declared 1987 as the ‘Year of the Girl Child.’
• In 1986, she was elected Chairperson of the first UNICEF conference on children in South Asia, as well as the SAARC ministerial meeting on women’s development.
• In 1986, she led the delegation of women parliamentarians from around the world for peace and served as a member of the delegation to the Washington session of the historic ‘Reagan-Gorbachev Summit.’
• At a meeting held in Seoul, the capital of South Korea, to address violence against women, she was elected Chairperson of ESCAP.
• She represented India at the meeting of the United Nations (UN) Commission on the Status of Women and served as a member of the national delegation to the UN General Assembly in 1976.
• In 1997, she was elected as a member of the Executive Board of the Governing Council of the International Development Committee (Rome) for a three-year term.
• Also in 1997, she served as part of the Commonwealth Observer Group during the national elections in Cameroon.
• She also held the positions of Deputy Chairperson of the National Committee on Child Labour and the National Children Board.
• She was honored with the Mercy Ravi Award, and the President of South Africa conferred upon her a national honor in recognition of her support in the fight against apartheid.

42. Shri Ram Naik (Governor of Uttar Pradesh, Additional Charge)

• Tenure:
  • From August 08, 2014 to September 03, 2014
• He served as the Minister of Oil and Natural Gas in the Government of India.
• He also served as the Minister of Railways in the Union Government.
• He was a Member of the Lok Sabha.
• He also served as the Governor of the state of Uttar Pradesh.

43. Shri Kalyan Singh

• Tenure:
  • From 04 September 2014 to 09 September 2019
• He successfully completed his full five-year tenure as the Governor of Rajasthan.
• He served as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh twice—in 1991 and 1997.
• He was serving as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh during the infamous demolition of the Babri Masjid in December 1992.
• His political career was remarkably distinguished; from 1967 to 2002, he was elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) in 10 out of the 11 Legislative Assemblies of Uttar Pradesh (with the sole exception of the 1980 elections).
• He was elected as a Member of the Lok Sabha in 2004 and 2009, serving in Parliament during those terms.
• While serving as the Governor of Rajasthan, he was also entrusted with the additional charge of the Governorship of Himachal Pradesh.
• He was posthumously conferred with the Padma Vibhushan (2022) by the Government of India.
• He passed away in August 2021.

44. Shri Kalraj Mishra

• Tenure:
  • September 9, 2019 – July 30, 2024
• Sworn in as the 22nd Governor of Rajasthan in person on 9 September 2019.
• Governor of Himachal Pradesh from July 2019 to September 2019.
• Member of the 16th Lok Sabha and Union Cabinet Minister for MSME from 2014–2017.
• Three-time Rajya Sabha member (1978–84, 2001–12).
• Important role in the formation of Uttarakhand state.
• Started the tradition of reading the Preamble and Fundamental Duties of the Constitution before the address.
• Published Books:
  • Judicial Accountability
  • Hinduism is a way of life
  • Entrepreneurship in India
  • Constitution, culture and nation
• Biography: “I am just an instrument” (Authors: Dr. D.K. Tanket and Govindram Jaiswal).
• Innovations made in Raj Bhavan during the tenure of Kalraj Mishra:
  • Constitution Park: Statues of Mahatma Gandhi, Swami Vivekananda and Maharana Pratap installed.
  • Azolla: Use of bio-fertilizer for cows in the cowshed located at Raj Bhavan.
  • INFORMAS Portal: To access reports from various sections of the Governor’s Secretariat online.
  • SUGAM App: To get reports online from all state funded universities.
  • Vice Chancellors Leave App: For online application and disposal of leave by Vice Chancellors of State Funded Universities.
  • E-Ticketing Management System: For IT related works in Raj Bhavan and for entering demand and information of items online.

45. Shri Haribhau Kishanrao Bagde (presently)

• Tenure:
  • From July 31, 2024 to the present
• Born into a farming family, he remained dedicated to public service from the very beginning.
• He worked continuously for the development of the agriculture and dairy sectors.
• Elected as an MLA from the Chhatrapati, Sambhajinagar (1985, 1990, 1995, 1999) and Phulambri, Aurangabad (2014, 2019) constituencies.
• On November 2, 2014, he was elected unopposed as the Speaker of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly.
• He served as a Minister in Maharashtra on two occasions.

Important facts about the Governor of Rajasthan

• First Governor of Rajasthan: Gurumukh Nihal Singh.
• First woman Governor of India: Sarojini Naidu (Uttar Pradesh).
• National Women’s Day is celebrated on the birth anniversary of Sarojini Naidu (13 February).
• First woman Governor of Rajasthan: Pratibha Patil.
• Pratibha Patil is the only Governor who later became the President of India.
• Three women have held the post of Governor so far:
  • Smt. Pratibha Patil
  • Mrs. Prabha Rao
  • Mrs. Margaret Alva.
• The Governor of Rajasthan who died while in office:
  • Darbara Singh (1998)
  • Nirmalchand Jain (2003)
  • Shailendra Kumar Singh (2009)
  • Mrs. Prabha Rao (2010).
• During the Emergency of 1975:
  • Chief Minister: Haridev Joshi.
  • Governor: Sardar Joginder Singh.
• The first Governor of Rajasthan who resigned from the post:
  • Madan Lal Khurana (2004)
  • Second Governor: Pratibha Patil (2007).
• Governors who resigned from office
  • Madan Lal Khurana
  • Smt. Pratibha Devi Singh Patil
  • Joginder Singh
  • Basant Rao Patil
  • Devisingh Chattopadhyay
• The first Governor of Rajasthan to be dismissed was: 
  • Raghukul Tilak.
• Rajasthan Governor with the longest tenure: Gurmukh Nihal Singh (1 November 1956 to 15 April 1962).
• Rajasthan Governor with the shortest tenure: T. V. Rajeshwar (1 November 2004 to 7 November 2004).
• First Acting Governor of Rajasthan: Justice Jagannath Narayan.
• Governor of Rajasthan with additional charge
  • Swarup Singh (Gujarat)
  • Dhanik Lal Mandal (Haryana)
  • Kailashpati Mishra (Gujarat)
  • TV Rajeshwar (Uttar Pradesh) (minimum tenure)
  • C.R. Kidwai (Haryana)
  • Rameshwar Thakur (Madhya Pradesh)
  • Prabha Rao (Himachal Pradesh)
  • Shivraj Patil (Punjab) (longest tenure)
  • Ram Naik (Uttar Pradesh)
• Chief Justice of Rajasthan High Court who was the Acting Governor of Rajasthan –
  1. Jagat Narayan
  2. Ved Pal Tyagi
  3. K D Sharma
  4. D.P.Gupta
  5. P.K. Banerjee
  6. Jagdish Sharan Verma
• Acting Chief Justice of Rajasthan High Court who also served as Acting Governor of Rajasthan:
  • Milap Chand Jain (Acting Minimum Tenure)
  • Naurang Lal Tibrewal (Acting longest tenure)
    • Note:-Shailendra Kumar, Prabha Rao and Margaret Alva have all served as acting Governors of Rajasthan but have not been Chief Justices of the Rajasthan High Court.
• The acting Governor of Rajasthan who administered the oath to the Chief Minister:
  • Justice Jagdish Sharan Verma: He was the Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court and as acting Governor, he administered the oath of office to Shiv Charan Mathur as Chief Minister on January 20, 1988.
  • Justice Navrang Lal Tibrewal: He was the Acting Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court and while playing the role of Acting Governor, he administered the oath of office to Shri Ashok Gehlot as the Chief Minister for his first term on December 1, 1998.
• The Governor of Rajasthan who got additional charge of other states.
  • Margaret Alva – Gujarat
  • Kalyan Singh – Himachal Pradesh
• Governors who were members of both houses of Parliament:
  1. Kalraj Mishra
  2. Sardar Joginder Singh
  3. Margaret Alva
  4. Pratibha Patil.
• Governor who was also Speaker of Lok Sabha:
  • Baliram Bhagat
  • Shivraj Patil
  • Sardar Hukum Singh.
• Governors of Rajasthan who were members of the Constituent Assembly:-
  • Hukum Singh
  • Joginder Singh
• Governor who has also been the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha: Pratibha Patil.
• Governors who served as Speaker of the Legislative Assembly: 
  1. Shri Gurmukh Nihal Singh
  2. Shri Darbara Singh
  3. Shri Dhanik Lal Mandal.
• Chief Ministers of various states who served as Governor of Rajasthan:
  1. Gurmukh Nihal Singh – Delhi (Second Chief Minister)
  2. Dr. Sampurnanand – Uttar Pradesh (Second Chief Minister)
  3. Madan Lal Khurana – Delhi
  4. Vasantrao Patil – Maharashtra (two-time Chief Minister)
  5. M. Chenna Reddy – Andhra Pradesh
  6. Darbara Singh – Punjab
  7. Kalyan Singh – Uttar Pradesh
• The details of the Governors of Rajasthan who served for 5 years or more continuously are as follows in descending order (from most to least):
  1. Gurmukh Nihal Singh
  2. Sardar Hukum Singh
  3. Dr. Sampurnanand
  4. Kalyan Singh
  5. Kalraj Mishra
• Governors who delivered inaugural addresses to two legislatures:
  • Gurmukh Nihal Singh
  • Hukum Singh
  • Raghukul Tilak
• The only acting Governor who delivered the inaugural address in the Legislative Assembly – N. L. Tibrewal (in 1999)
• The only Governor of Rajasthan who held the additional charge of Governor of another state was – Kalyan Singh
  • He held the additional charge of Governor of Himachal Pradesh from 28 January 2015 to 12 August 2015.
• Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik made changes in the protocol.
  • Since 2014, the term “His Excellency” is no longer used for the Governor, instead “The Honourable” or “Mr/Mrs/Ms” is used.
• The Principal Secretary to the Governor is an officer of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS).

Governor’s Relief Fund

• Constitution of the Fund: March 14, 1973
• Objective of the Fund:
  • Relief in famine and scarcity-stricken areas
  • Assistance in natural calamities like fire, flood, accidents
  • Assistance for epidemics, excessive rainfall, locust, hailstorm and crop damage
  • Immediate assistance as per the decision of the Governor
• Sources of income of the fund
  • Financial assistance received from any person/institution and body,
  • Interest on investment of capital collected in the fund in banks/corporations,
  • Any other statutory contributions.
• Income Tax Benefits: Donations received under the Governor’s Relief Fund are eligible for 50% exemption under Section 80G of the Income Tax Act, 1961.

Tribal Advisory Committee

• This committee is constituted by the Governor on the instructions of the President.
• The committee consists of a maximum of 20 members.
• Members are appointed by the Governor, with ¾ of the members being from the tribe.
• The report relating to Scheduled Tribes is submitted by the Governor to the President.

Use of Article 356 and President’s Rule

• In India, President’s Rule is imposed under Article 356 when the constitutional machinery in a state breaks down.
• It has been utilized from time to time by central governments to dismiss state governments.
• The Congress party has invoked Article 356 on more than 100 occasions.
• Of these instances, non-Congress governments were dismissed 91 times.
• During Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s tenure (spanning six years), President’s Rule was imposed only four times.
• Morarji Desai’s Janata Party government invoked Article 356 16 times.
• On April 30, 1977, Morarji Desai imposed President’s Rule by simultaneously dismissing the Congress governments in eight states:
  • Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Punjab, and Rajasthan.
• During the Janata Party’s three-year rule, Morarji Desai invoked President’s Rule 12 times, while Charan Singh (during his six-month tenure as Prime Minister) utilized it four times.
• Following the Emergency (in 1980), Indira Gandhi utilized Article 356 to facilitate the re-establishment of Congress governments.
• After India’s independence, President’s Rule was first imposed in Punjab.
• This rule remained in effect from June 20, 1951, to April 17, 1952, and was necessitated by a split within the Congress party.
• Article 356 has frequently been invoked due to political instability, particularly to oust opposition-led governments.
• The Congress government utilized it most extensively, although other governments have also resorted to it when the opportunity arose.
• Experts believe that over the past several decades, the Governor has increasingly functioned as an agent of the Central Government.