New Delhi, October 21: President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday appointed Girish Chandra Murmu as Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir. Girish Chandra Murmu will be the first Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir after the state bifurcation into two union territories - Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. Radha Krishna Mathur has been appointed as the first Lieutenant Governor of union territory Ladakh. Who is Girish Chandra Murmu?.

A Gujarat-cadre Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, GC Murmu is considered to be a trusted confidant of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He served as the principal secretary and secretary of the Home Department during Narendra Modi’s tenure as chief minister of Gujarat. The current Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Satya Pal Malik has been transferred to Goa. President Kovind also appointed PS Sreedharan Pillai as Governor of Mizoram. Check Full List of Newly-Appointed Governors.

"The above appointments will take effect from the dates they assume charge of their respective offices," a statement released by Raj Bhawan said. The Modi government, on August 5, diluted Article 370 by scrapping the special status of Jammu and Kashmir. The state was also divided into two union territories.

According to an order issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh will become union territories on October 31 which also happens to be Sardar Vallabhbai Patel's 144th birth anniversary.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 25, 2019 08:09 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).