President Pranab Mukherjee has appointed Senior BJP leader Ram Nath Kovind and Educationist Acharya Dev Vrat as the Governors of Bihar and Himachal Pradesh respectively. Ram Nath Kovind, 69, was a lawyer and also a two-time Rajya Sabha member between 1994 and 2006. He hails from Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh. West Bengal Governor Keshri Nath Tripathi was holding additional charge of Bihar. Kovind had also been BJP Scheduled Caste Morcha chief.

Acharya Dev Vrat is an Arya Samaj pracharak, a non-political social worker, and educationist. He is a Principal of a Gurukul in Kurukshetra in Haryana. Rajasthan Governor Kalyan Singh was holding the additional charge of Himachal Pradesh. Dev Vrat has taken up social issues like those of farmers, a drug-free society, village upliftment, Ayurveda and naturopathy and organic farming. Dev Vrat is a recipient of American Medal of Honor awarded by American Biographical Institute.

Some Important Roles of a Governor

• The Governor appoints Chief Minister and other Ministers. (Article 164).
• The Governor appoints the Advocate General for the State. (Article 165).
• The Governor shall from time to time summon and prorogue the House and dissolve the Legislative Assembly. (Article 174).
• The Governor may address the Legislative Assembly.
• The Governor may promulgate the ordinances under certain circumstances. (Article 213).
• The Governor is consulted for the appointment of Judges of High Court.

Test Your Knowledge

We all Know that Rashtrapati Bhavan is the official residence of The President of India. What is the common name of the official residences of the State Governors in India?

The First Woman Governor of Indian State was