Kavinder Gupta Sworn In as Himachal Governor, Pledges State-Centre Bridge

Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia administered the oath of office to Gupta. Gupta said he would work collectively with all stakeholders and act as a bridge between the state and the Union government for the development of the hill state.

Addressing media persons in Shimla, Gupta said he had recently completed about seven-and-a-half months as Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh before being appointed Governor of Himachal Pradesh.

"I will work as a bridge between the state and the Union government and work collectively with everyone above party politics," he said.

"I arrived here after serving about seven and a half months in Ladakh as Lieutenant Governor. Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir share a similar culture," Gupta added.

The Governor said the state has immense potential for tourism, particularly religious tourism, which could be further developed in the coming years.

"There is great scope for tourism in the region, especially religious tourism. We will try to work on this in the future," he said.

Highlighting Himachal Pradesh's environmental significance, Gupta said the state's green cover plays an important role in environmental protection.

"Green Himachal is contributing greatly to environmental protection," he said.

Emphasising the role of youth in nation building, he said the country's demographic strength should be channeled toward entrepreneurship.

"As the Prime Minister says, nearly 65 per cent of India's population is youth. For the dream of Viksit Bharat by 2047, I want the youth to become job providers rather than job seekers," Gupta said.

Sharing his experience in Ladakh, Gupta said he had travelled extensively across the high-altitude region, including remote border villages.

"Ladakh is a high-altitude region. I visited even the last border villages during my tenure," he said.

Gupta said he plans to undertake an extensive tour of Himachal Pradesh soon, with plans to visit 12 districts in the next 3-4 months

The Governor also stressed the need to address social challenges such as drug abuse and emphasised the importance of education, technology and sports for youth development.

"Drug menace is a serious issue and education is important. Technology and sports should be used to guide youth in the right direction," he said.

"This is not the responsibility of the government alone. Society as a whole must work together," he said.

Reiterating his approach to governance, the Governor said he would work beyond party politics.

During the event at Lok Bhawan in Shimla, the complete version of "Vande Mataram" was also played, and the Governor emphasised the importance of educating people about the national song and its significance.

- ANI