December 24, 2024 – In a meaty administrative shake-up, President Droupadi Murmu named Ajay Kumar Bhalla, former Union home secretary, as the new Governor of Manipur.
This appointment largely comes considering that the northeastern state has been facing some sporadic violence in its quest to stabilize.
Profile of Ajay Kumar Bhalla
Ajay Kumar Bhalla, born on 26 November 1960 in Jalandhar, Punjab, is a senior Indian Administrative Service officer of the 1984 batch from the Assam-Meghalaya cadre.
He has a Master’s degree in Botany from the University of Delhi and an MBA from the University of Queensland, Australia. Notably, throughout his career, Bhalla has held several crucial posts within the Indian Government, showing wide-ranging administrative experience and expertise.
Tenure as Union Home Secretary
Bhalla’s tenure as Union Home Secretary began on August 22, 2019, saw a number of noteworthy occasions and tribulations:
Abrogated Article 370: Implemented crucial transitions following Jammu and Kashmir’s special status abrogation in 2019.
Protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act: Handled the government response to unprecedented nationwide protests late in 2019.
COVID-19 Pandemic: Oversaw the largest-scale fight against the COVID-19 pandemic in the country, starting with lockdown and engaging with states.
Farmers’ Protests: Handled various security scenarios, including the farmers’ protests in Delhi.
Manipur Clashes: Tackled complexities of the Manipur clashes during his time in office.
His term was extended several times, making him one of the longest-serving union home secretaries in recent history. He was followed by senior IAS officer Govind Mohan in August 2024.
Leadership Change in Manipur
Bhalla succeeded Laxman Prasad Acharya, who held the additional charge as the Governor of Manipur. His appointment is rumored to be a shrewd attempt to further add capable administrative leadership to a state that has periodically been experiencing clashes while also facing a complex socio-political milieu.
Other Notable Appointments:
Within this statement, President Murmu has appointed other notables to the post of Governor.
- General V.K. Singh: The former Union minister and ex-Army chief has been appointed Governor of Mizoram. Singh was a Lok Sabha member representing Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh from 2014 to 2024, and he did not seek election in 2024.
- Arif Mohammad Khan: The Governor of Kerala has been transferred to Bihar. Khan, having earned a reputation for taking a progressive position towards banning instant triple talaq, became Governor of Kerala in the year 2019.
- Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar: The incumbent Governor of Bihar has been appointed the Governor of Kerala, replacing Khan.
- Hari Babu Kambhampati: The Governor of Mizoram has been transferred to Odisha.
These appointments appear to reflect the strategic course of the Union Government in attempting to place capable and experienced administration in critical states of India, aimed at issues of regional importance in earnest.
Implications for Manipur
Yet again, Bhalla’s appointment comes at a very crucial time for Manipur.
Hence, the accumulated experience in administering internal security and administration must help in addressing the challenges faced in the state-like ethnic tensions and development needs.
Stakeholders in Manipur are optimistic that Bhalla’s leadership will establish a period of peace and development.
