President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday appointed Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena to discharge the functions of the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir in addition to his existing responsibilities, with incumbent Manoj Sinha proceeding on leave. A communiqué issued by Rashtrapati Bhavan on September 8 said the arrangement would remain in place during Sinha's “absence, on leave”. No duration for the leave was specified in the presidential communication. Official sources said Sinha, who has headed the Jammu and Kashmir administration since August 2020, is currently in the United States on an official visit.
“The President of India is pleased to appoint Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena, Lt. Governor of Ladakh to discharge the functions of the Lt. Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, in addition to his own duties, during the absence, on leave, of Shri Manoj Sinha, Lt. Governor of Jammu and Kashmir,” the Rashtrapati Bhavan communiqué said.
Saxena to hold charge of two UTs
The order means Saxena will temporarily discharge the constitutional and administrative functions of the Lieutenant Governor in both Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir. He took over as the fourth Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh in March this year after serving as Delhi's Lieutenant Governor for nearly four years.
President Murmu had appointed Saxena as Ladakh LG on March 5 as part of a major gubernatorial reshuffle. He succeeded Kavinder Gupta, who was moved to Himachal Pradesh as Governor. Saxena formally assumed charge in Ladakh on March 13. Before moving to Ladakh, he served as Delhi Lieutenant Governor from May 26, 2022, until March 10, 2026.
Saxena brings decades of experience in the corporate, social and administrative sectors. Since taking over in Ladakh, he has emphasised tourism development, environmental protection, infrastructure improvement and greater engagement with residents of remote areas.
To administer Chief Justice's oath
The temporary assignment also comes ahead of an important judicial event in Jammu and Kashmir. Saxena is scheduled to administer the oath of office to Justice Pushpendra Singh Bhati as the new Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh on Wednesday. The ceremony is scheduled to take place at the Convention Centre in Srinagar.
President Murmu appointed Justice Bhati, a judge of the Rajasthan High Court, as Chief Justice of the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court on September 5. He will succeed Justice Sanjeev Kumar, who has been serving as Acting Chief Justice since June 2.
Sinha has been Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir since August 7, 2020, when he succeeded G C Murmu. His tenure has covered a significant period in the Union Territory's administration following the abrogation of Article 370 and the reorganisation of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir in 2019.
The Rashtrapati Bhavan order is a temporary arrangement linked specifically to Sinha's absence and does not amount to a replacement of the incumbent Lieutenant Governor. Saxena will continue to hold his substantive post as Ladakh LG while carrying out the functions of the Jammu and Kashmir LG until Sinha returns from leave.