IMPHAL, Jan 3: Ajay Kumar Bhalla, a retired Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer and former Union Home Secretary, was sworn in as the 19th Governor of Manipur during a ceremony held at the Raj Bhavan on Friday. The oath of office was administered by Justice D Krishnakumar, Chief Justice of the High Court of Manipur.
After the swearing-in ceremony, Bhalla inspected the ceremonial guard of honour presented by the Manipur Rifles personnel. His appointment, announced last month by President Droupadi Murmu, follows an illustrious career, including his tenure as the longest-serving Union Home Secretary, a position he held for five years until his retirement in August 2024.
Bhalla, a 1984-batch IAS officer of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre, replaces Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya, who had been holding the additional charge of Manipur. His arrival in Imphal on Thursday was marked by a reception at the Raj Bhavan, where Chief Minister N Biren Singh and other dignitaries extended a warm welcome.
