Former Indian Police Service (IPS) officer RN Ravi took oath as the 22nd Governor of West Bengal on Thursday (March 12). The ceremony was held at Lok Bhavan in the morning.
The oath of office was administered by the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court, Sujoy Paul. The event was attended by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Assembly Speaker Biman Banerjee, senior minister and Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim, and Left Front chairman Biman Bose.
Several senior officials were also present at the ceremony, including Chief Secretary Nandini Chakravorty and senior police officers.
Ravi was appointed Governor of West Bengal after the resignation of his predecessor, CV Ananda Bose, on March 5.
Earlier gubernatorial roles
Before taking charge in West Bengal, RN Ravi served as the Governor of Nagaland, Meghalaya and Tamil Nadu.
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His tenure as Tamil Nadu Governor drew attention for increased public engagement. Instead of maintaining a distant approach traditionally associated with the office, he focused on making the Raj Bhavan more accessible to people from different sections of society.
During his tenure, Ravi personally addressed more than 1,00,000 students, highlighting the importance of youth participation in nation-building. He also distributed more than 50,000 certificates at university convocations and organised 24 such sessions at the Raj Bhavan.
RN Ravi was born in Patna, Bihar. He completed his Master's degree in Physics in 1974 and joined the Indian Police Service in 1976.
Over the years, he served in different parts of the country and worked with key investigative and intelligence agencies. His career included a stint with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), where he was involved in efforts targeting organised criminal networks.
Later, while serving in the Intelligence Bureau (IB) under the Ministry of Home Affairs, he worked extensively in regions affected by insurgency and violence. These included Jammu and Kashmir, the North East and areas affected by Maoist activities.
His work also focused on issues related to human migration in South Asia and the political sociology of border populations.
Role in conflict resolution and security
Ravi played an important role in conflict resolution efforts in regions affected by ethnic insurgencies. He was involved in initiatives aimed at bringing armed rebel groups into the national mainstream.
He also contributed to India's international cooperation in counter-terrorism and intelligence sharing.
After retiring from government service in 2012, he wrote regularly for national newspapers.
Interlocutor for Naga peace talks
In August 2014, Ravi was appointed the Centre's interlocutor for the Naga peace talks. During this period, he worked to bring the peace process closer to local communities by involving key stakeholders.
Over time, several armed groups signed agreements aimed at resolving the long-standing separatist insurgency within the framework of the Constitution of India.
He was later appointed Deputy National Security Advisor in October 2018.
Ravi served as the Governor of Nagaland from August 1, 2019, to September 16, 2021, before assuming office as the 26th Governor of Tamil Nadu on September 18, 2021.
