Sikkim guv proposes change to honorific title

EOI, Gangtok, 25 Jul 2013: Newly appointed Governor Shriniwas Patil wants the honorific title ‘His Excellency’ discontinued with immediate effect. 

An official circular from Sikkim Raj Bhawan today announced Patil’s request for discontinuing the title and proposed the use of ‘Honourable’ instead. 

The circular further urged all administrative bodies to follow the new practice in their correspondences and state functions. The idea of using ‘Honourable’ instead of ‘His Excellency’ was first mooted by President Pranab Mukherjee last year soon after taking charge of office.

SNS, Gangtok, 25 July: Following in the footsteps of the Governor of Meghalaya, the newly appointed Governor of Sikkim, Mr Shriniwas Patil has ordered that the honourific title, ‘His Excellency’ be dropped. A circular from Sikkim Raj Bhavan said that Mr Patil desires that the use of honourific "His Excellency" be discontinued and instead, the word "Honourable" be used while addressing him.

The circular also requested all concerned to follow this practice in all correspondences and during state functions. Unlike Meghalaya where the practice of dropping the honourific title applies to interaction with foreign delegates, Mr Patil’s office has issued the blanket circular without any specific exceptions.  Mr Patil, a former Nationalist Congress Party MP, had taken charge as the 16th Governor of Sikkim on 20 July, replacing Mr Singh.