Kavinder Gupta was sworn in today as the third Lieutenant Governor of the Union Territory of Ladakh at the Durbar Hall of the Lieutenant Governor's Secretariat. He was administered the oath of office by Justice Arun Palli, Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
At a vibrant ceremony attended by people from all walks of life, Gupta was accorded a guard of honour by the Ladakh Police after taking the oath. He assumed office in the presence of his family members. Chief Secretary Dr. Pawan Kotwal, IAS, read the warrant of appointment issued by President Droupadi Murmu.
Shortly after taking oath as the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, Kavinder Gupta on Friday assured that work for the development of Ladakh would be done unitedly, further stating that Ladakh would be taken to a stage where it would be named among the top states for tourism in the world.
Interacting with media persons, Gupta said, "We will work unitedly for the development of Ladakh. There has been a lot of discrimination against Ladakh. We want to take Ladakh to a stage where it will be named among the top states for tourism in the world."
Gupta succeeds Brigadier (Dr) B.D. Mishra (Retd), who took charge as Ladakh's Lieutenant Governor on February 19, 2023. Brig (Dr) Mishra had earlier replaced R.K. Mathur, who was appointed as the first Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh in 2019, following the bifurcation of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories.
Kavinder Gupta has held several significant positions in the past, both in government and within his party. He served as Deputy Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir in 2018 during the BJP-PDP coalition government.
Agitation in Ladakh Poses Immediate Challenge
The most pressing challenge before the newly appointed Lieutenant Governor is addressing the ongoing agitation in the cold desert region. Agitating groups remain firm in their decision to hold a protest in New Delhi on February 15.
Reports suggest that a meeting involving the agitating Ladakh groups—namely the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA)—is likely to take place on July 20. However, the groups have not yet received a formal invitation.
While the Union Home Ministry is exploring options to resume dialogue, the LAB and KDA have announced plans to intensify their ongoing agitation. Both groups are spearheading the movement in support of four key demands:
- Full-fledged statehood for Ladakh
- Implementation of the Sixth Schedule to safeguard the interests of tribal communities
- Separate Lok Sabha constituencies for Leh and Kargil
- Establishment of a Ladakh Public Service Commission, with the Ladakh Resident Certificate (LRC) as a mandatory criterion for all gazetted posts
Political Dynamics
All major political parties—except the BJP—have extended support to the agitation. The BJP, which governs the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Leh, has distanced itself from both the LAB and the KDA. The party argues that the grant of Union Territory status was a long-standing demand of the Ladakhi people, fulfilled by the Central Government on August 5, 2019.
Centre's Response and Committee Formation
On January 3, 2023, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs constituted a high-powered committee to explore legislative and administrative safeguards for land and employment in Ladakh. The committee was also tasked with proposing measures to protect Ladakh's unique culture and language, considering its distinct geography and strategic importance.
Since the abrogation of Article 370 and the bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019, civil society and political groups in Ladakh have consistently called for constitutional protections, including inclusion under the Sixth Schedule, to safeguard the region's land, employment opportunities, and cultural identity.
