Governors of Tamil Nadu 1966–2026 | Names, Tenure & Current Governor
இந்தப் பதிவில்
Verified on: 26 October 2026
This chronological reference covers Governors associated with Madras State and Tamil Nadu from 1966 onward. It separates the names, years in office and acting or additional-charge roles. The incumbent’s 2026 appointment and assumption of full-time office are explained separately below.
Current Governor of Tamil Nadu
Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar is the current Governor of Tamil Nadu. He assumed additional charge on 12 March 2026. The President’s appointment announcement is dated 12 October 2026, and Lok Bhavan records his assumption of full-time office on 15 October 2026. These are distinct stages of the appointment.
| Name | Years in office | Role / note |
|---|---|---|
| Sardar Ujjal Singh | 1966–1971 | Madras/Tamil Nadu period |
| K. K. Shah | 1971–1976 | Governor |
| Mohanlal Sukhadia | 1976–1977 | Governor |
| P. Govind Nair | 1977 | Acting Governor |
| Prabhudas B. Patwari | 1977–1980 | Governor |
| M. M. Ismail | 1980 | Acting Governor |
| Sadiq Ali | 1980–1982 | Governor |
| S. L. Khurana | 1982–1988 | Governor |
| P. C. Alexander | 1988–1990 | Governor |
| Surjit Singh Barnala | 1990–1991 | First period in this list |
| Bhishma Narain Singh | 1991–1993 | Governor |
| M. Channa Reddy | 1993–1996 | Governor |
| Krishan Kant | 1996–1997 | Additional charge |
| M. Fathima Beevi | 1997–2001 | Governor |
| C. Rangarajan | 2001–2002 | Acting Governor |
| P. S. Ramamohan Rao | 2002–2006 | Governor |
| Surjit Singh Barnala | 2006–2011 | Later period in office |
| K. Rosaiah | 2011–2016 | Governor |
| C. Vidyasagar Rao | 2016–2017 | Additional charge |
| Banwarilal Purohit | 2017–2021 | Governor |
| R. N. Ravi | 2021–2026 | Term ended 11 March 2026 |
| Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar | 2026–present | Additional charge from 12 March; full-time assumption 15 October 2026 |
Read the role column carefully
Surjit Singh Barnala appears twice because his two periods in office were separate. Acting Governors and additional-charge appointments are identified in the last column. The number of table rows is not an official ordinal count of Governors.
Historical scope and revision
The table uses years for quick revision. Ujjal Singh’s 1966 start is recorded by Lok Bhavan; the July 1971 Journal of Parliamentary Information also identifies him as Tamil Nadu’s outgoing Governor that year. Use the detailed official record when a question requires an exact day rather than a year.
Official references
- Tamil Nadu Lok Bhavan — former Governors
- President’s appointment announcement — October 2026
- Lok Bhavan — assumption of office, 15 October 2026
Related study references
PDF & படிப்பு இணைப்புகள்
அந்தந்த இணைப்பில் கிடைக்கும் PDF மற்றும் படிப்பு விவரங்களைப் பார்க்கலாம்.
