Toeing the protocol put in place by President Pranab Mukherjee, Tamil Nadu Governor Ch. Vidyasagar Rao today said only the word “Honourable” should be prefixed to his name and not “His Excellency.”
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“Ch. Vidyasagar Rao, the Governor of Tamil Nadu, has directed that henceforth on all ceremonial occasions and in official and other communications, the word Honourable Governor or its Tamil equivalent Maanbumigu Aalunar, may be used,” a Raj Bhavan release said here.
In a departure from the British era practise of addressing Governors as “His Excellency,” Rao directed that “the present practise of using the salutation His Excellency the Governor, or the Tamil equivalent Methagu Aalunar, may be discontinued.”
However, the salutation “His Excellency” will continue to be used in interaction with foreign dignitaries, the release said.
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In 2012, President Pranab Mukherjee had introduced a new protocol for greeting Constitutional heads, the President and state Governors.
According to it, the salutation “His Excellency” was replaced with “Honourable President” and “Honourable Governor.”
Preceding the name of the dignitaries would be the Indian greeting “Shri” or “Smt.” The reference “His Excellency” was, however, retained for occasions involving interactions with foreign dignitaries in line with international practise.
After taking over as Governor of Kerala in 2014, former Chief Justice of India, P. Sathasivam too had dispensed with the practise of using the words “His Excellency.”