Ajay Kumar Bhalla

Ajay Kumar Bhalla (born 26 November 1960) is a retired Indian bureaucrat and IAS officer of 1984 batch who is currently serving as the Governor of Manipur. He previously served as the Home secretary of India having assumed the office on 23 August 2019, succeeding Rajiv Gauba.^[3][4] from Assam Meghalaya cadre. He served as Home Secretary of India for around five years there till 22 August 2024.^[5] He hails from Jalandhar, Punjab, India.

Ajay Kumar Bhalla IAS
19th Governor of Manipur
Incumbent
Assumed office 3 January 2025
Chief Minister	N. Biren Singh President's rule(13 February 2025–present)
Preceded by	Lakshman Prasad Acharya (additional charge)
Home Secretary of India
In office 22 August 2019 – 22 August 2024
Appointed by	Appointments Committee of the Cabinet
Preceded by	Rajiv Gauba
Succeeded by	Govind Mohan[1]
Secretary, Ministry of Power, Government of India
In office July 2017 – July 2019
Preceded by	P. K. Pujari
Succeeded by	Sanjiv N. Sahai
Personal details
Born	(1960-11-26) 26 November 1960 (age 64)[2] Jalandhar, Punjab, India
Alma mater	University of Delhi, University of Queensland
Occupation	Retired Civil servant

Ajay Kumar Bhalla was appointed as Manipur Governor on 24 December 2024.^[6]

Early life and education

Ajay Kumar Bhalla was born on 26 November 1960 in Jalandhar, Punjab,India. Before pursuing higher studies, he completed his early education in Punjab. Bhalla obtained his Master of Science degree in botany from the University of Delhi.^[7] He further enhanced his academic qualifications by earning a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia.^[8]

Career

Ajay Kumar Bhalla is a 1984-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre.^[9]

Union Home Secretary

Bhalla was appointed as the Union Home Secretary on 22 August 2019.^[10] His tenure has been marked by several significant events and challenges:

• Oversaw the implementation of changes following the abrogation of Jammu & Kashmir's special status in 2019.^[10]
• Managed the government's response to nationwide protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in late 2019.^[10]
• Spearheaded the nation's fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, overseeing lockdown measures and coordinating with states.^[10]
• Handled various security challenges, including farmers' protests in Delhi and the Manipur conflict.^[10]

Bhalla's tenure as Home Secretary has been extended multiple times, with his fourth extension in August 2023 set to keep him in office till 22 August 2024. This will make him only the second Union home secretary to complete five years in office and thereafter, he retired.^[10]

Previous positions

Prior to his appointment as Home Secretary, Bhalla held several key positions in the Indian government:

1. Secretary, Ministry of Power (July 2017 - July 2019)^[11]
2. Director General of Foreign Trade^[11]
3. Additional Secretary, Department of Commerce^[11]
4. Joint Secretary, Ministry of Coal^[11]
5. Director (Ports), Department of Shipping^[11]