Chief Minister

About Shri Pema Khandu

Shri Pema Khandu, son of the late Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu, belongs to the Monpa tribe of Tawang district in Arunachal Pradesh. Born on 21 August 1979 in the remote village of Gyangkhar, he completed his schooling at Government Secondary School, Bomba (Tawang) and Donyi-Polo Vidya Bhawan, Itanagar, before graduating with a B.A. (Hons) in History from Hindu College, University of Delhi, in 2000.

He entered the political arena in 2011 when he won the Mukto Assembly by-election unopposed following his father's tragic death in a helicopter accident on 30 April 2011. He was subsequently inducted into the State Cabinet as Minister for Water Resources Development and Tourism.

Shri Khandu rose to the position of Chief Minister on 17 July 2016 at the age of 36, becoming one of the youngest Chief Ministers in India. Under his leadership, the Bharatiya Janata Party secured a historic landslide victory in the 2024 Arunachal Pradesh Assembly elections, winning 46 of 60 seats, and he was sworn in for a record third consecutive term on 13 June 2024.

Vision for Arunachal Pradesh

Shri Pema Khandu has declared Arunachal Pradesh as the "Emerging Hydropower Capital of India," highlighting the state's massive potential of over 56,000 MW of hydropower — the highest of any state in India. Under his leadership, major hydropower milestones include the completion of the 600 MW Kameng project, the near-commissioning of the 2,000 MW Subansiri Lower project, and the progression of the 2,880 MW Dibang Multipurpose project — set to become India's largest hydroelectric plant.

The state is also pursuing 13 new projects with a combined capacity of 15,000 MW, with Rs 4,171 crore worth of free power to be routed back to the state and Rs 735 crore being invested directly into local communities.

His governance philosophy is built around the pillars of Accountability, Responsiveness, and Transparency, with a strong emphasis on digital transformation and participative democracy. He has championed the vision of "Viksit Arunachal 2047," urging the youth to lead the journey towards a developed and self-reliant state.

"Development must move forward in a manner that balances timely execution with the interests of local communities, while contributing to the nation's long-term energy needs."