The Governor of Assam is the constitutional head of the state, appointed by the President of India, while real executive power rests with the Chief Minister. Since independence, Assam has had close to 30 individuals hold this office — including several who served non-consecutive terms, and a handful of acting Governors who briefly held additional charge. For APSC, ADRE, and UPSC aspirants, this “Governors of Assam” is a frequently tested static GK topic alongside the list of Chief Ministers.

This article lists every Governor of Assam since 1947, in order, with tenure and the key facts associated with each.

Governors of Assam: Complete List (1947–Present)

1. Sir Muhammad Saleh Akbar Hydari — 4 May 1947 – 28 Dec 1948. Died in office; the last British-appointed Governor of Assam.
2. Sir Ronald Francis Lodge (Acting) — 30 Dec 1948 – 15 Feb 1949.
3. Sri Prakasa — 16 Feb 1949 – 26 May 1950. First Governor to serve a full term after independence.
4. Jairamdas Daulatram — 27 May 1950 – 14 May 1956.
5. Saiyid Fazl Ali — 15 May 1956 – 22 Aug 1959. Died in office; also chaired the States Reorganisation Commission.
6. Chandreswar Prasad Sinha (Acting) — 23 Aug 1959 – 13 Oct 1959. Chief Justice of the Assam High Court at the time.
7. General S. M. Shrinagesh — 14 Oct 1959 – 12 Nov 1960, and again 13 Jan 1961 – 7 Sep 1962. Two non-consecutive terms; a former Army Chief.
8. Vishnu Sahay — 12 Nov 1960 – 13 Jan 1961, and again 7 Sep 1962 – 17 Apr 1968. Also served two non-consecutive terms.
9. Braj Kumar Nehru — 17 Apr 1968 – 7 Dec 1970, and again 5 Jan 1971 – 19 Sep 1973. Awarded the Padma Vibhushan.
10. Justice P. K. Goswami (Acting) — 8 Dec 1970 – 4 Jan 1971.
11. Lallan Prasad Singh — 19 Sep 1973 – 10 Aug 1981. Simultaneously held charge of Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, and Tripura.
12. Prakash Chandra Mehrotra — 10 Aug 1981 – 28 Mar 1984.
13. Justice Tribeni Sahai Misra — 28 Mar 1984 – 15 Apr 1984. A brief tenure; also Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court.
14. Bhishma Narain Singh — 15 Apr 1984 – 10 May 1989. In office when the Assam Accord was signed in 1985.
15. Harideo Joshi — 10 May 1989 – 21 Jul 1989. A three-time Chief Minister of Rajasthan before this appointment.
16. Justice Anisetti Raghuvir — 21 Jul 1989 – 2 May 1990. Former Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court.
17. Devi Das Thakur — 2 May 1990 – 17 Mar 1991.
18. Loknath Mishra — 17 Mar 1991 – 1 Sep 1997. The longest-serving Governor of Assam since independence, at over six years.
19. Lt. Gen. S. K. Sinha — 1 Sep 1997 – 21 Apr 2003. Known for his focus on insurgency management and rural irrigation.
20. Arvind Dave (Additional charge) — 21 Apr 2003 – 5 Jun 2003.
21. Lt. Gen. Ajai Singh — 5 Jun 2003 – 4 Jul 2008. Also served as Chairman of the North Eastern Council.
22. Shiv Charan Mathur — 4 Jul 2008 – 25 Jun 2009. Died in office; a former Chief Minister of Rajasthan.
23. Syed Sibtey Razi — 27 Jul 2009 – 27 Nov 2009.
24. Janaki Ballav Patnaik — 11 Dec 2009 – 10 Dec 2014. Completed a full five-year term.
25. Padmanabha Balakrishna Acharya — 12 Dec 2014 – 22 Aug 2016. Also held charge of Nagaland, Manipur, Tripura, and Arunachal Pradesh at various points.
26. Banwarilal Purohit — 22 Aug 2016 – 29 Sep 2017. Later went on to become Governor of Tamil Nadu and then Punjab.
27. Jagdish Mukhi — 10 Oct 2017 – 20 Feb 2023. Also held additional charge of Nagaland and Mizoram during his tenure.
28. Gulab Chand Kataria — 22 Feb 2023 – 29 Jul 2024. Later became Governor of Punjab.
29. Lakshman Prasad Acharya — 30 Jul 2024 – Incumbent. The current Governor of Assam.

Note: Official numbering varies slightly by source, since acting and additional-charge Governors of Assam are sometimes counted separately in Raj Bhavan’s own records.

Key Facts and Milestones of the Governors of Assam

Longest-serving Governor: Loknath Mishra, who held office for over six years from 1991 to 1997.

First Governor after independence: Sir Muhammad Saleh Akbar Hydari, who had already been serving before 1947 and continued until his death in office in December 1948 — making him the last British-appointed and first post-independence Governor.

Governors who died in office: Akbar Hydari (1948), Saiyid Fazl Ali (1959), and Shiv Charan Mathur (2009).

Governor during the Assam Accord: Bhishma Narain Singh was in office when the Assam Accord was signed in 1985, ending the six-year Assam Movement.

Governors who served non-consecutive terms: S. M. Shrinagesh, Vishnu Sahay, and Braj Kumar Nehru each held the post across two separate spells.

Governors who were former Chief Ministers of other states: Harideo Joshi (Rajasthan) and Shiv Charan Mathur (Rajasthan) both went on to serve as Governor of Assam after leading their home states.

Current Governor: Lakshman Prasad Acharya has been serving as the Governor of Assam since 30 July 2024, succeeding Gulab Chand Kataria. He is the 32nd Governor of Assam. The oath of office was administered by Hon’ble Mr. Justice Vijay Bishnoi, Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court. A native of Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, Acharya previously served as the Governor of Sikkim and was a Member of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council (MLC) before assuming office in Assam.

Constitutional Provisions of the Governor of a State

The Governor is the constitutional head of a State in India, functioning in a role similar to that of the President at the Union level. While the real executive authority rests with the Council of Ministers headed by the Chief Minister, the Governor acts as the constitutional executive and performs duties in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution.

The office of the Governor is established under Part VI of the Constitution (The States), Chapter II (The Executive), covering Articles 153 to 167. These provisions define the Governor’s appointment, qualifications, tenure, powers, relationship with the Council of Ministers, and constitutional responsibilities.

Article 153: Governors of States

Article 153 provides that there shall be a Governor for every State. The Constitution also permits the appointment of the same individual as the Governor of two or more States. This provision was introduced to improve administrative efficiency and facilitate coordination where necessary.

Article 154: Executive Power of the State

Article 154 vests the executive power of the State in the Governor. This power may be exercised directly by the Governor or through officers subordinate to him or her, in accordance with the Constitution. Although executive authority is formally vested in the Governor, it is ordinarily exercised on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers.

Article 155: Appointment of the Governor

The Governor is appointed by the President of India through a warrant under the President’s hand and seal. Unlike the President, the Governor is not elected. The appointment reflects India’s federal structure with a strong Centre.

Article 156: Term of Office

The Governor ordinarily holds office for a term of five years. However, the Governor serves during the pleasure of the President, which means the President may remove the Governor before the completion of the five-year term. Even after the expiry of the term, the Governor continues to hold office until a successor assumes charge.

Article 157: Qualifications for Appointment

To be appointed as Governor, a person must:

• Be a citizen of India.
• Have completed 35 years of age.

The Constitution does not prescribe any educational qualification or prior administrative experience for this office.

Article 158: Conditions of Office

Article 158 lays down the conditions governing the Governor’s office. The Governor:

• Cannot be a member of Parliament or any State Legislature.
• Cannot hold any office of profit.
• Is entitled to salary, allowances, and an official residence.
• If a sitting legislator is appointed Governor, their legislative seat automatically becomes vacant.

Article 159: Oath or Affirmation

Before entering office, the Governor takes an oath to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution and to faithfully discharge the duties of the office. The oath is administered by the Chief Justice of the High Court or, in their absence, the senior-most available judge.

Article 160: Discharge of Functions in Certain Contingencies

Article 160 empowers the President to make suitable arrangements for the discharge of the Governor’s functions in circumstances not specifically covered by the Constitution, such as resignation, illness, or vacancy in the office.

Article 161: Pardoning Power of the Governor

The Governor has the power to grant pardons, reprieves, respites, remissions, suspend, remit, or commute sentences for offences against laws falling within the executive power of the State.

However, unlike the President under Article 72, the Governor cannot grant a pardon in cases involving court-martial. While the Governor cannot completely pardon a death sentence, the sentence may be commuted or remitted where permitted under law.

Article 162: Extent of Executive Power

The executive power of the State extends to matters on which the State Legislature has the authority to make laws under the Constitution. In matters where both Parliament and State Legislatures can legislate, the executive power of the State is subject to the Constitution and laws made by Parliament.

Article 163: Council of Ministers to Aid and Advise the Governor

Article 163 provides that there shall be a Council of Ministers headed by the Chief Minister to aid and advise the Governor in the exercise of functions.

The Governor may act in discretion only in matters where the Constitution expressly provides such discretion. The Supreme Court has consistently held that discretionary powers cannot be exercised arbitrarily.

Article 164: Appointment of the Chief Minister and Other Ministers

The Governor appoints the Chief Minister and, on the Chief Minister’s advice, appoints the other Ministers. The Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to the Legislative Assembly.

Although Ministers technically hold office during the Governor’s pleasure, in practice they remain in office so long as they enjoy the confidence of the Legislative Assembly.

Article 165: Advocate General for the State

The Governor appoints the Advocate General, who is the highest law officer of the State. The Advocate General advises the State Government on legal matters and performs duties assigned by the Governor.

Article 166: Conduct of Government Business

Article 166 provides that all executive actions of the State Government shall be expressed in the name of the Governor. It also authorizes the Governor to make rules regarding the allocation and transaction of government business among Ministers.

Article 167: Duties of the Chief Minister

The Chief Minister is constitutionally obligated to:

• Keep the Governor informed about the affairs of the State Government.
• Furnish information sought by the Governor.
• Submit matters decided by individual Ministers before the Council of Ministers if the Governor so requires.

This provision ensures constitutional communication between the Governor and the elected government.

Constitutional Position of the Governor

Although the Constitution vests executive power in the Governor, the office is primarily ceremonial in ordinary circumstances. The Governor functions on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers except in situations where the Constitution specifically grants discretionary authority.

The Governor also acts as an important constitutional link between the Union Government and the State Government, ensuring that governance is carried out in accordance with the Constitution.

Important Constitutional Articles Related to the Governor Beyond Articles 153–167

Several other constitutional provisions also define the Governor’s powers and responsibilities:

• Article 174 empowers the Governor to summon, prorogue, and dissolve the State Legislature.
• Article 175 gives the Governor the right to address and send messages to the Legislature.
• Article 176 requires the Governor to deliver a special address at the commencement of the first session after each general election and the first session every year.
• Article 200 deals with the Governor’s assent to Bills passed by the State Legislature.
• Article 201 provides for Bills reserved for the consideration of the President.
• Article 213 empowers the Governor to promulgate Ordinances when the Legislature is not in session.
• Article 356 enables the Governor to report constitutional breakdown in the State, forming the basis for the imposition of President’s Rule.

Also read – Chief Minister

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