Satya Pal Malik, Former J&K Governor, Dies At 79 After Prolonged Illness

Former Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik died on Tuesday at the age of 79 after a prolonged illness. He died at approximately 1 pm today at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in New Delhi, where he had been admitted since May 2025, and his condition remained critical. Hospital sources said he was suffering from a severe urinary tract infection and complications arising from kidney failure, due to which he had been placed in the ICU for advanced care.

Malik served as the last Governor of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir from August 2018 to October 2019. It was during his tenure that Article 370 was abrogated and the special status of the state was revoked on 5 August 2019. Today marks the sixth anniversary of the decision. He was later appointed Governor of Goa and subsequently served as the Governor of Meghalaya until October 2022.

Early Life And Entry Into Politics

Satya Pal Malik was born on 24 July 1946 in Hisauli, Baghpat district, in Uttar Pradesh. His political journey began in the 1970s, when he was elected to the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly in 1974 from the Baghpat constituency.

He was associated with several political parties over the years, starting with Bharatiya Kranti Dal, then moving to Lok Dal, Janata Dal, and later aligning with BJP.

Malik served as a Rajya Sabha member from Uttar Pradesh between 1980-89, and later as a Lok Sabha MP from Aligarh from 1989 to 1991. During his time in Parliament, he worked on many issues concerning rural development and farmers’ rights.

Activities Recorded In History

Malik played an active role in removing the Special Rights Act from Jammu and Kashmir. Malik was the only Governor of Jammu and Kashmir during whose tenure Article 35A was removed. He was the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir even before its removal and he remained the Governor for a long time after the removal of this article.