Who is Ajay Bhalla? Here are 5 things to know about the new Manipur Governor

The President of India Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday appointed former Union home secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla as the governor of Manipur, replacing Lakshman Prasad Acharya. 

Bhalla's appointment comes in the midst of the ongoing conflict in Manipur between the Meitei and Kuki communities which erupted after a rally by the All Tribal Students Union of Manipur (ATSUM) on May 3 2023 against the Manipur High Court's directive to consider the inclusion of the Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribes list.

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As per the press release, the appointments will take effect from the dates the Governors assume charge of their respective offices.

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Here's all you need to know about Ajay Bhalla - the new Manipur Governor

Ajay Bhalla, originally from Jalandhar in Punjab, is a retired IAS officer from the 1984 batch of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre.

Ajay Bhalla holds a Master of Science (Botany) from the University of Delhi, an MBA from the University of Queensland, and an M.Phil. in Social Sciences from Punjab University. 

He served as the Union Home Secretary from August 23, 2019-August 2024. 

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Prior to this, he was the Secretary in the Ministry of Power from June 2017 to July 2019. He also held the position of Director General of Foreign Trade and Director of IIFT from October 2016 to June 2017. 

His earlier roles also include Additional Secretary in the Department of Commerce, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Coal, and Director (Ports) in the Department of Shipping. 

(With inputs from agencies)