Bishnu Chetry, Rajpramukh of Uttaranchal

Bishnu Chetry बिष्णु छेत्री
Uparashtradhyaksh Rajpramukh of Uttaranchal
Rajpramukh of Uttaranchal
Reign	8 June 2020 – present
Heir presumptive	Crown Prince Manoj
Uparashtradhyaksh
Tenure	20 July 2022 – present
Predecessor	Tanishkaa Patranabish
Rashtradhyaksh	Varuna Sriraya
Prime Minister	Farhaz Hazarika
Acting Rashtradhyaksh
Reign	22 February – 4 March 2023
Prime Minister	Farhaz Hazarika
Chairman of the Conference of Rulers
Incumbent
Assumed office 1 August 2020
Monarch	Varuna Sriraya
Preceded by	Arnab Sil
Senior political offices President of Friends Society Acting In office 11 April 2017 – 12 April 2017 Prime Minister Varuna Sriraya Preceded by Sarala Baishya Succeeded by Varuna Sriraya Vice President of Friends Society In office 2 October 2015 – 29 May 2016 President Sarala Baishya Varuna Sriraya Tanishkaa Patranabish Prime Minister Tanishkaa Patranabish Sarala Baishya Varuna Sriraya Preceded by Anoushkaa Patranabish Succeeded by Arnab Sil In office 27 November 2016 – 22 July 2017 Acting until 27 January 2017 President Anoushkaa Patranabish Sarala Baishya Varuna Sriraya Prime Minister Varuna Sriraya Sarala Baishya Tanishkaa Patranabish Preceded by Arnab Sil Succeeded by Anoushkaa Patranabish Deputy Prime Minister of Friends Society In office 17 March 2019 – 14 July 2019 Serving with Arnab Sil President Varuna Sriraya Prime Minister Tanishkaa Patranabish Preceded by Position vacant Succeeded by Abhiraj Kar In office 29 September 2019 – 16 November 2019 Serving with Anoushkaa Patranabish President Varuna Sriraya Prime Minister Tanishkaa Patranabish In office 10 January 2020 – 3 March 2020 Serving with Anoushkaa Patranabish President Varuna Sriraya Prime Minister Tanishkaa Patranabish In office 9 March 2020 – 30 April 2020 Serving with Anoushkaa Patranabish from 22 March 2020 and Arnab Sil from 29 March 2020 President Varuna Sriraya Prime Minister Anoushkaa Patranabish Tanishkaa Patranabish Preceded by Ankurjyoti Thakuria Senior Minister In office 14 July 2019 – 29 September 2019 Serving with Arnab Sil President Varuna Sriraya Prime Minister Tanishkaa Patranabish Preceded by Position created Succeeded by Ankurjyoti Thakuria In office 10 May 2020 – 8 June 2020 President Tanishkaa Patranabish
Ministerial offices Minister of Finance In office 29 May 2016 – 2 October 2016 Prime Minister Varuna Sriraya Preceded by Arnab Sil Succeeded by Tanishkaa Patranabish Minister of Home Affairs In office 2 October 2016 – 27 November 2016 Prime Minister Varuna Sriraya Preceded by Asmi Patranabis Succeeded by Tanishkaa Patranabish In office 7 January 2019 – 16 July 2019 Prime Minister Tanishkaa Patranabish Preceded by Anoushkaa Patranabish Succeeded by Arnab Sil In office 29 September 2019 – 8 November 2019 Prime Minister Tanishkaa Patranabish Preceded by Ankurjyoti Thakuria Succeeded by Anoushkaa Patranabish In office 12 December 2019 – 10 January 2020 Prime Minister Tanishkaa Patranabish Preceded by Anoushkaa Patranabish Succeeded by Tanishkaa Patranabish In office 9 March 2020 – 22 March 2020 Prime Minister Anoushkaa Patranabish Preceded by Arnab Sil Succeeded by Anoushkaa Patranabish In office 13 May 2020 – 8 June 2020 President Tanishkaa Patranabish Succeeded by Prince Abhiraj Minister of Human Resource Development In office 6 August 2017 – 13 May 2018 Prime Minister Tanishkaa Patranabish Varuna Sriraya Deputy Manoj Chetry Bishakha Das Mridul Amin Abhisekh Jha Arpan Deka Succeeded by Bhargab Jyoti Medhi Secretary of State In office 14 May 2018 – 12 October 2018 President Tanishkaa Patranabish Varuna Sriraya (pro-tempore) Preceded by Arnab Sil (as MEA) Succeeded by Abhiraj Kar (as MEA) Ministers of Defence In office 12 October 2018 – 6 January 2019 President Varuna Sriraya Preceded by Abhiraj Kar Succeeded by Abhiraj Kar In office 16 July 2019 – 6 August 2019 Prime Minister Tanishkaa Patranabish Preceded by Asmi Patranabis Succeeded by Tanishkaa Patranabish Minister of External Affairs In office 6 August 2019 – 29 September 2019 Prime Minister Tanishkaa Patranabish Preceded by Tanishkaa Patranabish Succeeded by Ankurjyoti Thakuria In office 8 November 2019 – 12 December 2019 Prime Minister Tanishkaa Patranabish Preceded by Ankurjyoti Thakuria Succeeded by Anoushkaa Patranabish In office 10 January 2020 – 3 March 2020 Prime Minister Tanishkaa Patranabish Preceded by Anoushkaa Patranabish Succeeded by Anirban Phatowali
Born	c. 2001 (age 23) India
House	Chetry
Father	Prince Father Chandra
Mother	Princess Mother Laxmi
Religion	Hindu

His Majesty Bishnu Chetry (born 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 in 2001 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 Varuna Sriraya.

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 Varuna Sriraya 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 Varuna Sriraya, 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 Varuna Sriraya. 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 Varuna Sriraya. 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 Varuna Sriraya 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 Varuna Sriraya. 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)

File:President Varuna felicitating outgoing vice-president Bishnu Chetry on 23 July 2017.jpg

President Varuna Sriraya felicitating former vice-president Bishnu Chetry on 23 July 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 Varuna Sriraya as the president on 12 April 2017.

On 22 July 2017, he called-on the president Varuna Sriraya 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 Varuna Sriraya 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 Varuna Sriraya 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 Varuna Sriraya 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 Varuna Sriraya. 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 Varuna Sriraya 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 Varuna Sriraya 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
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 Rajpramukh Shri Bishnu Chetry, S.U.K., D.K., D.K.S., D.K. I (Purvanchal), D.K. I (Kamrupa), D.K. I (Beltolta), D.K. (Madhya Prant), D.K. (Basistha), D.S.U.U., D.S.U.K., S.U.R.K., D.U.V.S., S.P.D.S., R.S.P., P.R.S., C.S.P., Rajpramukh of Uttaranchal, Uparashtradhyaksh and Chairman of the Conference of Rulers, National Hero.

Awards and recognition

See also: List of honours of the Uttaranchal royal family by country

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)
  • 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 Varuna Sriraya (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:
  • Supreme Grand Companion of the Most Esteemed Order of the Royal House of Sriraya (DKS, 2 January 2023)
  • Knight Companion of the Most Esteemed Order of the Royal House of Sriraya (DPS, 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 Maharaja Varuna Sriraya (DUVS, 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)
• Creek and Lake: Stranger Knight of the Most Noble Order of Creek (KC, 25 January 2024)
• Gradonia: Commander of the Order of William I (10 June 2021)
• Melite: Grand Officer of the Order of the Golden Sun (5 October 2022)
• Queensland:
  • Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Gardenia (2 January 2023)
  • Knight Grand Cross of the Most Admirable Order of Pulcherrima (15 September 2023)

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)
• Sabah Province: Knight Grand Cross of the Most Valiant Order of Meritorious Service Star of Sabah City (14 September 2023)

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, returned 10 October 2022)
• Queensland:
  • Knight Grand Cross of the Most Exalted Order of the Royal House of Helmond-Bernhard (9 September 2021, order disestablished)
  • Knight Grand Cross of the Most Esteemed Order of the Murraya (2 January 2023, order disestablished)
  • Knight Grand Cross of the Most Excellent Royal Order of the Queen Elizabeth of Merit (6 April 2022, order disestablished)
  • Knight Commander of the Most Honourable Order of Queen Elizabeth II (2 January 2022, order disestablished)
• 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

Royal Banner	Shield	Coat of arms	Monogram