SHIMLA: Kavinder Gupta was sworn in as the Governor of Himachal Pradesh in a simple yet impressive ceremony held at Lok Bhavan. Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court, Justice Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia, administered the oath of office and secrecy to him in Hindi. The ceremony began with the singing of Vande Mataram followed by the National Anthem, and the Governor was presented with a Guard of Honour. Haryana Governor Prof. Ashim Kumar Ghosh, Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri, Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur, several ministers, MLAs and senior civil and police officers were present on the occasion.
Earlier, Chief Secretary Sanjay Gupta read out the warrant of appointment issued by the President of India, after which Secretary to the Governor C.P. Verma obtained the Governor’s signature on the charge certificate. Before proceeding to the oath-taking ceremony, Governor Kavinder Gupta performed a traditional pooja with his family members. Speaking to the media later, he expressed gratitude to the President for entrusting him with the constitutional responsibility and said he would work in accordance with the Constitution while maintaining close coordination with the State Government for the overall development of Himachal Pradesh.
The Governor said he would focus on improving the quality of education in the State and strengthening initiatives related to environmental protection, cultural heritage and tourism, particularly religious tourism. He also emphasised promoting natural farming, tribal development, youth welfare and the campaign against drug abuse. Stressing effective implementation of central schemes, he said efforts would be made to improve infrastructure and connectivity in remote and border areas, while also promoting skill development, sports initiatives and value-based education to ensure inclusive and sustainable development of the State.
