Last Updated: 16 March 2023
There are currently 3 Incumbent Female Governors in three Indian States and 1 Incumbent Lieutenant Governor in a Union Territory.
Before we get into the list of Female Governors in India let’s have a quick intro! In India, a Governor is the constitutional head of each of the Twenty-Eight states. The Governor is appointed by the President of India for a term of five years and holds office at the President’s pleasure.
The Governor is de jure head of the State Government; all its executive actions are taken in the Governor’s name. However, the Governor must act on the advice of the popularly elected Council of Ministers, headed by the Chief Minister, who thus holds de facto executive authority at the State Level.
The Constitution of India empowers the Governor to act upon their own discretion, such as the ability to appoint or dismiss a Ministry, recommend President’s rule, or Reserve Bills for the President’s assent. Over the years, the exercise of these discretionary powers has given rise to conflict between the elected Chief Minister and the Union Government–appointed Governor.
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Fascinating Facts About Female Governors
- Sarojini Naidu was the first woman to become the Governor of an Indian state. She governed Uttar Pradesh from 15 August 1947 to 2 March 1949. Her daughter, Padmaja Naidu, is the longest-serving female Governor with 10 Years and 209 days of tenure in West Bengal.
- Pratibha Devisingh Patil, Ex-Governor of Rajasthan was the first woman Governor to be appointed as the President of India (25 July 2007 – 25 July 2012).
- Draupadi Murmu, Ex-Governor of Jharkhand is the first person belonging to the Tribal community (Scheduled Tribe) to be elected as the President of India.
- Tamilisai Soundararajan is recently appointed as the first female Governor of Telangana (Since 8th Sep 2019).
- Anandiben Patel is the only Female Governor to have served 3 different Indian States; Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Uttar Pradesh.
- Kiran Bedi is the Longest-Serving Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry for a term length of 4 Years 263 Days (29 May 2016 – 16 Feb 2021).
- The Union Territories of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, and Puducherry are headed by Lieutenant Governors and not Governor
Female Governors
| No. | Governor | Term In | Term Out | Term Length | State |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sharda Mukherjee | 05 May 1977 | 14 Aug 1978 | 1 Year 101 Days | Andhra Pradesh |
| 2 | Kumudben Joshi | 26 Nov 1985 | 02 Feb 1990 | 4 Years 68 Days | Andhra Pradesh |
| 3 | Anandiben Patel | 15 Aug 2018 | 28 July 2019 | 347 Days | Chhattisgarh |
| 4 | Anusuiya Uikey | 29 July 2019 | 12 Feb 2023 | 3 Years 208 Days | Chhattisgarh |
| 5 | Mridula Sinha | 31 Aug 2014 | 02 Nov 2019 | 5 Years 63 Days | Goa |
| Sharda Mukherjee[1] | 14 Aug 1978 | 05 Aug 1983 | 4 Years 356 Days | Gujarat | |
| 6 | Kamla Beniwal | 27 Nov 2009 | 06 July 2014 | 4 Years 221 Days | Gujarat |
| 7 | Sheila Kaul | 17 Nov 1995 | 23 Apr 1996 | 158 Days | Himachal Pradesh |
| 8 | V. S. Ramadevi | 26 July 1997 | 01 Dec 1999 | 2 Years 128 Days | Himachal Pradesh |
| 9 | Prabha Rau | 19 July 2008 | 24 Jan 2010 | 1 Year 189 Days | Himachal Pradesh |
| 10 | Urmila Singh | 25 Jan 2010 | 27 Jan 2015 | 5 Years 2 Days | Himachal Pradesh |
| 11 | Draupadi Murmu | 18 May 2015 | 06 July 2021 | 6 Years 49 Days | Jharkhand |
| V. S. Ramadevi[8] | 02 Dec 1999 | 20 Aug 2002 | 2 Years 261 Days | Karnataka | |
| 12 | Jothi Venkatachalam | 14 Oct 1977 | 27 Oct 1982 | 5 Years 13 Days | Kerala |
| 13 | Ram Dulari Sinha | 23 Feb 1988 | 12 Feb 1990 | 1 Year 354 Days | Kerala |
| 14 | Sheila Dikshit | 11 Mar 2014 | 25 Aug 2014 | 167 Days | Kerala |
| 15 | Sarla Grewal | 31 Mar 1989 | 05 Feb 1990 | 311 Days | Madhya Pradesh |
| Anandiben Patel[3] | 23 Jan 2018 | 28 July 2019 | 1 Year 186 Days | Madhya Pradesh | |
| 16 | Vijayalakshmi Pandit | 28 Nov 1962 | 18 Oct 1964 | 1 Year 325 Days | Maharashtra |
| 17 | Najma Heptulla | 21 Aug 2016 | 10 Aug 2021 | 4 Years 354 Days | Manipur |
| Anusuiya Uikey[4] | 12 Feb 2023 | ~ | ~ | Manipur | |
| Kamla Beniwal[6] | 06 July 2014 | 06 Aug 2014 | 31 Days | Mizoram | |
| 18 | Pratibha Patil | 08 Nov 2004 | 23 Jun 2007 | 2 Years 227 Days | Rajasthan |
| Prabha Rau[9] | 25 Jan 2010 | 26 Apr 2010 | 91 Days | Rajasthan | |
| 19 | Margaret Alva | 12 May 2012 | 07 Aug 2014 | 2 Years 87 Days | Rajasthan |
| 20 | Fathima Beevi | 25 Jan 1997 | 01 July 2001 | 4 Years 157 Days | Tamil Nadu |
| 21 | Tamilisai Soundararajan* | 08 Sep 2019 | ~ | 3 Years 187 Days | Telangana |
| 22 | Sarojini Naidu | 15 Aug 1947 | 02 Mar 1949 | 1 Year 199 Days | Uttar Pradesh |
| Anandiben Patel[3]* | 29 July 2019 | ~ | 3 Years 228 Days | Uttar Pradesh | |
| Margaret Alva[19] | 06 Aug 2009 | 14 May 2012 | 2 Years 262 Days | Uttarakhand | |
| 23 | Baby Rani Maurya | 26 Aug 2018 | 15 Sep 2021 | 3 Years 20 Days | Uttarakhand |
| 24 | Padmaja Naidu | 03 Nov 1956 | 31 May 1967 | 10 Years 209 Days | West Bengal |
| * Incumbent Governor |
Related: 60+ List Of The First Woman In India (Indian History)
Lieutenant Governors
| * Incumbent Lieutenant Governor |
| Read More |
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