List of governors of Bihar
Appearance
Governor of Bihar | |
---|---|
![]() | |
since 12 Feb 2023 | |
Style | His Excellency |
Residence | Raj Bhavan, Patna, Bihar |
Appointer | President of India |
Term length | Five Years |
Formation | 1 April 1936 |
Website | governor |

The governor of Bihar is a nominal head and representative of the president of India in the state of Bihar. The governor is appointed by the president for a term of 5 years. Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar is the current governor of Bihar.[1][2] Former President Zakir Husain and Ram Nath Kovind were two such governors of Bihar who succeeded on to become the president of India.
Powers and functions
[edit]The governor has:
- Executive powers related to administration, appointments and removals,
- Legislative powers related to lawmaking and the state legislature, that is Vidhan Sabha or Vidhan Parishad, and
- Discretionary powers to be carried out according to the discretion of the Governor.
In his ex-officio capacity, the governor of Bihar is chancellor of the universities of Bihar (at present 12) as per the Acts of the Universities.


Governors of Bihar
[edit]# | Name | Portrait | Entered office | Left office | Duration |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Before Independence | |||||
1 | Sir James David Sifton | ![]() |
1 April 1936 | 10 March 1937 | 11 months and 9 days |
2 | Sir Maurice Garnier Hallett | ![]() |
11 March 1937 | 15 May 1938 | 1 year, 2 months and 4 days |
– | Sir Thomas Alexander Stewart (acting) | ![]() |
15 May 1938 | 16 September 1938 | |
(2) | Sir Maurice Garnier Hallett | ![]() |
17 September 1938 | 5 August 1939 | |
3 | Sir Thomas Alexander Stewart | ![]() |
6 August 1939 | 2 February 1943 | |
4 | Sir Thomas George Rutherford | ![]() |
3 February 1943 | 6 September 1943 | |
– | Sir Francis Mudie (acting) | ![]() |
7 September 1943 | 23 April 1944 | |
(4) | Sir Thomas George Rutherford | ![]() |
24 April 1944 | 12 May 1946 | |
5 | Sir Hugh Dow | ![]() |
13 May 1946 | 14 August 1947 | |
After Independence | |||||
1 | Jairamdas Daulatram | ![]() |
15 August 1947 | 11 January 1948 | |
2 | Madhav Shrihari Aney | ![]() |
12 January 1948 | 14 June 1952 | |
3 | R. R. Diwakar | ![]() |
15 June 1952 | 5 July 1957 | |
4 | Zakir Husain | ![]() |
6 July 1957 | 11 May 1962 | |
5 | M. A. Ayyangar | ![]() |
12 May 1962 | 6 December 1967 | |
6 | Nityanand Kanungo | ![]() |
7 December 1967 | 20 January 1971 | |
– | Justice U.N. Sinha (acting) | ![]() |
21 January 1971 | 31 January 1971 | |
7 | Dev Kant Baruah | ![]() |
1 February 1971 | 4 February 1973 | |
8 | Ramchandra Dhondiba Bhandare | ![]() |
4 February 1973 | 15 June 1976 | |
9 | Jagannath Kaushal | ![]() |
16 June 1976 | 31 January 1979 | |
– | Justice K.B.N. Singh (acting) | ![]() |
31 January 1979 | 19 September 1979 | |
10 | Akhlaqur Rahman Kidwai | ![]() |
20 September 1979 | 15 March 1985 | |
11 | P. Venkatasubbaiah | ![]() |
15 March 1985 | 25 February 1988 | |
12 | Govind Narain Singh | ![]() |
26 February 1988 | 24 January 1989 | |
– | Justice Dipak Kumar Sen (acting) | ![]() |
24 January 1989 | 28 January 1989 | |
13 | R.D. Pradhan | ![]() |
29 January 1989 | 2 February 1989 | |
14 | Jagannath Pahadia | ![]() |
3 March 1989 | 2 February 1990 | |
– | Justice G.G. Sohoni (acting) | ![]() |
2 February 1990 | 16 February 1990 | |
15 | Mohammad Saleem | ![]() |
16 February 1990 | 13 February 1991 | |
– | B. Satya Narayan Reddy (acting) | ![]() |
14 February 1991 | 18 March 1991 | |
16 | Mohammad Shafi Qureshi | ![]() |
19 March 1991 | 13 August 1993 | |
(10) | Akhlaqur Rahman Kidwai | ![]() |
14 August 1993 | 26 April 1998 | |
17 | Sunder Singh Bhandari | ![]() |
27 April 1998 | 15 March 1999 | |
– | Justice B.M. Lall (acting) | ![]() |
15 March 1999 | 5 October 1999 | |
— | Suraj Bhan (additional charge) | ![]() |
6 October 1999 | 22 November 1999 | |
18 | V. C. Pande | ![]() |
23 November 1999 | 12 June 2003 | |
19 | M R Jois | ![]() |
12 June 2003 | 31 October 2004 | |
– | Ved Prakash Marwah (acting) | ![]() |
1 November 2004 | 4 November 2004 | |
20 | Buta Singh | ![]() |
5 November 2004 | 29 January 2006 | |
- | Gopalkrishna Gandhi (additional charge) | ![]() |
31 January 2006 | 21 June 2006 | |
21 | R. S. Gavai | ![]() |
22 June 2006 | 9 July 2008 | |
22 | R. L. Bhatia | ![]() |
10 July 2008 | 28 June 2009 | |
23 | Devanand Konwar | ![]() |
29 June 2009 | 21 March 2013 | |
24 | D. Y. Patil | ![]() |
22 March 2013 | 26 November 2014 | |
— | Keshari Nath Tripathi (additional charge) | ![]() |
27 November 2014 | 15 August 2015 | |
25 | Ram Nath Kovind | ![]() |
16 August 2015 | 20 June 2017[3] | |
— | Keshari Nath Tripathi (additional charge) | ![]() |
20 June 2017[4] | 29 September 2017 | |
26 | Satya Pal Malik | ![]() |
30 September 2017[5] | 23 August 2018 | |
27 | Lalji Tandon | ![]() |
23 August 2018[6] | 28 July 2019 | |
28 | Phagu Chauhan | ![]() |
29 July 2019 | 13 February 2023 | |
29 | Rajendra Viswanath Arlekar | ![]() |
14 February 2023 | Incumbent |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "President Kovind Appoints 5 New Governors, Tamil Nadu Gets Its Own After A Year". NDTV.com. Retrieved 30 September 2017.
- ^ Mohan, Archis (21 August 2018). "Satya Pal Malik new J&K Governor, Lalji Tandon takes his place in Bihar". Business Standard India. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
- ^ "Profile of the President of India". presidentofindia.nic.in. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
- ^ "Ram Nath Kovind resigns as Bihar Governor". The Hindu. PTI. 20 June 2017. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
- ^ "Who is Satya Pal Malik?". The Indian Express. 30 September 2017. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
- ^ "Lalji Tandon sworn in as Bihar Governor". The Hindu. 23 August 2018.