List of governors of Jharkhand


The governor of Jharkhand is the nominal head of the Indian state of Jharkhand. The governor is appointed by the president of India. Though all official affairs of the state are administered and carried out in the name of the governor, the real executive power rests with the chief minister who is a member of the legislative assembly and is the leader of the majority party in the house. Lok Bhavan, Ranchi is the official residence of the Governor of Jharkhand, while Lok Bhavan, Dumka is used for occasional visits.
The position of the governor of Jharkhand came into existence following the creation of the state in November 2000 as a result of the bifurcation of Bihar. The first governor to be appointed was Prabhat Kumar who served in office between 2000 and 2002. The current governor is Santosh Gangwar.

Powers and functions

The governor enjoys many different types of powers:
Apart from enjoying various constitutional powers, the governor of Jharkhand is the ex-officio Chancellor of the state universities of Jharkhand. The universities include Binod Bihari Mahto Koyalanchal University, Birsa Agricultural University, Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee University, Jharkhand Raksha Shakti University, Jharkhand University of Technology, Kolhan University, Nilamber-Pitamber University, Ranchi University, Sido Kanhu Murmu University, and Vinoba Bhave University.

List

Following is the list of governors of Jharkhand since its inception on 15 November 2000. As of date, ten governors have been appointed to office. The first governor was Prabhat Kumar who served from 2000 till 2002. The current governor is Santosh Gangwar who has been in office since 31 July 2024. The first female and the longest serving governor of the state till date is Droupadi Murmu who served as the governor between 2015 and 2021.
;Legend
  • Died in office
  • Transferred
  • Resigned/removed
;Color key
  • indicates acting/additional charge

Oath

“I, A. B., do swear in the name of God/solemly affirm that I will faithfully
execute the office of Governor of............. and will to
the best of my ability preserve, protect and defend the
Constitution and the law and that I will devote myself to
the service and well-being of the people of..……….”