Kavinder Gupta was sworn in as the third Lieutenant Governor of the Union Territory of Ladakh on July 18 at the Durbar Hall of the Lieutenant Governor’s Secretariat. The oath was administered by Justice Arun Palli, Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

The ceremonial function was attended by dignitaries and people from all walks of life. Following the oath-taking, the newly appointed LG was accorded a guard of honour by the Ladakh Police. The ceremony was held in the presence of his family members.

Chief Secretary Dr. Pawan Kotwal formally read out the warrant of appointment issued by President Droupadi Murmu.

Kavinder Gupta succeeds Brigadier (Dr.) B.D. Mishra (Retd), who assumed office as the LG of Ladakh on February 19, 2023. Brig. (Dr.) Mishra had succeeded R.K. Mathur, the first Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh appointed in 2019, following the reorganization of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories.

A veteran political leader, Gupta has held several significant positions in government and within the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He served as the Deputy Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir in 2018 during the BJP-PDP coalition government. A native of the Janipur area in Jammu city, the 66-year-old leader also served as Mayor of Jammu for three consecutive terms from 2005 to 2010.

He held the position of General Secretary of the BJP’s state unit and led the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) in J&K for two consecutive terms between 1993 and 1998. In the 2014 Assembly elections, he was elected as an MLA from the Gandhi Nagar constituency and was unanimously chosen as the Speaker of the House. Earlier in his career, he served as Secretary of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and was imprisoned for 13 months during the Emergency.

In his first address to the media as Lieutenant Governor, Kavinder Gupta expressed his gratitude to President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for entrusting him with the responsibility. He reiterated his commitment to the development and progress of Ladakh.

The swearing-in ceremony was attended by several prominent figures, including venerable rinpoches; Chairman/CEC LAHDC Leh, Adv. Tashi Gyalson; Chairman/CEC LAHDC Kargil, Dr. Mohd Jaffer Akhoon; Member of Parliament from Ladakh, Haneefa Jan; Deputy Chairman LAHDC Leh, Tsering Angchuk; Executive Councillors and Councillors from both Leh and Kargil Hill Councils; GOC 14 Corps, Lt. Gen. Hitesh Bhalla; DGP Ladakh Police, Dr. S.D. Singh Jamwal, IPS; former MP Jamyang Tsering Namgyal; renowned environmentalist Sonam Wangchuk; administrative secretaries; heads and members of various religious and political institutions; DC Leh, Romil Singh Donk; SSP Leh, Shruti Arora, IPS; and several other senior officials.