Though all official affairs of the state are administered and carried out in the name of the governor, the real executive power rests with the chief minister who is a member of the legislative assembly and is the leader of the majority party in the house.

The position of the governor of Jharkhand came into existence following the creation of the state in November 2000 as a result of the bifurcation of Bihar.

The first governor to be appointed was Prabhat Kumar who served in office between 2000 and 2002.

The governor enjoys many different types of powers: Apart from enjoying various constitutional powers, the governor of Jharkhand is the ex-officio Chancellor of the state universities of Jharkhand.

The current governor is Santosh Gangwar who has been in office since 31 July 2024.