Dr Sudha Yadav Takes Oath as Karnataka's Second Female Governor

Dr Sudha Yadav was sworn in as the Governor of Karnataka on Friday, October 16, 2026. Karnataka High Court Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru administered the oath of office and secrecy at the Glass House of Lok Bhavan in Bengaluru. President Droupadi Murmu appointed her after the term of outgoing Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot ended. Yadav becomes only the second woman to hold the post, following V.S. Ramadevi’s tenure from 1999 to 2002. She entered public life after her husband, Deputy Commandant Sukhbir Singh Yadav of the Border Security Force, was killed in the 1999 Kargil War and posthumously received a Sena Medal. Yadav served as a Lok Sabha MP from Mahendragarh, Haryana, between 1999 and 2004. An academic, she earned a doctorate in chemistry and a gold‑medal‑winning M.Sc. from the University of Roorkee, now IIT Roorkee. Within the Bharatiya Janata Party she has been national in‑charge of the OBC Morcha, a member of the National Commission for Backward Classes, and in 2022 joined the party’s Parliamentary Board as its second female member after Sushma Swaraj. The swearing‑in ceremony was attended by Governor Gehlot, Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara, several state ministers, opposition leaders R. Ashoka and T. Narayanaswamy, Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh, senior police officials and numerous legislators, MPs and judges. ## Context The governor acts as the constitutional head of a state, overseeing ceremonial duties and ensuring state actions align with the Constitution. Having a second woman in this role highlights growing gender representation in Indian politics, while Yadav’s mix of academic, parliamentary and party experience adds a unique profile to the office.