Who was Satyapal Malik? Former Governor of J&K; Education, Political Journey and Other Details

Satya Pal Malik, former Governor of Jammu and Kashmir and a prominent figure in the national politics, died today (August 5, 2025) at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, Delhi. In addition, he has held the positions of governor of Bihar, Odisha, Goa, and Meghalaya. He was seventy-nine.

Malik joined politics in the middle of the 1960s, motivated by Ram Manohar Lohia's socialist philosophy. In 2004, he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and in 2012, he was named the party's national vice president. Before the 2014 Lok Sabha election, he was part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's campaign staff.

Who was Satyapal Malik?

Satyapal Malik lost his father when he was just two years old. He was born on July 24, 1946, in the Uttar Pradesh village of Hisavada, Baghpat. When he was a student, he became involved in politics. Chaudhary Charan Singh is credited with introducing him to active politics.

Malik, a member of the powerful Jat community in politics, is originally from Baghpat in Uttar Pradesh and has ancestry in Haryana.

Satyapal Malik Political Journey

Satyapal Malik began his political career in 1968–69 as a student leader. Following this, because of his close relationship with Chaudhary Charan Singh, he entered the electoral process in 1974 and won the assembly elections from Baghpat to become an MLA for the first time. Later, he and Charan Singh joined the Lok Dal. He was appointed the party's general secretary by Charan Singh. He was later sent to the Rajya Sabha in 1980 on the ticket of Janta Dal. However, he did not remain there for long. Malik joined the Congress party in 1984 and returned to the Rajya Sabha in 1986.

Malik presided over the former state of Jammu and Kashmir as its final governor from August 2018 to October 2019. Article 370 was repealed under his administration, and on August 5, 2019, the state's unique status was revoked. It has been six years since that historic ruling.

Malik, a former Union Minister of State and three-time member of parliament, was the first politician to be named Governor of Jammu and Kashmir since the region's militancy began.

He went on to become the governor of Goa and then, until October 2022, the governor of Meghalaya. He had previously served as the governor of Bihar for a brief period in 2017.