Satya Pal Malik, former Jammu and Kashmir Governor, passes away at 79
Malik had been unwell for some time and was receiving treatment at the government-run hospital in central Delhi
- Aug 5, 2025,
- Updated Aug 5, 2025 1:52 PM IST
Former Jammu & Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik passed away on Tuesday at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in New Delhi. He was 79.
Malik had been unwell for some time and was receiving treatment at the government-run hospital in central Delhi, where he passed away on Tuesday afternoon. His political career spanned multiple parties, decades in public life, and top gubernatorial appointments across five states and union territories.
Born in July 1946 in Hisawada village of Uttar Pradesh's Baghpat, Malik entered politics through student activism. He served as student union president at Meerut University in 1968–69 before contesting his first election as a Bharatiya Kranti Dal candidate in 1974. He went on to represent Baghpat in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly from 1974 to 1977.
Malik was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh in 1980 and served until 1989. In 1989, he won the Lok Sabha seat from Aligarh as a Janata Dal candidate. He joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in 2004 and later rose to serve as the party's national vice-president in 2012.
His gubernatorial career began in 2017 when he was appointed Governor of Bihar. In 2018, he briefly held additional charge as Governor of Odisha. Later that year, he took over as the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, a position he held during the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019. Following that tenure, Malik served as Governor of Goa from 2019 to 2020 and finally as Governor of Meghalaya until 2022.
Former Jammu & Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik passed away on Tuesday at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in New Delhi. He was 79.
Malik had been unwell for some time and was receiving treatment at the government-run hospital in central Delhi, where he passed away on Tuesday afternoon. His political career spanned multiple parties, decades in public life, and top gubernatorial appointments across five states and union territories.
Born in July 1946 in Hisawada village of Uttar Pradesh's Baghpat, Malik entered politics through student activism. He served as student union president at Meerut University in 1968–69 before contesting his first election as a Bharatiya Kranti Dal candidate in 1974. He went on to represent Baghpat in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly from 1974 to 1977.
Malik was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh in 1980 and served until 1989. In 1989, he won the Lok Sabha seat from Aligarh as a Janata Dal candidate. He joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in 2004 and later rose to serve as the party's national vice-president in 2012.
His gubernatorial career began in 2017 when he was appointed Governor of Bihar. In 2018, he briefly held additional charge as Governor of Odisha. Later that year, he took over as the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, a position he held during the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019. Following that tenure, Malik served as Governor of Goa from 2019 to 2020 and finally as Governor of Meghalaya until 2022.