New governors of Bihar, Himachal appointed

New Delhi, Aug 8
President Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday appointed Ram Nath Kovind and Acharya Dev Vrat as the governors of Bihar and Himachal Pradesh respectively, an official statement said.

West Bengal Governor Kesri Nath Tripathi and Rajasthan Governor Kalyan Singh presently hold additional charge of Bihar and Himachal Pradesh respectively.

Kovind, who hails from Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur and is a lawyer by profession, was the president of the Bharatiya Janata Party's Dalit Morcha and also a two-time Rajya Sabha member (1994-2006).

Acharya Dev Vrat has been principal of Kurukshetra Gurukul since 1981. Besides being a post graduate in history and Hindi, he is a doctor in naturopathy and yogic sciences.

The appointments of Kovind and Dev Vrat will be effective from the date they take charge of their respective offices, the statement added.