PROFILE OF SHRI AJAY KUMAR BHALLA, HON’BLE GOVERNOR OF NAGALAND
Shri Ajay Kumar Bhalla was born on 26th November 1960 in Jalandhar, Punjab, India. Shri Ajay Kumar Bhalla joined 1984-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and was on the strength of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre. He is married to Smt Jyoti Bhalla.
Shri A.K. Bhalla completed his early education in Punjab and obtained his Master of Science degree in Botany from the University of Delhi, M. Phil (Social Sciences) from Punjab University and also a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia.
Shri A.K. Bhalla superannuated as Union Home Secretary in 2024. Prior to his appointment as the Union Home Secretary, he had held several key positions in the Union Government including Secretary, Ministry of Power; Director General of Foreign Trade; Additional Secretary, Department of Commerce; Joint Secretary, Ministry of Coal; Joint Secretary (Ports), Department of Shipping. His tenure as Union Home Secretary has been marked by several significant events and challenges. He oversaw the implementation of changes following the abrogation of Jammu & Kashmir’s special status in 2019, managed the government’s response to nationwide protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in late 2019, spearheaded the nation’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic overseeing lockdown measures and coordinating with states and also handled various security challenges, including farmers’ protests in Delhi and the Manipur conflict. He was also instrumental in drafting and approval of New Criminal Laws.
Shri A.K. Bhalla has been serving as the Governor of Manipur since 3rd January, 2025. After the demise of Shri La. Ganesan, the then Governor of Nagaland, he has been given additional charge of the Office of the Governor of Nagaland.
Shri A.K. Bhalla was sworn in as the 22nd Governor of Nagaland on 25th August, 2025.