Satyapal Malik, the 10th Governor of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 79 after a prolonged illness. He died around 1 p.m. at Delhi&rsquo;s Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, where he was undergoing treatment.
Born on July 24, 1946, in Hisawada village, Baghpat district of Uttar Pradesh, Malik earned B.Sc. and LL.B degrees from Meerut University. His political journey began with the Bharatiya Kranti Dal and spanned several parties including Janata Dal, Congress, Lok Dal, Samajwadi Party, and finally the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Malik first gained political prominence as a member of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly from 1974 to 1977. He later served two terms in the Rajya Sabha from 1980 to 1989, and was elected to the 9th Lok Sabha from Aligarh as a Janata Dal MP.
In October 2017, he was appointed Governor of Bihar and briefly held additional charge as Governor of Odisha in 2018. He took over as the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir in August 2018 and served until October 2019, during which the historic revocation of Article 370 occurred on August 5, 2019.
Subsequently, he was appointed Governor of Goa and later served as the Governor of Meghalaya until October 2022.
In his final years, Malik drew national attention for his outspoken criticism of the Centre and its policies. Though he had maintained silence ahead of the abrogation of Article 370, it later emerged that he had signed the official approval for the move just two days before it was implemented.
Satyapal Malik leaves behind a legacy marked by political shifts, administrative roles, and a central presence during one of the most significant constitutional developments in India&rsquo;s recent history. [Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by the Benefit News editorial team and is published directly from the IANS news feed]

Veteran leader and ex-J&K Governor Satyapal Malik dies at 79 after prolonged illness

Former J&K Governor Satyapal Malik Passes Away

Veteran leader and ex-J&K Governor Satyapal Malik dies at 79 after prolonged illness

August 5, 2025 | 16:01 IST