KOLKATA — In a ceremony marked by high-level political attendance, R.N. Ravi officially took the oath of office as the 22nd Governor of West Bengal on Thursday, March 12, 2026. The event took place at the Sardar Patel Unity Hall within the historic Lok Bhavan (formerly Raj Bhavan) in Kolkata.
🔴 BREAKING: Former IPS officer R.N. Ravi takes oath as the 22nd Governor of West Bengal at Lok Bhavan. CM Mamata Banerjee attends, but opposition stays away. Details here: https://t.co/fFm7t6kvNx #WestBengal #RNRavi #Kolkata #GovernorWestBengal #IndiaThisWeek pic.twitter.com/fAPfg6XAXD
— India This Week (@indiathisweekk) March 13, 2026
Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court, Sujoy Paul, administered the oath of office to the former spymaster. The appointment comes at a crucial juncture as West Bengal prepares for its upcoming Assembly elections later this year. Ravi replaces C.V. Ananda Bose, who resigned from the constitutional post on March 5.
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Dignitaries Attend High-Profile Swearing-In Ceremony
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee personally attended the event to welcome the new Governor. She greeted R.N. Ravi and his wife with traditional ‘uttariyas’ and floral bouquets. Alongside the Chief Minister, Assembly Speaker Biman Banerjee and Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim were also present.
Interestingly, the ceremony saw a rare cross-party presence with Left Front Chairman Biman Bose attending the program. However, the opposition remained noticeably absent. Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari did not attend despite receiving an official invitation. No representatives from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) camp appeared at the Sardar Patel Unity Hall for the proceedings.
R.N. Ravi: A Veteran with Extensive Security Expertise
R.N. Ravi is a 1976-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer from the Kerala cadre. He brings a wealth of administrative and security experience to the West Bengal Raj Bhavan. Before this appointment, he served as the Governor of Tamil Nadu, Nagaland, and Meghalaya.
Moreover, his career includes significant roles in national security. He previously served as the Deputy National Security Advisor and was the chief interlocutor for the Naga peace talks. Ravi is the second former intelligence officer to serve as the state’s Governor in recent history, following M.K. Narayanan.
Constitutional Role Amidst Upcoming 2026 Elections
The new Governor arrives in Kolkata as the state enters a sensitive political period. During his first interaction, Ravi described Kolkata as the country’s cultural capital. He expressed his commitment to monitoring state developments closely while upholding constitutional propriety.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee described Bengal as a land of deep culture during their meeting. She remarked that the people of Bengal warmly embrace those who show love for the state. Analysts are closely watching how the relationship between the Raj Bhavan and Nabanna evolves during this election year.