Bishnu Chetry, Rajpramukh of Uttaranchal
Bishnu Chetry बिष्णु छेत्री | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Uparashtradhyaksh Rajpramukh of Uttaranchal | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
![]() Bishnu Chetry, pictured in 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rajpramukh of Uttaranchal | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Reign | 8 June 2020 – present | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Heir presumptive | Crown Prince Manoj | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Uparashtradhyaksh | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Tenure | 20 July 2022 – present | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Predecessor | Tanishkaa Patranabish | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rashtradhyaksh | Dhrubajyoti Roy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Prime Minister | Farhaz Hazarika | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Acting Rashtradhyaksh | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Reign | 22 February – 4 March 2023 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Prime Minister | Farhaz Hazarika | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Chairman of the Conference of Rulers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Assumed office 1 August 2020 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Monarch | Dhrubajyoti Roy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Arnab Sil | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Born | 4 May 2001![]() | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
House | Chetry | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Father | Prince Father Chandra | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Mother | Princess Mother Laxmi | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Religion | Hindu |
His Majesty Bishnu Chetry (born 4 May 2001) is a senior Vishwamitran royal and former politician who is currently reigning as the Rajpramukh of Uttaranchal since 8 June 2020 and has also been the Chairman of the Conference of Rulers, the council comprising of the rulers of the states of Vishwamitra, since 1 August 2020. Prior to his accession to the throne of Uttaranchal, he had also served as the Vice President of the nation on several occasions and had also served in the council of ministries under various prime ministers holding numerous important portfolios. He was elected as the third Uparashtradhyaksh on 13 July 2022 and assumed the position on 20 July 2022 replacing Tanishkaa Patranabish who had stepped down from her duties.
Early and personal life
Bishnu Chetry was born on 4 May 2001 in Guwahati in the Indian state of Assam as the first of the two child of his parents. He has an younger sibling, Prince Manoj who is the current Crown Prince of Uttaranchal. He is a childhood friend of Rashtradhyaksh Dhrubajyoti Roy and the two have pursued their school and senior secondary education together. He is currently pursuing his graduation in technical education.
Political career
Early political career (2015–2017)
Bishnu Chetry attained citizenship of then Children's Group in July 2015 under the patronage of his classmate and friend and then Speaker of the Parliament Dhrubajyoti Roy having learnt and discovered about the concept of micronationalism from him. Within months of attaining citizenship and due to his loyalty to the national leader Dhrubajyoti Roy, he was soon appointed to important positions.
First vice-presidency (2015–2016)
Within months of gaining citizenship, Bishnu Chetry was nominated as the Vice-President of the nation on 2 October 2015 to succeed Anoushkaa Patranabish who was in office since July 2012. He was successfully re-appointed to the office of the Vice-President for a consecutive second term in office on 6 December 2015 after the constitutional amendment and was sworn-in into office alongside President Dhrubajyoti Roy. He was re-elected to office for a third consecutive term on 21 March 2016 and was sworn-in into office alongside Tanishkaa Patranabish who was elected as the President after defeating incumbent president Dhrubajyoti Roy. By this time, he had served under three presidents.
After the April 2016 general election, he was also elected as the Deputy Speaker of the Parliament and the Chairman of the Upper House. In the May 2016 vice-presidential election, he decided not to seek another term and agreed to relinquish the position. The ruling Secular Party nominated Finance Minister Arnab Sil as its official candidate to succeed Chetry as the Vice-President who was successful in defeating his rival candidate and Independent Party candidate Mridul Amin by a 6-2 vote share. Chetry's tenure as Vice-President came to an end on 29 May 2016 with the election of Arnab Sil.
Ministerial career (2016)
After stepping down as the Vice-President on 29 May 2016, he was chosen by Prime Minister Dhrubajyoti Roy to succeed Arnab Sil as the Finance Minister, who had been elected as the Vice-President. In a cabinet rejig held on 10 July 2016, he was also assigned with the additional portfolio of the minister of legal affairs and the minister of salaries. With Sampriti Paul's appointed as chief minister of South Guwahati and her subsequent resignation from the cabinet, Chetry was assigned the additional duties of the minister of tax and revenue.
In another cabinet reshuffle held on 2 October 2016, newly-inducted Deputy Prime Minister Tanishkaa Patranabish was appointed in his place as the Minister of Finance, Salaries, Tax and Revenue, while he was appointed as the home minister replacing Asmi Patranabis. He, however, retained the portfolio of legal affairs.
However, a constitutional crisis brawled with the resignation of Vice-President Arnab Sil on 27 November 2016 who resigned from the position to join active politics and contest the upcoming general election against the incumbent prime minister Dhrubajyoti Roy. With no prior precedence for the same, the prime minister called for an emergency session of the parliament and the executive body which agreed to his proposal to nominate Bishnu Chetry, a former vice-president to serve as the Acting Vice-President until a permanent successor was chosen by the parliament.
Second presidency (2016–2017)

After the resignation of Vice-President Arnab Sil on 27 November 2016, Chetry was nominated to serve as the Acting President and was immediately sworn-in into office. During his tenure as acting vice-president, he also oversaw the impeachment procedure of President Anoushkaa Patranabish on 13 December 2016 and the subsequent appointment of the Lieutenant Governor of Central Guwahati Sarala Baishya as the Acting President. It was the first and only instance in the national history when the position of the head of state and deputy head of state were permanently vacant at the same time.
Two months into his acting vice-presidency, he was elected for a fresh full-term in office on 27 January 2017 along with Sarala Baishya who was elected for a fresh term as the President. As the vice-president, he also served as the Acting President between 11 and 12 April 2017 following the resignation of president Baishya and until the election of Dhrubajyoti Roy as the president on 12 April 2017.
On 22 July 2017, he called-on the president Dhrubajyoti Roy and submitted his resignation as the vice-president to the president and expressed his strong desire to return to politics. His resignation was immediately accepted by the president and he was succeeded by Anoushkaa Patranabish as the vice-president on 23 July 2017.
Later political career (2017–2020)
Soon after stepping down as the vice-president in July 2017, Bishnu Chetry attained membership of the ruling Secular Party and within a month, he was appointed as a senior cabinet minister on 6 August 2017. In order to fulfil his interests and high stature in the national politics, the prime minister advised the president to formally create the Ministry of Human Resource Development as a large-scale ministerial portfolio formed by the merger of several independent ministries and dependent departments.
He continued to serve as the Minister of Human Resource Development under prime minister Dhrubajyoti Roy between 25 December 2017 and 14 May 2018. In the aftermath of the constitutional coup of 13 May 2018, he was nominated as the Cabinet Secretary by Supreme Leader Dhrubajyoti Roy in the council of ministers of President Tanishkaa Patranabish. He was appointed as the Minister of Defence and Cabinet Affairs when the executive cabinet under the presidency of Dhrubajyoti Roy was formed on 12 October 2018.
Bishnu Chetry was re-appointed as the Cabinet Minister of Home Affairs under Prime Minister Tanishkaa Patranabish on 7 January 2019 and was subsequently appointed as a Deputy Prime Minister on 17 March 2019 alongside Arnab Sil. On 14 July 2019, he alongside his deputy prime-ministerial colleague Arnab Sil was jointly appointed as Senior Ministers and was also moved from the home ministry to the defence ministry. In a cabinet reshuffle on 6 August, he was appointed as the Minister of External Affairs. On 29 September 2019, he was appointed as a Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Home Affairs. In November the same year, he was again appointed as Minister of External Affairs and relinquished his duties as the Home Minister. However, on the eve of the law and order breakdown of 12 December 2019, he was re-appointed as the Minister of Home Affairs with the additional duties of the Minister of Law and Justice.
On 10 January 2020, he was appointed as Second Deputy Prime Minister with the charge of the Ministry of External Affairs, Commonwealth Affairs and International Relations. He was not appointed as a minister in the caretaker government of Anoushkaa Patranabish which was formed on 3 March 2020 and was therefore named as an Advisor to the President with a rank equivalent to a cabinet minister. But three days later, on 9 March 2020, he was inducted as a Deputy Prime Minister for Home Affairs in the same cabinet. With Tanishkaa Patranabish's re-election as Prime Minister on 22 March 2020, he was appointed as Deputy Prime Minister for External Affairs and Health.
He entrusted with bigger duties when Tanishkaa Patranabish became President on 1 May 2020 following the resignation of Dhrubajyoti Roy. He was appointed as a Senior Minister, a position equivalent to the de facto head of government and was also the leader of the house and was responsible for home affairs. He also served as a member of the Council of State between 2019 and 2020.
Rajpramukh of Uttaranchal
Bishnu Chetry was an important member of the Council of State deciding on the nation's transition to a monarchy and played an crucial role in proposing the name "Vishwamitra" to be the official name of the nation following its transition. Consequent to the transition to the monarchy, he was nominated to become the Rajpramukh of Uttaranchal, the hereditary absolute ruler of the northern state of Uttaranchal on 8 June 2020.
As the ruler of Uttaranchal, he became an ex-officio member of the Conference of Rulers immediately after its constitution and has been serving as its chairman since 1 August 2020 succeeding Arnab Sil, the Rajpramukh of Madhya Prant. He also served as the Chairman of the Foreign Relations Commission between June and July 2020. As the chairman of the Conference of Rulers, he served as the regent between 26 and 27 January 2022 during the period of disposition of the Rashtradhyaksh.
Uparashtradhyaksh
On 13 July 2022, Bishnu Chetry was elected by the Conference of Rulers as the third Uparashtradhyaksh in order to succeed Tanishkaa Patranabish who had earlier resigned from the position of the deputy supreme ruler. Chetry's reign as the Uparashtradhyaksh commenced from 20 July 2022, the date from which the resignation of Tanishkaa Patranabish came into force.
Regency
On 2 October 2022, Uparashtradhyaksh Bishnu Chetry was sworn-in as the regent during the period of leave of Rashtradhyaksh Dhrubajyoti Roy until 6 October 2022. During this period as the regent, he dissolved the 14th Lok Sabha and accepted the resignation of the Third Farhaz Hazarika ministry and appointed Farhaz Hazarika as the caretaker prime minister.
He was proclaimed as the Acting Rashtradhyaksh and regent on 22 February 2023 during the period of leave of Rashtradhyaksh Dhrubajyoti Roy from the union on an academic tour. The regency came to an end upon the Rashtradhyaksh's return to the union on 4 March 2023. This was the longest period in the national history when an acting head of state served in office to fill in the duties of the head of state during the period of his absence from the union.
Titles, styles, and honours
Styles of Bishnu Chetry of Uttaranchal | |
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Reference style | His Majesty |
Spoken style | Your Majesty |
Alternative style | Sir |
Titles and styles
- 2 October 2015 – 8 June 2020: His Excellency Shri Bishnu Chetry
- 8 June 2020 – 4 August 2021: His Royal Highness The Rajpramukh of Uttaranchal
- 4 August 2021 – 20 July 2022: His Exalted Highness The Rajpramukh of Uttaranchal
- 20 July 2022 – present: His Majesty The Uparashtradhyaksh of Vishwamitra and Rajpramukh of Uttaranchal
Full title
His Majesty Rashtriya Nayak Shri Bishnu Chetry, S.U.K., D.K., D.K.P., D.K. I (Purvanchal), D.K. I (Beltola), D.K. (Madhya Prant), D.K. I (Kamrupa), D.S.U.U., D.S.U.K., D.U.R.D., S.U.R.K., D.S., S.P.D.S., R.S.P., P.R.S., C.S.P., Commander of the Order of William I of Gradonia, Knight Grand Cross of the Most Auspicious and Exalted Order of the Royal House of Helmond-Bernhard of Queensland, Grand Officer of the Order of the Golden Sun of Melite, Knight Grand Collar of the Most Blessed Order of the Loyalty Defender of the State Carl Gustaf City of Carl Gustaf Province, Knight Grand Cross of the Most Blessed Order of the Star of Edinburgh City of Edinburgh Province, Honorary Member of the Most Valiant Order of Excellence of Queenslandian Capital Territory, Stranger Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Gadus, Uparashtradhyaksh, Rajpramukh of Uttaranchal, Sovereign of the Royal Orders of Uttaranchal.
Awards and recognition
He has been awarded:
Honours of Uttaranchal
Founder Sovereign and Grand Knight of the Most Eminent Royal Family Order of Uttaranchal (DK, 4 May 2022)
Founder Sovereign and Grand Knight of the Most Honourable Order of Uttaranchal (DSUU, 4 May 2022)
Vishwamitran and its states
Friends Society:
Officer of the Most Noble and Most Auspicious Order of the Commonwealth (4 August 2019)
Member of the Order of Service Merit (31 December 2019)
Bhushan Ratna (17 April 2018)
Medal "For Services to National Leader II" (30 April 2020)
Investiture Medal of National Leader III (3 May 2020)
Vishwamitra:
Collar of the Most Esteemed Supreme Order of the Hibiscus (SUK, 25 October 2022)[1]
Recipient of the Royal Vishwamitran Chain (2 June 2022)
Recipient 2nd Class of the Distinguished and Long Service Medal (SPDS, 15 April 2022)
Recipient of the National Service Medal (PRS, 15 April 2021)
Recipient of the Royal Service Medal (RSP, 15 April 2022)
Recipient of the Civil Service Medal (CSP, 15 April 2022)
Recipient of the Commemorative Medal of the 20th Birthday of the First Prime Minister (11 November 2020)
Recipient of the Commemorative Medal of the First Anniversary of the Vishwamitran Monarchy (8 June 2021)
Recipient of the Commemorative Medal of the Crystal Jubilee of the Foundation of Vishwamitra (15 April 2022)
Recipient of the Commemorative Medal of the 21st Birthday of Rashtradhyaksh Dhrubajyoti Roy (11 January 2023)
- Former honours
Royal Knight of the Most Exalted Royal Family Order of Vishwamitra (15 April 2021 – 24 October 2022)
Grand Cross with Collar of the Most Honourable Order of the Lotus (5 July 2020 – 24 October 2022)
Knight of the Most Auspicious Order of the Sanghamitra (18 October 2020 – 24 October 2022)
Grand Cordon of the Most Illustrious Royal Order of the Crown of Vishwamitra (24 February 2021 – 24 October 2022)
Grand Cordon of the Most Excellent Order of the Vishwamitra (10 August 2020 – 24 October 2022)
Former Grand Master of the Most Distinguished Order of Loyalty to the Royal Family of Vishwamitra (20 July – 24 October 2022)
Grand Commander of the Most Gallant Order of Mahabali Karthika Padaka (23 January 2021 – 24 October 2022)
Member Special Class of the Order of Diplomatic Service Merit (20 July – 24 October 2022)
Companion of the Order for Merit and Public Service (20 July – 24 October 2022)
- State honours
Basistha:
Member of the Most Esteemed Family Order of Basistha (DK, 27 January 2023)
Beltola:
Member 1st Class of the Most Esteemed Royal Family Order of Beltola (DK I, 12 July 2021)
Kamrupa:
Knight of the Most Esteemed Order of the Royal Family of Kamrupa (DK I, 22 March 2021)
Commander Grand Cross of the Premier and Exalted Order of Kamrupa (DSUK, 2 November 2021)
Knight Grand Cross of the Most Excellent Order of the State of Kamrupa (SURK, 22 March 2021)
Commander Grand Knight of the Premier and Exalted Order of Kamrupa (DPUK, 22 February 2021)
Madhya Prant:
Member of the Most Esteemed Royal Family Order of Madhya Prant (DK, 24 February 2022)
Purvanchal:
Knight Grand Companion of the Most Esteemed Supreme Order of the Royal House of Purvanchal (DKP, 2 January 2023)
Knight Companion of the Most Esteemed Supreme Order of the Royal House of Purvanchal (DPP, 4 July 2021)
Grand Knight of the Most Noble Royal Family Order of Purvanchal (DK I, 7 September 2020)
Grand Companion of the Most Distinguished Order of the Rajpramukh Dhrubajyoti Roy (DURD, 12 February 2022)
Member of the Most Eminent Order of Loyalty and Faithful Service (13 August 2021)
- Territorial honours
Cangun Llus:
Member of the Most Honourable Order of the Heron (1 May 2021)
Chandril:
Knight of the Order of Chandril (1 December 2020)
New Holland:
Knight Companion of the Order of New Holland (14 April 2022)
Swevalis:
Member of the Order of Swevalis (DS, 17 July 2022)
Foreign honours
Current
Baustralia: Stranger Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Gadus (KG, 23 April 2023)[2]
Gradonia: Commander of the Order of William I (10 June 2021)[3]
Melite: Grand Officer of the Order of the Golden Sun (5 October 2022)
Queensland:
- Knight Grand Cross of the Most Exalted Order of the Royal House of Helmond-Bernhard (9 September 2021)
- Knight Grand Cross of the Most Esteemed Order of the Murraya (2 January 2023)
- Knight Grand Cross of the Most Excellent Royal Order of the Queen Elizabeth of Merit (6 April 2022)
- Knight Commander of the Most Honourable Order of Queen Elizabeth II (2 January 2022)
- State honours
Carl Gustaf Province:
- Knight Grand Collar of the Most Blessed Order of the Loyalty Defender of the State Carl Gustaf City (26 November 2022)
- Knight Grand Cross of the Most Esteemed Order of the Defender of State of Carl Gustaf City (12 February 2022)
- Companion of the Most Esteemed Carl Gustaf Supreme Order of Merit (12 February 2022)
Edinburgh Province: Knight Grand Cross of the Most Blessed Order of the Star of Edinburgh City (27 December 2022)
- Queenslandian territories
Queenslandian Capital Territory: Honorary Member of the Most Valiant Order of Excellence (2 January 2023)
Former
Karnia-Ruthenia: Knight of the Most Noble Order of St. Peter (24 December 2021[4], returned 10 October 2022)
Sildavia:
- Grand Cross of the Order of the Royal House of Sildavia (23 December 2021, returned 10 October 2022)
- Recipient of the Commemorative Medal of the First Anniversary of the Relation Vishwamitra-Sildavia (18 September 2021, returned 10 October 2022)
- Recipient of the Commemorative Medal of the First Queen's Day (23 December 2021, returned 10 October 2022)
- Recipient of the Commemorative Medal of the Cotton Jubilee (17 February 2022, returned 10 October 2022)
Ribbon bars
Ribbon bars of the orders and decorations that are worn regularly by the Rajpramukh of Uttaranchal are noted in accordance with customary Vishwamitran conventions applicable to the occasion, the location and to the form of dress worn. The ribbon bars are worn according to the protocol and the precedence of the wear as issued by the Chancellery of the orders. It is to note that the ribbons of the foreign honours are worn below the national and state honours of Vishwamitra.
Standards and arms
Personal bearings
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Monogram |
References
- ↑ "Royal Decree No. 250-2022". Google Docs. Rashtradhyaksh of Vishwamitra. 2022. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
- ↑ Caravaggio, John III (23 April 2023). "April 2023 Birthday Honours List". Retrieved 29 May 2023.
- ↑ Wilson, William (10 June 2021). "Grant of the Order of William I, Commander class on HM Bishnu Chetry, Rajpramukh of Uttaranchal". Retrieved 29 May 2023.
- ↑ von Goetzon, Oscar (24 December 2021). "Imperial and Royal Decree n. 225-2O21, 24 December 2O21.: Christmas List of Honors 2021". Retrieved 29 May 2023.
- Vishwamitrans
- 2001 births
- Royalty
- People
- Indian people
- Reigning monarchs
- Royal House of Uttaranchal
- Deputy Prime Ministers of Vishwamitra
- Home ministers of Vishwamitra
- Finance ministers of Vishwamitra
- External Affairs ministers of Vishwamitra
- Government ministers of Vishwamitra
- Collars of the Supreme Order of the Hibiscus
- Grand Companions of the Order of the Rajpramukh Dhrubajyoti Roy
- Members of the 11th Lok Sabha
- Members of the 12th Lok Sabha
- Knights of the Gadus