President Droupadi Murmu on 8 September 2026 gave Vinai Kumar Saxena, the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, the additional charge of Jammu and Kashmir. The order said Saxena will discharge the functions of the Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor during the absence on leave of Manoj Sinha, while continuing his own duties in Ladakh. The very next day, Saxena administered the oath of office to the new Chief Justice of the common High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
What Exactly Happened on 8 September 2026?
A communique from Rashtrapati Bhavan said the President is pleased to appoint Saxena, Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, to discharge the functions of the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir in addition to his own duties. The order clearly states that this arrangement will apply during the absence on leave of Manoj Sinha, the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir. An additional charge is a temporary arrangement. It does not remove the current holder from the post and it ends when the holder returns to duty.
Manoj Sinha took charge as the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir on 7 August 2020 and is the second person to hold that post. He was reported to be in the United States on an official visit at the time of the order. Saxena therefore handled the functions of both Union Territories for this period while continuing his work in Ladakh.
The timing mattered for an urgent constitutional task. Justice Pushpendra Singh Bhati, a judge of the Rajasthan High Court, had been appointed as the Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh with effect from the date he assumes charge. His name had been recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium on 31 August 2026 and notified by the Ministry of Law and Justice on 5 September 2026 under Article 217 of the Constitution, which deals with the appointment of High Court judges. Saxena administered the oath to Justice Bhati as the 39th Chief Justice on 9 September 2026 at Srinagar. Justice Bhati was elevated to the Rajasthan High Court on 16 November 2016 and practised as a lawyer for nearly 25 years before that.
Who Is Vinai Kumar Saxena?
Vinai Kumar Saxena was born on 23 March 1958 in Uttar Pradesh. He graduated from Kanpur University in 1981 and also holds a pilot licence. He is not a career bureaucrat. He spent over three decades in the corporate and social sectors before moving to constitutional posts.
Saxena started his career in 1984 as an assistant officer in Rajasthan with the JK Group, where he worked for about 11 years in different roles. He later worked in Gujarat in social sector projects. His non profit work on reducing dust pollution in Ahmedabad through Mission ENDURE won support under the United Nations Human Settlements Programme.
In October 2015, he was appointed Chairperson of the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC). KVIC is a statutory body set up in April 1957 to promote rural employment and village industries. During his tenure till 2022, KVIC launched employment schemes such as the Honey Mission, the Kumhar Sashaktikaran Yojana for potters and a support scheme for leather artisans. KVIC also introduced products such as plastic mixed handmade paper and Khadi Prakritik Paint made from cow dung. Under his leadership, KVIC turnover grew by about 248 percent and crossed ₹1.15 lakh crore in 2021-22, with claims of around 40 lakh new jobs created in seven years.
| Post Held | Period | Key Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Chairperson, KVIC | October 2015 to May 2022 | Led Honey Mission and rural employment push |
| 22nd Lieutenant Governor of Delhi | 26 May 2022 to 10 March 2026 | Succeeded Anil Baijal, focus on Yamuna riverfront, Sanjay Van restoration and civic works |
| 4th Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh | From 13 March 2026 | Took oath at Choglamsar, succeeded Kavinder Gupta |
As Delhi Lieutenant Governor, Saxena took oath on 26 May 2022 after Anil Baijal resigned. His tenure saw frequent differences with the elected city government on governance issues, along with work on Yamuna floodplain restoration, urban forests such as Sanjay Van and city beautification. He demitted office in Delhi on 10 March 2026.
He took oath as the fourth Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh on 13 March 2026 at the Arya Nagarjuna Auditorium of the Central Institute of Buddhist Studies in Choglamsar. The oath was administered by Justice Arun Palli, then Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. Saxena succeeded Kavinder Gupta, who had served as Ladakh Lieutenant Governor from 14 July 2025 and was then appointed Governor of Himachal Pradesh. In Ladakh, Saxena has announced steps such as cutting value added tax on natural gas from 21 percent to 5 percent and approving support for the pashmina sector.
What Is a Lieutenant Governor and How Is One Appointed?
A Lieutenant Governor is the administrator of a Union Territory. A Union Territory is an area directly governed by the Union government, unlike a state which has its own elected government with wider powers. The Lieutenant Governor acts as the constitutional head of the Union Territory and as the representative of the President in that territory.
The appointment is made by the President of India under Article 239 of the Constitution. Article 239 says every Union Territory shall be administered by the President acting through an administrator appointed by him with a suitable designation. In the Union Territories of Delhi, Puducherry, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the administrator is designated as Lieutenant Governor. In other Union Territories such as Chandigarh and Lakshadweep, the head is called Administrator.
The proposal for appointing Lieutenant Governors of Puducherry, Delhi and Andaman and Nicobar Islands is initiated by the Ministry of Home Affairs and the approval of the President is taken through the Prime Minister Office. No approval of the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet is required for this post. There are no fixed eligibility rules written in the Constitution for this office. In practice, retired civil servants, defence officers, police officers, politicians and persons from public life have been appointed.
The powers come mainly from Articles 239 to 239AB. Puducherry has a legislature and council of ministers under Article 239A. Delhi, which is called the National Capital Territory of Delhi from the 69th Amendment of 1991, has special provisions under Article 239AA and Article 239AB. The Lieutenant Governor generally acts on the aid and advice of the council of ministers in matters where the assembly can make laws, except where the law requires him to act in his discretion. In Delhi, subjects such as public order, police and land remain reserved. The Lieutenant Governor can promulgate ordinances when the assembly is not in session, reserve a bill passed by the assembly for the consideration of the President, appoint the Chief Minister and ministers, and send a report to the President if the administration cannot be carried on as per the Constitution.
Governor Versus Lieutenant Governor: What Is the Difference?
A Governor is the head of a state, while a Lieutenant Governor is the head of a Union Territory. This is the basic difference. It decides their powers, their role and the control of the Union government over them.
| Point of Difference | Governor | Lieutenant Governor |
|---|---|---|
| Area of charge | A state of the Indian Union | A Union Territory |
| Constitutional base | Articles 153 to 162 | Articles 239 to 239AA |
| Appointed by | President of India | President of India |
| Advice followed | Acts mostly on the aid and advice of the state council of ministers | Has wider discretion, especially in Union Territories without a legislature, and acts as direct agent of the Union government |
| Administrative role | Largely constitutional head with day to day work run by the Chief Minister | More active administrative role, particularly in Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh |
| Control of Centre | State has autonomy in State List subjects | Union Territory remains under closer control of the Centre through the Ministry of Home Affairs |
A common doubt is whether a Lieutenant Governor is senior to a Governor. The Constitution does not rank one higher than the other. Their rank depends on the territory they administer. A Governor cannot remove a Lieutenant Governor and a Lieutenant Governor cannot give orders to a Governor. Both hold office during the pleasure of the President, which means the President can replace them at any time.
Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh: How the Two Lieutenant Governor Posts Emerged
The two posts were created after Parliament passed the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019. On 5 August 2019, the special status of the former state under Article 370 was ended. On 31 October 2019, the former state was split into two Union Territories. Jammu and Kashmir became a Union Territory with a legislature, like Puducherry. Ladakh became a Union Territory without a legislature. Ladakh has two autonomous hill councils, the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils for Leh and Kargil, to handle local development.
The first Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir was Girish Chandra Murmu, who took oath on 31 October 2019. He was succeeded by Manoj Sinha on 7 August 2020. Sinha is a civil engineer trained at IIT BHU Varanasi. He was elected to the Lok Sabha three times from Ghazipur in Uttar Pradesh in 1996, 1999 and 2014. He served as Minister of State for Railways and as Minister of State with Independent Charge for Communications from 2014 to 2019.
The first Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh was Radha Krishna Mathur, who also took charge on 31 October 2019. He was followed by B. D. Mishra in February 2023 and Kavinder Gupta in July 2025. Saxena became the fourth Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh in March 2026.
| Union Territory | First Lieutenant Governor | Present Position in September 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Jammu and Kashmir | Girish Chandra Murmu (31 October 2019 to 6 August 2020) | Manoj Sinha (from 7 August 2020, on leave), functions discharged by Vinai Kumar Saxena as additional charge |
| Ladakh | Radha Krishna Mathur (31 October 2019 to February 2023) | Vinai Kumar Saxena (from 13 March 2026) |
Both Union Territories share a common High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, which is why the oath of its Chief Justice is administered by the Lieutenant Governor. This shared institution explains why Saxena, while holding the additional charge of Jammu and Kashmir, administered the oath to Justice Bhati in Srinagar on 9 September 2026.
Key Takeaways
- President Droupadi Murmu gave Ladakh LG Vinai Kumar Saxena the additional charge of Jammu and Kashmir on 8 September 2026 during Manoj Sinha’s leave.
- Saxena administered the oath to Justice Pushpendra Singh Bhati as the 39th Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh on 9 September 2026.
- Saxena is the 4th Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh (from 13 March 2026) and earlier served as the 22nd Lieutenant Governor of Delhi and Chairperson of KVIC.
- Lieutenant Governors of Union Territories are appointed by the President under Article 239 of the Constitution.
- The first Lieutenant Governors after the 31 October 2019 reorganisation were Girish Chandra Murmu for Jammu and Kashmir and Radha Krishna Mathur for Ladakh.
