The Lieutenant Governor of Delhi is the constitutional head of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. The post was established in September 1966, following the enactment of The Delhi Administration Act, 1966. Thereafter, the former Delhi Legislative Assembly was replaced by the Delhi Metropolitan Council comprising 56 elected and 5 nominated members with the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi presiding as its head. The Council, however, had no legislative powers: it merely played an advisory role in the governance of Delhi. This setup sustained until 1990, when the Assembly was reinstated; the position of Lieutenant Governor retained its role.
The National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2021 was introduced in the Parliament of India and was passed by both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. The bill specifies that, in any law made by the Legislative Assembly, the term "Government" shall refer to the Lieutenant Governor.
The incumbent Lieutenant Governor of Delhi is Taranjit Singh Sandhu. Raj Niwas in Civil Lines, Delhi, serves as the Lieutenant Governor's official residence.
Delhi was previously headed by a Chief Commissioner who was an officer of the Imperial Civil Service.
In 1966, the Delhi Administration Act was passed, which established the Delhi Metropolitan Council with the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi as its head. So far, there have been 21 individuals who have held this post, including 12 IAS officers, 4 ICS officers, 2 IPS officers, 2 senior IAF officers, and 1 IFS officer. The appointees have generally been retired, with the exception of Najeeb Jung, who resigned from service. List of Lieutenant Governors of Delhi
âÂÂI, A. B., do swear in the name of God/solemly affirm that I will faithfully execute the office of Lieutenant Governor (or discharge the functions of the Lieutenant Governor) of .............(name of the Union Territory) and will to the best of my ability preserve, protect and defend the Constitution and the law and that I will devote myself to the service and well-being of the people of ..â¦â¦â¦(name of the Union Territory).âÂÂ