VictoriaCoward4 at 21:06, 7 May 2026

2026-05-07T21:06:45Z

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{{Short description|None}}
{{more citations needed|date=July 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=March 2026}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2026}}
{{Infobox official post
| post = Governor
| native_name =
| insignia =
| insigniasize =
| insigniacaption = [[Emblem of West Bengal]]
| image = R.N. Ravi.jpg
| incumbent = [[R. N. Ravi]]
| incumbentsince = {{Start date|df=yes|2026|3|12}}
| abbreviation = GoWB
| style = [[The Honourable]] {{small|(formal)}} [[Mister|Mr. Governor]] {{small|(informal)}} [[Excellency|His/Her Excellency]]
| residence = {{plainlist|
*[[Lok Bhavan, Kolkata]] {{small|(primary)}}
*[[Lok Bhavan, Darjeeling]] {{small|(summer)}}}}
| termlength = [[At His Majesty's pleasure#Derivatives|At the pleasure of the president]]
| appointer = [[President of India]]
| precursor = [[Governor-General of India]]
| formation = {{start date and years ago|df=yes|1947|08|15}}
| salary = {{INRConvert|350000}} (per month)
| inaugural = [[Chakravarthi Rajagopalachari]]
| website = {{url|http://rajbhavankolkata.gov.in}}
| body = West Bengal
| status = [[Head of state]]
}}
The '''governor of West Bengal''' is the nominal head of the Indian state of [[West Bengal]]. The governor is appointed by the [[President of India]]. [[R. N. Ravi]] is the incumbent governor since 12 March 2026.<ref>{{cite news |date=6 March 2026 |title=New Governors in states, UT: TN’s Ravi replaces Bose in Bengal ahead of polls, Hasnain for Bihar, Sandhu gets Delhi |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/political-pulse/new-governors-in-states-ut-tns-ravi-replaces-bose-in-bengal-ahead-of-polls-hasnain-for-bihar-sandhu-gets-delhi-10566960/ |access-date=6 March 2026 |work=[[The Indian Express]]}}</ref>

==Powers and functions==
{{See also|Governors of India#Powers and functions}}
The governor enjoys many different types of powers:

*'''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.

===''Ex officio'' role of governor===
In his ''ex officio'' capacity, the governor of West Bengal is Chancellor of the universities of West Bengal (at present{{clarify timeframe|date=November 2019}} 16) as per the Acts of the Universities. The Universities are:

* [[University of Calcutta]]
* [[Jadavpur University]]
* [[University of Burdwan]]
* [[Presidency University, Kolkata]]
* [[North Bengal University]]
* [[University of Kalyani]]
* [[Rabindra Bharati University]]
* [[Vidyasagar University]]
* [[Netaji Subhas Open University]]
* [[Maulana Abul Kalam Azad University of Technology]]
* [[Aliah University]]
* [[Bankura University]]
* [[Cooch Behar Panchanan Barma University]]
* [[Diamond Harbour Women's University]]
* [[University of Gour Banga]]
* [[Kazi Nazrul University]]
* [[Raiganj University]]
* [[Sidho Kanho Birsha University]]
* [[The Sanskrit College and University]]
* [[Baba Saheb Ambedkar Education University]]
* [[Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya]]
* [[Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya]]
* [[West Bengal University of Animal and Fishery Sciences]]
* [[West Bengal University of Health Sciences]]
* [[West Bengal State University]]

* For [[Visva Bharati]], the governor is the [[Rector (academia)|Pradhana (Rector)]].

The governor is also the chairman or president of some organisations, such as [[Victoria Memorial, Kolkata|Victoria Memorial Hall]], [[Indian Museum]], [[Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture]], Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre, [[Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Institute of Asian Studies]] (MAKAIAS), Calcutta Cultural Centre (Kolkata Kala Kendra), Special Fund for R&R of Ex-servicemen, West Bengal Rajya Sainik Board, Sri Aurobindo Samiti, [[Indian Red Cross]] Society - West Bengal State Branch, [[St. John Ambulance Brigade]] No. II (West Bengal) District, [[Bharat Scouts and Guides]], and the Bengal Tuberculosis Association.

The governor of West Bengal’s Welfare Fund has the governor as its chairman. Contributions from this fund are given to the needy people for meeting, to some extent, the cost of their treatment. Besides the above, at his discretion, the governor accepts the position of Chief [[Patron]]/Patron or other posts in the honorary capacity, in various organisations that are rendering [[yeoman]] service to society in different fields.

==List==

;Legend
*{{note label|†|†|†}} Died in office
*{{note label|§|§|§}} Transferred
*{{note label|‡|‡|‡}} Resigned/removed

;Color key
*{{legend2|wheat}} indicates acting/additional charge

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center; border:1px #aaf solid;"
! rowspan="2"| {{abbr|#|Number}}
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable"| Portrait
! rowspan="2" style="width:14em" | Name (born{{spaced ndash}}died)
! rowspan="2" style="width:7em" | Home state
! colspan="3"| Tenure in office
! rowspan="2" style="width:7em" | Appointer (President)
|-
! style="width:7em"| From
! style="width:7em"| To
! style="width:5em"| Time in office
|-
! 1
| [[File:Chakravarthi Rajagopalachari.jpg|70px]]
| '''[[C. Rajagopalachari|Chakravarti Rajagopalachari]]''' {{small|(1878{{ndash}}1972)}}
| [[Madras Presidency]]
| {{small|15 August}} 1947
| {{small|21 June}} 1948{{ref label|‡|‡|‡}}{{efn-lg|Resigned to become the [[Governor-General of India]]}}
| '''{{ayd|15 Aug 1947|21 Jun 1948}}'''
| rowspan="2"| [[Lord Mountbatten]] {{small|(Governor-General)}}
|-
! 2
| [[File:Kailash Nath Katju.jpg|70px]]
| '''[[Kailash Nath Katju]]''' {{small|(1887{{ndash}}1968)}}
| [[Central Provinces and Berar]]
| {{small|21 June}} 1948
| {{small|1 November}} 1951
| '''{{ayd|21 Jun 1948|1 Nov 1951}}'''
|-
! 3
| [[File:Harendra Coomar Mookerjee.jpg|70px]]
| '''[[Harendra Coomar Mookerjee]]''' {{small|(1887{{ndash}}1956)}}
| [[West Bengal]]
| {{small|1 November}} 1951
| {{small|7 August}} 1956{{ref label|†|†|†}}
| '''{{ayd|1 Nov 1951|7 Aug 1956}}'''
| rowspan="3"| [[Rajendra Prasad]]
|- bgcolor="wheat"
! 4
| [[File:Phani Bhusan Chakravartti.jpg|70px]]
| {{small|Justice}} '''[[Phani Bhusan Chakravartti]]''' {{small|(1898{{ndash}}1981)}} (Acting)
| [[West Bengal]]
| {{small|8 August}} 1956
| {{small|3 November}} 1956
| '''{{ayd|8 Aug 1956|3 Nov 1956}}'''
|-
! 5
| [[File:Padmaja Naidu.jpg|70px]]
| '''[[Padmaja Naidu]]''' {{small|(1900{{ndash}}1975)}}
| [[Andhra Pradesh]]
| {{small|3 November}} 1956
| {{small|1 June}} 1967
| '''{{ayd|3 Nov 1956|1 Jun 1967}}'''
|-
! 6
| [[File:Dharma Vir, ICS.jpg|70px]]
| '''[[Dharma Vira]]''' {{small|[[Indian Civil Service|ICS]] (Retd.) (1906{{ndash}}2000)}}
| [[Uttar Pradesh]]
| {{small|1 June}} 1967
| {{small|1 April}} 1969
| '''{{ayd|1 Jun 1967|1 Apr 1969}}'''
| rowspan="2"| [[Zakir Husain]]
|- bgcolor="wheat"
! 7
| [[File:Blank.svg|70px]]
| {{small|Justice}} '''[[Deep Narayan Sinha]]''' (Acting)
| [[West Bengal]]
| {{small|1 April}} 1969
| {{small|19 September}} 1969
| '''{{ayd|1 Apr 1969|19 Sep 1969}}'''
|-
! 8
| [[File:Blank.svg|70px]]
| '''[[Shanti Swaroop Dhavan]]''' {{small|(1906{{ndash}}1978)}}
| [[Uttar Pradesh]]
| {{small|19 September}} 1969
| {{small|21 August}} 1971
| '''{{ayd|19 Sep 1969|21 Aug 1971}}'''
| rowspan="2"| [[V. V. Giri]]
|-
! 9
| [[File:Blank.svg|70px]]
| '''[[Anthony Lancelot Dias]]''' {{small|[[Indian Civil Service|ICS]] (Retd.) (1910{{ndash}}2002)}}
| [[Maharashtra]]
| {{small|21 August}} 1971
| {{small|6 November}} 1979
| '''{{ayd|21 Aug 1971|6 Nov 1979}}'''
|-
! 10
| [[File:Tribhuvan Narayan Singh Lok Sabha photo.jpg|70px]]
| '''[[Tribhuvan Narain Singh]]''' {{small|(1904{{ndash}}1982)}}
| [[Uttar Pradesh]]
| {{small|6 November}} 1979
| {{small|12 September}} 1981
| '''{{ayd|6 Nov 1979|12 Sep 1981}}'''
| rowspan="2"| [[Neelam Sanjiva Reddy]]
|-
! 11
| [[File:Blank.svg|70px]]
| '''[[B. D. Pande|Bhairab Dutt Pande]]''' {{small|[[Indian Civil Service|ICS]] (Retd.) (1917{{ndash}}2009)}}
| [[Uttar Pradesh]]
| {{small|12 September}} 1981
| {{small|10 October}} 1983{{ref label|§|§|§}}{{efn-lg|Transferred as the [[Governor of Punjab (India)|Governor of Punjab]]}}
| '''{{ayd|12 Sep 1981|10 Oct 1983}}'''
|-
! 12
| [[File:Anant Sharma Lok Sabha photo.jpg|70px]]
| '''[[Anant Sharma|Anant Prasad Sharma]]''' {{small|(1919{{ndash}}1988)}}
| [[Bihar]]
| {{small|10 October}} 1983
| {{small|16 August}} 1984
| '''{{ayd|10 Oct 1983|16 Aug 1984}}'''
| rowspan="4"| [[Zail Singh]]
|- bgcolor="wheat"
! 13
| [[File:Blank.svg|70px]]
| {{small|Justice}} '''Satish Chandra''' (Acting)
| [[Uttar Pradesh]]
| {{small|16 August}} 1984
| {{small|1 October}} 1984
| '''{{ayd|16 Aug 1984|1 Oct 1984}}'''
|-
! 14
| [[File:Uma Shankar Dikshit Rajya Sabha photo.jpg|70px]]
| '''[[Uma Shankar Dikshit]]''' {{small|(1901{{ndash}}1991)}}
| [[Uttar Pradesh]]
| {{small|1 October}} 1984
| {{small|12 August}} 1986{{ref label|‡|‡|‡}}
| '''{{ayd|1 Oct 1984|12 Aug 1986}}'''
|-
! 15
| [[File:Saiyid Nurul Hasan 30.jpg|98x98px]]
| '''[[Saiyid Nurul Hasan]]''' {{small|(1921{{ndash}}1993)}}
| [[Uttar Pradesh]]
| {{small|12 August}} 1986
| {{small|20 March}} 1989{{ref label|§|§|§}}{{efn-lg|Transferred as the [[Governor of Orissa]]}}
| '''{{ayd|12 Aug 1986|20 Mar 1989}}'''
|-
! 16
| [[File:T. V. Rajeswar (cropped).jpg|70px]]
| '''[[T. V. Rajeswar]]''' {{small|[[Indian Police Service|IPS]] (Retd.) (1926{{ndash}}2018)}}
| [[Tamil Nadu]]
| {{small|20 March}} 1989
| {{small|7 February}} 1990{{ref label|‡|‡|‡}}
| '''{{ayd|20 Mar 1989|7 Feb 1990}}'''
| rowspan="6"| [[Ramaswamy Venkataraman]]
|-
! 17
| [[File:Saiyid Nurul Hasan 30.jpg|98x98px]]
| '''[[Saiyid Nurul Hasan]]''' {{small|(1921{{ndash}}1993)}}
| [[Uttar Pradesh]]
| {{small|7 February}} 1990
| {{small|3 January}} 1991
| '''{{ayd|7 Feb 1990|3 Jan 1991}}'''
|- bgcolor="wheat"
! 18
| [[File:K. V. Raghunatha Reddy (cropped).jpg|70px]]
| '''[[K. V. Raghunatha Reddy]]''' {{small|(1924{{ndash}}2002)}} (Acting)
| [[Andhra Pradesh]]
| {{small|4 January}} 1991
| {{small|23 January}} 1991
| '''{{ayd|4 Jan 1991|23 Jan 1991}}'''
|-
! 19
| [[File:Saiyid Nurul Hasan 30.jpg|98x98px]]
| '''[[Saiyid Nurul Hasan]]''' {{small|(1921{{ndash}}1993)}}
| [[Uttar Pradesh]]
| {{small|24 January}} 1991
| {{small|3 January}} 1992
| '''{{ayd|24 Jan 1991|3 Jan 1992}}'''
|- bgcolor="wheat"
! 20
| [[File:Mohammad Shafi Qureshi, Governor of Madhya Pradesh (cropped).jpg|70px]]
| '''[[Mohammad Shafi Qureshi]]''' {{small|(1928{{ndash}}2016)}} (Acting)
| [[Jammu and Kashmir (state)|Jammu and Kashmir]]
| {{small|3 January}} 1992
| {{small|23 January}} 1992
| '''{{ayd|3 Jan 1992|23 Jan 1992}}'''
|-
! 21
| [[File:Saiyid Nurul Hasan 30.jpg|98x98px]]
| '''[[Saiyid Nurul Hasan]]''' {{small|(1921{{ndash}}1993)}}
| [[Uttar Pradesh]]
| {{small|24 January}} 1992
| {{small|12 July}} 1993{{ref label|†|†|†}}
| '''{{ayd|24 Jan 1992|12 Jul 1993}}'''
|- bgcolor="wheat"
! 22
| [[File:B. Satya Narayan Reddy portrait.jpg|70px]]
| '''[[B. Satya Narayan Reddy]]''' {{small|(1927{{ndash}}2012)}} (Additional Charge)
| [[Andhra Pradesh]]
| {{small|13 July}} 1993
| {{small|14 August}} 1993
| '''{{ayd|13 Jul 1993|14 Aug 1993}}'''
| rowspan="2"| [[Shankar Dayal Sharma]]
|-
! 23
| [[File:K. V. Raghunatha Reddy (cropped).jpg|70px]]
| '''[[K. V. Raghunatha Reddy]]''' {{small|(1924{{ndash}}2002)}}
| [[Andhra Pradesh]]
| {{small|14 August}} 1993
| {{small|27 April}} 1998
| '''{{ayd|14 Aug 1993|27 Apr 1998}}'''
|-
! 24
| [[File:A. R. Kidwai in 2009 (cropped).jpg|70px]]
| '''[[Akhlaqur Rahman Kidwai]]''' {{small|(1921{{ndash}}2016)}}
| [[National Capital Territory of Delhi]]
| {{small|27 April}} 1998
| {{small|18 May}} 1999{{ref label|‡|‡|‡}}
| '''{{ayd|27 Apr 1998|18 May 1999}}'''
| rowspan="3"| [[K. R. Narayanan]]
|-
! 25
| [[File:Shyamal Kumar Sen - Kolkata 2012-10-03 0512.JPG|70px]]
| {{small|Justice}} '''[[Shyamal Kumar Sen]]''' {{small|(born 1940)}}
| [[West Bengal]]
| {{small|18 May}} 1999
| {{small|4 December}} 1999
| '''{{ayd|18 May 1999|4 Dec 1999}}'''
|-
! 26
| [[File:Viren J Shah - Kolkata 2004-05-02 1366.jpg|70px]]
| '''[[Viren J. Shah]]''' {{small|(1926{{ndash}}2013)}}
| [[Gujarat]]
| {{small|4 December}} 1999
| {{small|14 December}} 2004
| '''{{ayd|4 Dec 1999|14 Dec 2004}}'''
|-
! 27
| [[File:Gopalkrishna Gandhi - Chatham House 2010 (cropped).jpg|70px]]
| '''[[Gopalkrishna Gandhi]]''' {{small|[[Indian Administrative Service|IAS]] (Retd.) (born 1945)}}
| [[National Capital Territory of Delhi]]
| {{small|14 December}} 2004
| {{small|14 December}} 2009
| '''{{ayd|14 Dec 2004|14 Dec 2009}}'''
| [[A. P. J. Abdul Kalam]]
|- bgcolor="wheat"
! 28
| [[File:Pranab Mukherjee attending the Launching Ceremony of Agriculture Road Map of Bihar (2012-2017), at Patna, in Bihar. The Governor of Bihar, Shri Devanand Konwar and the Chief Minister of Bihar, Shri Nitish Kumar are also seen (cropped).jpg|70px]]
| '''[[Devanand Konwar]]''' {{small|(1934{{ndash}}2020)}} (Additional Charge)
| [[Assam]]
| {{small|14 December}} 2009
| {{small|23 January}} 2010
| '''{{ayd|14 Dec 2009|23 Jan 2010}}'''
| rowspan="2"| [[Pratibha Patil]]
|-
! 29
| [[File:Mayankote Kelath Narayanan - Kolkata 2014-02-04 8384.JPG|105x105px]]
| '''[[M. K. Narayanan]]''' {{small|[[Indian Police Service|IPS]] (Retd.) (born 1934)}}
| [[Tamil Nadu]]
| {{small|24 January}} 2010
| {{small|30 June}} 2014{{ref label|‡|‡|‡}}
| '''{{ayd|24 Jan 2010|30 Jun 2014}}'''
|- bgcolor="wheat"
! 30
| [[File:Shri D.Y. Patil (cropped, 3x4).jpg|70px]]
| '''[[D. Y. Patil]]''' {{small|(born 1935)}} (Additional Charge)
| [[Maharashtra]]
| {{small|3 July}} 2014
| {{small|17 July}} 2014
| '''{{ayd|3 Jul 2014|17 Jul 2014}}'''
| rowspan="2"| [[Pranab Mukherjee]]
|-
! 31
| [[File:Keshari Nath Tripathi - Kolkata 2016-07-01 5591.JPG|105x105px]]
| '''[[Keshari Nath Tripathi]]''' {{small|(1934{{ndash}}2023)}}
| [[Uttar Pradesh]]
| {{small|24 July}} 2014
| {{small|29 July}} 2019
| '''{{ayd|24 Jul 2014|29 Jul 2019}}'''
|-
! 32
| [[File:Shri JDhankhar.png|92x92px]]
| '''[[Jagdeep Dhankhar]]''' {{small|(born 1951)}}
| [[Rajasthan]]
| {{small|30 July}} 2019
| {{small|17 July}} 2022{{ref label|‡|‡|‡}}{{efn-lg|Resigned to become the [[Vice President of India]]}}
| '''{{ayd|30 Jul 2019|17 Jul 2022}}'''
| rowspan="2"| [[Ram Nath Kovind]]
|- bgcolor="wheat"
! 33
| [[File:La Ganesan Ji (cropped).jpg|84x84px]]
| '''[[La. Ganesan]]''' {{small|(1945{{ndash}}2025)}} (Additional Charge)
| [[Tamil Nadu]]
| {{small|18 July}} 2022
| {{small|17 November}} 2022
| '''{{ayd|18 Jul 2022|17 Nov 2022}}'''
|-
! 34
| [[File:Governor C. V. Ananda Bose at PMO.jpg|70px]]
| '''[[C. V. Ananda Bose]]''' {{small|[[Indian Administrative Service|IAS]] (Retd.) (born 1951)}}
| [[Keralam]]
| {{small|18 November}} 2022
| 11 March
2026{{ref label|‡|‡|‡}}
| '''{{ayd|18 Nov 2022|11 March 2026}}'''
| Rowspan=2|[[Droupadi Murmu]]
|-
! 35
| [[File:R.N. Ravi.jpg|95x95px]]
|'''[[R. N. Ravi]]''' {{small|[[Indian Police Service|IPS]] (Retd.) (born 1952)}}
|[[Bihar]]
|12 March
2026
|''Incumbent''
| '''{{ayd|12 Mar 2026}}'''
|}

{{reflist|group=lower-greek}}

==See also==
*[[West Bengal]]
*[[Governors and Lieutenant-Governors of states of India]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://rajbhavankolkata.gov.in Raj Bhavan's (Governor's residence) official website]
**[https://web.archive.org/web/20070927190646/http://rajbhavankolkata.gov.in/html/const_role.htm Constitutional role of Governor]
**[https://web.archive.org/web/20070927190654/http://rajbhavankolkata.gov.in/html/ex_off.htm ''Ex officio'' role of Governor]
** [https://rajbhavankolkata.gov.in/html/pastgov1912_new.html title=Governors of Bengal from 1912 up to the present day]

{{Governors_and_Lt_Governors_of_Indian_States}}
{{Governors of West Bengal}}
{{West Bengal}}

[[Category:Governors of West Bengal| ]]
[[Category:West Bengal politics-related lists|Governors]]
[[Category:Lists of governors of Indian states|West Bengal]]

List of governors of West Bengal - Revision history

VictoriaCoward4 at 21:06, 7 May 2026