New Governors Appointed for Haryana, Goa; New L-G for Ladakh.

Current Affairs Today Current Affairs news Current Affairs PDF Current Affairs of India Today Current Affairs PDF Daily current affairs Latest GK&CA

New GOVERNORS Appointed for Haryana, Goa, New L-G for Ladakh

On July 15, 2025, the President of India appointed new Governors for three regions-Goa, Haryana, and Ladakh.

Appointments:

Kavinder Gupta appointed as Lieutenant-Governor of Ladakh

  •  Replaces Brigadier B.D. Mishra (Retd).Former Deputy CM of Jammu & Kashmir.
  •  Three-term Mayor of Jammu (2005-2010).
  • Member of BJP National Executive.

Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju appointed as Governor of Goa

  •  Senior Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader from Andhra Pradesh.
  •  Former Union Civil Aviation Minister (2014-2018) under PM Modi.
  •  Succeeds P.S. Sreedharan Pillai.

Ashim Kumar Ghosh appointed as Governor of Haryana

  •  Replaces Bandaru Dattatreya.
  •  BJP leader from West Bengal, joined BJP in 1991.
  • Former Labour & Employment Minister, ex-MP from Howrah

Governor Constitutional Role:

Article 153:There shall be a Governor for each State in India. However, the same person can be appointed Governor of two or more states.

Appointed by the President of India, as per Article 155.

Holds office for a term of five years (Article 156).

However, serves at the pleasure of the President.

He can be removed earlier or continue beyond term until successor is appointed by the president.

Eligibility:

Must be an Indian citizen.

Must be at least 35 years old.

Cannot be a member of Parliament or state legislature.

Must not hold any office of profit.

Powers and Functions of Governor:

1. Executive Powers:

  • Appoints the Chief Minister and, on their advice, the Council of Ministers.
  • Appoints Advocate General, State Election Commissioner, and others.
  • Acts as the nominal head of the state executive; real power lies with elected government.

2. Legislative Powers:

  • Summons, prorogues, and dissolves the State Legislative Assembly.
  •  Addresses the first session of the legislature after elections and at the beginning of each year.
  •  Can give assent, withhold assent, or reserve bills for the President.
  •  Can promulgate ordinances under Article 213 when the Assembly is not in session.

3. Judicial Powers:

  • Can grant pardons, reprieves, respites, or remissions in cases involving state laws.

4.Discretionary Powers:

  • Can act without the advice of the Council of Ministers in certain situations, such as:

When no party has a clear majority.

In case of a constitutional breakdown under Article 356 (President's Rule).

Lieutenant-Governor - UT Governance

Appointed by the President of India under Article 239 for Union Territories (UTs).

Different from Governors in states, L-Gs act as executive heads of UTs, and often exercise more direct control.

Types of Union Territories:

1. UTs with Legislature:

Example: Delhi and Puducherry.

  • L-G shares powers with elected Chief Minister and Legislative Assembly.
  •  In Delhi, Article 239AA provides a special constitutional status to the L-G, leading to frequent Centre-State conflicts.

2. UTs without Legislature:

Example: Ladakh, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Chandigarh, Lakshadweep.

  •  L-G functions as the sole executive authority on behalf of the President.
  •  Administers the territory with the help of advisors and bureaucrats.

Role in Ladakh Post-Article 370

Article 370 Abrogation (2019): On August 5, 2019, the special status of Jammu & Kashmir was revoked.

The Jammu & Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 bifurcated the state into:

  • Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir (with legislature)

 Union Territory of Ladakh (without legislature)

Lieutenant-Governor in Ladakh:

Appointed as the administrative head of Ladakh.

Governs without a legislature, assisted by civil servants.

Responsible for law and order, development, coordination with Central ministries, and implementation of schemes.

Comments