About
Shri Banwarilal Purohit is a senior political personality having shaped public
affairs in a big way for last four decades. Shri Purohit has been three-time Lok
Sabha member from Nagpur and Managing Editor of ‘The Hitavada’, Central
India’s oldest and English daily for last one hundred years. He is an eminent
educationist, a renowned social activist, institution builder, nationalist thinker.
Shri Purohit, a well-known public figure with spotless image has been in active
public life for more than four decades making a mark in the social, political,
educational and industrial fields in Central India.
Born on April 16, 1940, Shri Purohit, did his schooling from Bishop Cotton
School, Nagpur and from Rajasthan. He obtained his commerce degree from
Nagpur University. He was quite interested in active politics and decided to contest
elections to fight against persistent neglect of Vidarbha, a backward region of
Maharashtra. Not surprisingly, he won the Assembly elections from Nagpur East
segment in 1978 and from Nagpur South Constituency in 1980. In 1982, he worked
as a Minister of State for Urban Development, Slum Improvement and Housing in
the Maharashtra Government.
Shri Purohit was elected as Member of Parliament from Nagpur Lok Sabha
constituency thrice – in 1984, 1989 and 1996 and was adjudged as the most active
Parliamentarian with highest number of questions to his credit. Preferring spartan
lifestyle and simplicity, Shri Purohit always remained a leader loved by masses.
He was instrumental in bringing major Central Government institutions like South
Central Zone Cultural Centre (SCZCC), Central Institute of Cotton Research
(CICR), National Research Centre for Citrus (NRCC), Raman Science Centre,
Jawaharlal Nehru Aluminium Research and Development Centre (JNARDC) and
several other projects to Nagpur.
As Member of Parliament representing Nagpur Lok Sabha Constituency, Shri
Purohit lived up to the expectations and proved his mettle as an alert member. He
raised every possible important issue that came up not only in his constituency or
region or state but anywhere in the country.
As a Member of the Parliamentary Consultative Committee of the Defence
Ministry, Shri Purohit contributed significantly to the thought-process on National
Defence and Security.
Shri Purohit was also associated with Parliamentary Consultative Committee on
Home Affairs and was a Member of Standing Committee on Defence and Member
of Public Sector Undertaking Committee. His memorable fight against allotment
of coal blocks to private players earned him a marvelous certificate from Hon’ble
Bombay High Court which recognized him as someone for whom “law is as dear
to his heart as it is to lawyers and judges”. He was praised for saving precious
natural resources from going into private hands for pittance.
Shri Purohit continued his fight against corruption in public life and filed petition
before Supreme Court against coal block allotment during UPA-II regime after
which the apex court cancelled the coal block allotments.
One of the most important contributions of Shri Purohit is revival of ‘The
Hitavada’, an English Daily founded by Gopal Krishna Gokhale, the mentor of
Mahatma Gandhi. It was because of his leadership that ‘The Hitavada’ has become
a leading newspaper of Central India, whose voice is heard across the country.
Shri Purohit has been associated with many social, charitable, religious and sports
organizations and has generously donated for the cause of education and social
work. He is National Trustee and Vice President of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, one
of the premier societies running more than 250 educational institutions across the
globe and publisher of some of the most popular books on Indian History, Indian
Culture and its civilizational heritage and has published 2,050 titles and sold 33
million copies so far. He is also Chairman of the Nagpur Kendra of the Bharatiya
Vidya Bhavan which runs seven schools and enjoys highest reputation and which
also imparts free computer training to students from economically backward strata.
He is the Chairman of Shri Ramdeobaba Smarak Samiti, which runs Shri
Ramdeobaba College of Engineering and Management, one of the best engineering
and management colleges in Maharashtra. He is also associated with another
premier educational institution, the Women’s Education Society, which runs Lady
Amritabai Daga College for Women of Arts, Commerce & Science and Smt.
Ratnidevi Purohit College of Home Science and Home Science Technology.
Shri Purohit has served as Governor of Assam from 22nd August 2016 till 5th
October 2017 and was also holding additional charge of Meghalaya. Shri Purohit
assumed office of Governor of Tamil Nadu on 06th October 2017.
Former Governor List
| S.No | Name | From | To |
| 1 | Sardar Ujjal Singh | 14-Jan-69 | 27-May-71 |
| 2 | Kodardas Kalidas Shah | 27-May-71 | 16-Jun-76 |
| 3 | Mohan Lal Sukhadia | 16-Jun-76 | 8-Apr-77 |
| 4 | P. Govindan Nair (acting)[5] | 9-Apr-77 | 27-Apr-77 |
| 5 | Prabhudas Patwari | 27-Apr-77 | 27-Oct-80 |
| 6 | M. M. Ismail (acting) | 27-Oct-80 | 4-Nov-80 |
| 7 | Sadiq Ali | 4-Nov-80 | 3-Sep-82 |
| 8 | Sundar Lal Khurana, IAS (Retired) | 3-Sep-82 | 17-Feb-88 |
| 9 | P. C. Alexander, IAS (Retired) | 17-Feb-88 | 24-May-90 |
| 10 | Surjit Singh Barnala | 24-May-90 | 15-Feb-91 |
| 11 | Bhishma Narain Singh | 15-Feb-91 | 31-May-93 |
| 12 | Marri Chenna Reddy | 31-May-93 | 2-Dec-96 |
| 13 | Krishan Kant (additional charge) | 2-Dec-96 | 25-Jan-97 |
| 14 | M. Fathima Beevi | 25-Jan-97 | 3-Jul-01 |
| 15 | C. Rangarajan (additional charge) | 3-Jul-01 | 18-Jan-02 |
| 16 | P. S. Ramamohan Rao, IPS (Retired) | 18-Jan-02 | 3-Nov-04 |
| 17 | Surjit Singh Barnala | 3-Nov-04 | 31-Aug-11 |
| 18 | Konijeti Rosaiah | 31-Aug-11 | 30-Aug-16 |
| 19 | C. Vidyasagar Rao(additional charge) | 2-Sep-16 | 6-Oct-17 |
| 20 | Banwarilal Purohit | 6-Oct-17 | Incumbent |