The Governor of Nagaland is appointed by the President of India for a period of five years. He functions as the executive and legislative head of the state.
Present Governor of Nagaland
At present, Nikhil Kumar is the Governor of Nagaland. The President of India, Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil designated him to the position on October 4, 2009.
Early life of Nikhil Kumar
Nikhil Kumar was born on July 15, 1941. He hails from Hajipur in Vaishali district, Bihar. His father was Satyendra Narayan Sinha, who previously served as the Chief Minister of Bihar and is regarded as a renowned leader of the Indian National Congress. Shri Satyendra Narayan Sinha also won from the Aurangabad Parliamentary Constituency for consecutive seven times. For his immense political clout, Satyendra Narayan Sinha was fondly called "Chhote Saheb". Nikhil Kumar started his career as a member of the Indian Police Service (IPS).
Nikhil Kumar was a student of the St. Xavier's School in Patna. He was also a student of the Government Intermediate College in Allahabad. Subsequently, he pursued his higher education from Allahabad University from where he completed his postgraduate studies (Master of Arts) in Modern History. In 1963, Nikhil Kumar successfully cleared the Indian Civil Services Exam. He was appointed as an I.P.S. Officer to the former Union Territory of Delhi.
Prominent family members of Nikhil Kumar
Kishori Sinha, mother of Nikhil Kumar, was also a Member of Parliament from the Vaishali Lok Sabha Constituency. Nikhil Kumar is married to Shyama Singh, who was the Member of Parliament of the Aurangabad Lok Sabha Constituency from 1999 to 2004.
The grandfather of Nikhil Kumar is Dr. Anugrah Narayan Sinha. He was the first Finance Minister cum Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar. He was a renowned Gandhian leader and fondly called "Bihar Vibhuti". During his old age, Satyendra Narayan Sinha or his father "Chhote Saheb" was a confidante of Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan. During the campaign against Emergency in Bihar, he was one of the most well-known organizers in the state. In 1977, Satyendra Narayan Sinha became the President of the Janata Party Bihar unit.
The brother in law of Nikhil Kumar is N. K. Singh. He is a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha. N.K. Singh served as an IAS officer of the Bihar cadre from 1964 batch and has ranked as one of the top administrative officials in India. He has held the prestigious position of the Revenue Secretary of India and Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister as well.
Civil Services Career of Nikhil Kumar
During his illustrious career covering 38 years, as a civil servant, Nikhil Kumar has assumed various major responsibilities, performed crucial tasks, and held positions of countrywide significance, specifically Commissioner of Police in Delhi from 1995 to 1997 and Additional Director General of BSF (Border Security Force) from 1989 to 1991 and from 1992 to 1994.
During 1997-99, he served as the Special Secretary with the responsibility of Domestic Security at the Union Government Home Ministry. In addition, Mr. Kumar was given the position of the Director General of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and National Security Guards (NSG), a post which he occupied until his retirement. He retired from service in July 2001.
Shortly following his retirement, Nikhil Kumar was nominated as a member of the National Security Advisory Board of the Central Government. He held that position from 2001 to 2003.
Awards Nikhil Kumar has received
In 1978, Nikhil Kumar was honored with the Police Medal for Meritorious Service. In 1985, he also received the President's Police Medal for Distinguished Service.
Other than the two abovementioned awards, he also received the Distinguished Xaverian Award in 1995.
Positions held by Nikhil Kumar
| Positions held | Tenure |
| Nikhil Kumar served as Commissioner of Police, Delhi (DGP rank) | 1995-97 |
| He served as Director-General of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) | 1997 |
| He was appointed as Special Home Secretary (Internal Security), Central Government of India | 1997-99 |
| He was appointed as Director General of National Security Guards (NSG) | 1999-01 |
| He was a Member, National Security Advisory Board, Government of India | 2001-03 |
| He was elected to the 14th Lok Sabha from the Aurangabad Parliamentary Constituency | 2004-09 |
| Serving as Governor of Nagaland | 2009 onwards |
Political Career of Nikhil Kumar
Shri Nikhil became a member of the Indian National Congress in 2003. He was fielded as a Congress Candidate from the Aurangabad Constituency in Bihar in the 2004 General Elections from where he was elected to the 14th Lok Sabha.
During his tenure as a member of the Lok Sabha (Upper House of Parliament), Mr. Nikhil Kumar was member of the following committees:
- Joint Committee on Salaries and Allowances of Members of Parliament.
- Standing Committee on Ministry of External Affairs
- Joint Parliamentary Committee on Security in Parliament House Complex;
- Consultative Committee of Ministry of Home Affairs
- Chairman, Standing Committee on Information Technology (Ministries of Information & Broadcasting, Communications & Information Technology)
When did Nikhil Kumar Become Governor of Nagaland?
On October 15, 2009, Nikhil Kumar was sworn in as the Governor of Nagaland. He is the 16th Governor of the state.
Social activities of Nikhil Kumar
Shri Nikhil Kumar has been enthusiastically involved in various public and cultural activities. He served as the Chairman, ANS Institute of Social Studies, Patna, President of Anugrah Sewa Sadan, Patna, Gandhi Ashram Trust, Hajipur, and Chairman, SPCA Bihar.
Hobbies of Nikhil Kumar
Shri Nikhil Kumar is particularly attracted in issues associated with English Literature, National Safety, History, Rural Development, Sports (Cricket), Politics, and Films. He is an avid tourist and has toured various nations. Mr. Nikhil Kumar's preferred hobbies and pursuits are listening to music, reading books, writing, and watching cricket matches.
Permanent residence of Nikhil Kumar
The permanent residential address of Shri Nikhil Kumar is as follows:
- "Sopan",
Boring Road,
Patna (Bihar)
