Gangtok: Dushyant Kumar Gautam took charge as Sikkim's 19th Governor on Monday, after being sworn in at Lok Bhavan in Gangtok.
Justice A Muhamed Mustaque, Chief Justice of the Sikkim High Court, administered the oath of office. President Droupadi Murmu had appointed Gautam to the post on October 12, succeeding Om Prakash Mathur.
The Bar Association of Sikkim had earlier called on the President to defer the swearing-in until concerns linked to the 2022 murder of Ankita Bhandari in Uttarakhand were addressed. The association sent its request to Rashtrapati Bhavan. Gautam was sworn in as scheduled.
Governors are appointed by the President and hold office during the President's pleasure. In Sikkim, as in other states, the Governor acts as the constitutional head and exercises functions on the advice of the council of ministers, except in matters where discretion is provided.
The new Governor took charge as the state government continues its routine administration. Sikkim is a small Himalayan state and one of the country's youngest, having become a full-fledged state in 1975.
No further details of Gautam's immediate programme were available. The appointment of a new Governor follows a standard process in which the Union government recommends a name to the President.
The state's political parties did not issue a public response to the association's request before the ceremony. The Governor's office is a constitutional post, and the incumbent assumes charge of the state's administration on behalf of the President.