On Friday, Ajay Kumar Bhalla, the former Union Home Secretary, took the oath of office as Manipur’s 19th governor.

The Raj Bhawan in Imphal served as the venue for the swearing-in event. High-ranking government and law enforcement personnel, together with Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh and his council of ministers, attended the event.

Following the swearing-in ceremony, Manipur Chief Minister Biren Singh said that the center has shown its will to address Manipur’s problems by selecting Balla as governor.

“The federal government’s sincere interest for addressing Manipur’s difficulties is shown by the appointment of one of the most intellectual and capable individuals as governor of Manipur at this period. I am acquainted with Ajay Kumar Bhalla, who has a wealth of expertise and has held several high-level posts in the national government, mostly in the Home Department. “He has extensive knowledge of the Manipur issue,” he said.

“I extend my heartfelt best wishes for his successful tenure and look forward to working together towards a peaceful and prosperous Manipur under his leadership,” the chief minister said.

Lakshman Prasad Acharya, who took over as Manipur’s governor on July 31 of last year, is succeeded by Ajay Bhalla.
Bhalla was born on November 26, 1960, and entered the public service in 1984. He is a retired IAS officer from the Assam-Meghalaya cadre. From August 23, 2019, until August 22, 2024, he was the Union Home Secretary.

Ajay Kumar Bhalla oversaw a number of difficult problems and significant national difficulties while serving as home secretary. He led the nation’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, managed the government’s response to the nationwide protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), and oversaw the implementation of changes after Article 370, which grants special status to Jammu & Kashmir, was repealed in 2019.

Bhalla served a number of important government posts prior to his appointment as union home secretary.

MLAs, CLP leader O Ibobi Singh, Congress President K Meghachandra, Chief Secretary, DGP, 3 Core General, IGAR South, IGAR, East, GIC 57 Mountain Division, Speaker of the Manipur Legislative Assembly Th Satyabrata Singh, MP (Rajya Sabha) Leishemba Sanajaoba, and senior paramilitary officers attended the oath-taking ceremony in Imphal with Chief Minister N Biren Singh and his Council of Ministers.

The appointment of Bhalla coincides with the continuing hostilities between the Kuki and Meitei populations in Manipur, which erupted during a demonstration organized by the All Tribal Students Union of Manipur (ATSUM) on May 3, 2024. The event was organized in reaction to the Manipur High Court’s order to examine giving the Meitei people Scheduled Tribe status.