Kerala GK: Who is Who — Current Holders of Key Posts (2024-2026)
Complete list of current holders of important constitutional, administrative, and institutional posts in Kerala — Governor, CM, Speaker, Chief Justice, DGP, VCs, and more for PSC exams.
Complete list of current holders of important constitutional, administrative, and institutional posts in Kerala — Governor, CM, Speaker, Chief Justice, DGP, VCs, and more for PSC exams.
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Knowing the current holders of key posts in Kerala is a guaranteed 1-3 mark source in every Kerala PSC exam. This note covers all major constitutional, administrative, judicial, and institutional positions as of early 2026.
Constitutional Posts
| Post | Current Holder | Since | Appointed By |
|---|---|---|---|
| Governor of Kerala | Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar | 2024 | President of India |
| Chief Minister | Pinarayi Vijayan | 2021 (2nd term) | Governor |
| Speaker, Kerala Legislative Assembly | A.N. Shamseer | 2021 | Elected by Assembly |
| Deputy Speaker | Chittayam Gopakumar | 2021 | Elected by Assembly |
| Leader of Opposition | V.D. Satheesan | 2021 | Recognised by Speaker |
| Chief Whip (Govt) | K. Rajan | 2021 | Appointed by CM |
Judicial Posts
| Post | Current Holder | Key Fact |
|---|---|---|
| Chief Justice, Kerala High Court | Nitin Madhukar Jamdar | Appointed 2024 |
| Advocate General | Gopalakrishna Kurup | Constitutional appointment under Art. 165 |
| Lokayukta | Justice Cyriac Joseph (Retd.) | Quasi-judicial anti-corruption body |
| State Human Rights Commission Chairman | Justice K. Babu (Retd.) | Investigates HR violations |
Administrative Posts
| Post | Current Holder | Appointed By |
|---|---|---|
| Chief Secretary | V. Venu IAS | State Govt (senior-most IAS) |
| State Police Chief (DGP) | Shaik Darvesh Saheb IPS | State Govt |
| State Election Commissioner | A. Shajahan IAS (Retd.) | Governor |
| Chairman, KPSC | R. Vimala IAS (Retd.) | Governor |
| Finance Secretary | K. Biju IAS | State Govt |
University Vice Chancellors
| University | VC | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Kerala University | Dr. Mohanan Kunnummal | Thiruvananthapuram |
| Calicut University | Dr. M.K. Jayaraj | Kozhikode |
| MG University | Dr. Sabu Thomas | Kottayam |
| Kannur University | Dr. Gopinath Ravindran | Kannur |
| CUSAT | Dr. B. Syama | Kochi |
| Kerala University of Health Sciences | Dr. Mohanan Kunnummal | Thrissur |
| APJ Abdul Kalam Tech University (KTU) | Dr. Saji Gopinath | Thiruvananthapuram |
| Sanskrit University | Dr. Dharmaraj Adat | Kalady |
| National University of Advanced Legal Studies (NUALS) | Prof. (Dr.) K.C. Sunny | Kochi |
Other Key Positions
| Post | Holder | Relevance |
|---|---|---|
| Chairman, Devaswom Board (Travancore) | P.S. Prashanth IAS | Manages 1200+ temples |
| Chairman, State Planning Board | Prof. V.K. Ramachandran | Policy body |
| Director General, KILA | Joy Elamon | Local govt training |
| Chairperson, State Women’s Commission | P. Sathidevi | Women’s rights |
| Chairman, State SC/ST Commission | B.S. Manoj | Scheduled community welfare |
| Information Commissioner (CIC Kerala) | Vinson M. Paul | RTI appeals |
PSC Exam Tips
| Tip | Detail |
|---|---|
| Governor’s powers in Kerala context | Appoints AG, VC (controversial), KPSC members |
| CM’s tenure significance | Pinarayi Vijayan is the first CM to serve full term AND win re-election in LDF history |
| Lokayukta vs Ombudsman | Lokayukta handles corruption complaints against ministers/MLAs; Ombudsman handles local bodies |
| KPSC Chairman | Key for PSC aspirants — KPSC conducts all state service exams |
Previous Holders (Frequently Asked)
| Post | Previous Holder | Tenure |
|---|---|---|
| Governor | Arif Mohammad Khan | 2019-2024 |
| Chief Justice, HC | S. Manikumar | 2019-2021 |
| DGP | Anil Kant IPS | 2020-2022 |
| Speaker | M.B. Rajesh | Did not serve (became minister) |
Key Articles for State Posts
| Article | Subject |
|---|---|
| Art. 153 | Governor of State |
| Art. 163 | Council of Ministers to aid Governor |
| Art. 164 | CM and Ministers appointment |
| Art. 165 | Advocate General |
| Art. 177 | Rights of Ministers/AG in Assembly |
| Art. 217 | Appointment of HC Judges |
Memory Aid: Governor appoints AG, KPSC Chairman, VCs (with Chancellor role). CM recommends but Governor holds discretion — this has been a source of major Kerala political controversies in 2023-2025.
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