Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar Sworn in as Kerala Governor

On January 2, 2025, Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar took the oath as the 23rd Governor of Kerala in a ceremony held at Raj Bhavan, Thiruvananthapuram. He succeeds Arif Mohammed Khan, who has been appointed as the Governor of Bihar. The oath was administered by the Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court, Justice Nitin Madhukar Jamdar, in the presence of prominent dignitaries, including Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and various ministers.

Key Points

Oath Ceremony Details

Date: January 2, 2025
Location: Raj Bhavan, Thiruvananthapuram
Administering Officer: Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court, Justice Nitin Madhukar Jamdar
Time of Oath: 10:30 am
Swearing-in: Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar took the oath as Kerala’s 23rd Governor
Predecessor: Arif Mohammed Khan (transferred to Bihar)

Important Attendees

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan
Kerala Chief Secretary Sharada Muraleedharan
Chief Justice Nitin Jamdar
Additional Chief Secretary K R Jyothilal
West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose
Kerala Assembly Speaker A N Shamseer
Various Kerala Ministers and MPs including K N Balagopal, P Rajeeve, Roshi Augustine, Shashi Tharoor, and A A Rahim.

Post Oath Activities

The ceremony included the reading of the President’s order appointing Arlekar as Governor.
Later, the Governor and his wife, Anagha Arlekar, visited the Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram for prayers.
The temple authorities welcomed them with traditional offerings.

Governor’s Arrived In Kerala

Arlekar arrived in Thiruvananthapuram on the evening of January 1, 2025, and was welcomed at the airport by Chief Minister Vijayan, Speaker Shamseer, and Ministers K Rajan and Ramachandran Kadannappally.

Background of Arlekar

Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar previously served as the Governor of Bihar before his appointment to Kerala.
The swearing-in ceremony marks the beginning of his tenure as the 23rd Governor of Kerala.

Summary/Static	Details
Why in the news?	Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar Sworn in as Kerala Governor
Location of Ceremony	Raj Bhavan, Thiruvananthapuram
Administering Officer	Chief Justice of Kerala High Court, Justice Nitin Madhukar Jamdar
Predecessor	Arif Mohammed Khan (Transferred to Bihar)
New Governor	Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar
Key Attendees	Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan, Chief Justice Nitin Jamdar, Kerala Assembly Speaker A N Shamseer, Ministers, MPs
Governor’s Previous Position	Former Governor of Bihar
Significance	Marks the beginning of Rajendra Arlekar’s tenure as Kerala Governor