The Governor of Rajasthan is the executive and constitutional head of the state of Rajasthan. He or she is appointed by the President of India for a term of five years.
Current Governor of Rajasthan
At present, the Governor of Rajasthan (additional charge) is Shri Shivraj Patil. He is an eminent politician of the Indian National Congress who is also serving as the Administrator of the Union Territory of Chandigarh and the Governor of Punjab.
Parents of Shivraj Patil
The parents of Shivraj Patil are late Shri Vishwanath Patil and late Smt. Bhagirathi Bai.
When and where was Shivraj Patil born?
Shri Patil was born on October 12, 1935 in Chakur village in Latur district of the erstwhile State of Bombay, British India. Currently, the place falls under the jurisdiction of the Marathwada province.
Wife of Shivraj Patil
Mr. Patil was married with late Smt. Vijaya Patil in June 1964.
Educational qualification of Shivraj Patil
The academic qualification of Shri Patil is B.Sc., LL.M. He attained his B.Sc. degree from Osmania University in Hyderabad and completed his Master of Law degree (LL.M) from University of Mumbai.
Profession of Shivraj Patil
By occupation, Shri Patil is an agriculturist, lawyer, and honorary professor of law.
Political career of Shivraj Patil
Mr. Patil is an astute parliamentarian. During the 1980s, he held the portfolio of Defense Minister under Prime Ministers like Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. He was also elected as the Speaker of the 11th Lok Sabha and was the Union Minister for Home Affairs when Dr. Manmohan Singh became the Prime Minister of India. When terrorist attacks took place in Mumbai on November 30, 2008, he quit his post of Home Minister. Shivraj Patil comes from a family of Congress stalwarts. Shri Vishwanath Patil, his father, was a Member of Parliament for two terms and was one of the confidantes of Smt. Indira Gandhi.
From 1972 to 1980, Shri Patil served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly in Maharashtra. During this period, he occupied different important positions like Deputy Minister (Law & Judiciary, Protocol, Irrigation) Chairman of Public Undertakings Committee, Speaker of the Assembly and Deputy Speaker of the Assembly.
He has won the General Elections seven times and became a Member of Parliament. He successfully contested the elections in 1980, 1984, 1989, 1991, 1996, 1998, and 1999.
Mr. Patil has occupied various significant positions in the Indian National Congress party from the time when Sonia Gandhi became the president of the party. He is mostly famous for launching the Outstanding Parliamentarian Award in India in 1995. During the 1999 General Elections, Patil was named as the chairperson of the election manifesto group of the Congress.
In 2002, he became a member of the All India Congress Committee Working Committee.
Positions held by Shivraj Patil
Over a long and remarkable career as a politician and administrator, Mr. Patil held the following positions:
| Tenure | Positions held |
|---|---|
| 1967-69 | Started working as a councilor at Latur Municipality |
| 1971 and 1972 | He served as the president of the Latur Municipality |
| 1970-1972 | He worked as a professor of law in Latur and Aurangabad |
| 1972-79 | He was a member of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly (for two terms) |
| 1974-75 | He was nominated as the Chairman of the Public Undertakings Committee |
| 1975-76 | He served as Deputy Minister, Irrigation and Protocol, Law and Judiciary, Government of Maharashtra |
| 1977-78 | He served as the Deputy Speaker of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly (Vidhan Sabha) |
| 1978-79 | He was elected as Speaker of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly |
| 1980 | Mr. Patil was elected to the 7th Lok Sabha |
| From May to September 1980 | He was a member of the Joint Committee on Salaries and Benefits of MPs |
| September - October 1980 | He was nominated as Chairman of the Joint Committee on Salaries and Benefits of MPs |
| 1980-82 | He was given the portfolio of the Union Minister of State for Defense |
| 1982-83 | He served as Union Minister of State, Commerce (Independent Charge) |
| 1983-84 | He was given the portfolio of Union Minister of State, Atomic Energy, Science and Technology, Space and Ocean Development, and Electronics |
| October 21, 1983 to December 31, 1984 | He was appointed as the Vice President of CSIR (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research) |
| 1984 | He was again elected to the 8th Lok Sabha and this was his second term |
| 1984-86 | He was given the portfolio of Union Minister of State, Space, Science and Technology, Electronics, Atomic Energy, Ocean Development and Biotechnology. |
| 1985 | He was given the portfolio of Union Minister of State, Personnel and Training, Public Grievances, Pensions and Administrative Reforms |
| 1986-88 | He served as Union Minister of State, Defense Production and Supplies |
| 1988-89 | He was given the portfolio of Union Minister of State, Civil Aviation and Tourism (Independent Charge) |
| 1989 | He was again elected to the 9th Lok Sabha and this was his third term |
| 1990-91 | He occupied various positions during this tenure such as Lok Sabha Chairman, Deputy Speaker, Member of the Committee on Private Members' Bills and Resolutions, Library Committee Chairman, Member of the Business Advisory Committee and General Purposes Committee |
| 1991 | He again won the General Elections and became a Member of Parliament (10th Lok Sabha) and this was his fourth term |
| 1991-96 | He was elected as both Chairman and Speaker of the Lok Sabha and was a member of the following committees:
|
| 1996 | He was again elected to the 11th Lok Sabha and this was his fifth term |
| 1996-98 | He served as a member of the Committee on Defense |
| 1998 | He was again elected to the 12th Lok Sabha and this was his sixth term as a Member of Parliament |
| 1998-99 | He served as a member of the following committees:
|
| 1999 | He was again elected to the 13th Lok Sabha and this was his seventh term as an MP |
| 1999-2000 | He served as Chairman and became member of the Committee of Privileges, Committee on Finance, and General Purposes Committee |
| 2000-2004 | He was a member of the Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Home Affairs |
| 2001-2004 | He was nominated as the Deputy Leader of the Congress Parliamentary Party in Lok Sabha. He was also a member of the Committee on Security in Parliament Compound. |
| From May 2004 to November 2008 | He was handed the portfolio of Union Minister of Home Affairs |
| July, 2004 | Mr. Patil was nominated to the Rajya Sabha |
| January 22, 2010 till date | He is serving as the Honorable Governor of Punjab |
| April 28, 2010 till date | He is serving as the Honorable Governor of Rajasthan (Additional Charge) |
During 1991-95, he had a leadership role in taking the delegates of Indian Parliament to different nations.
Awards received by Shivraj Patil
During his remarkable career as a political leader and administrator, Shri Patil has received the following awards and honors:
- In 1992, he became the President of the National Press
- He received the Anuvarat Award by Tulsi Foundation in 1997
- He received the Honorary Doctorate from the Marathwada Agriculture University in 1998
- He became the Chancellor of the Tilak Maharashtra University, Pune in 2003.
Mr. Patil has interests in shooting, swimming, and horse riding. He also likes to read books on different subjects.
Books authored by Shivraj Patil
Given below are the names of the various books that were authored by Shri Patil:
- Reminiscence and Reflection-1995 (it has also been translated in Marathi Language)
- Emergency Vision of India - 1996
- Fragrance of the Innerself (Poetry)
- Ecstasy and Agony of the Presiding Officer - 1998
- Dialogues - 2004
Contact address of Governor of Rajasthan
The contact details of the Rajasthan Governor are as follows:
- Raj Bhawan
Civil Lines, Jaipur
Tel: +91-141-2228716
Fax No.: +91-141-2228737
