Jammu and Kashmir

Jammu and Kashmir was once a full Indian state. Since 2019, it has been a Union Territory, though it now has its own elected government again.

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General Knowledge · GK0074

Jammu & Kashmir

A Union Territory with its own elected government

31 Oct 2019

Became a Union Territory

56,160 km²

Total area, 2 divisions

16 Oct 2024

Omar Abdullah sworn in as CM

2 capitals

Srinagar (summer), Jammu (winter)

Lieutenant GovernorManoj Sinha

Chief MinisterOmar Abdullah

Sibling UT (2019 split)Ladakh

An open question: statehood

As of August 2026, full statehood restoration remains unresolved — despite the Centre’s repeated assurances since the 2024 election restored an elected government.

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Must Know

• Jammu and Kashmir became a Union Territory on 31 October 2019. It was formed under the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, which also created the separate Union Territory of Ladakh. See ModHist0036 — Article 370: Kashmir’s Special Status and Its 2019 Removal for that background.
• Unlike Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir has its own elected Legislative Assembly, alongside a Lieutenant Governor.
• As of 2026, the Lieutenant Governor is Manoj Sinha, in office since 7 August 2020.
• The Chief Minister is Omar Abdullah, sworn in on 16 October 2024, after the 2024 Assembly election restored an elected government to the territory.

Good to Know

• The territory covers about 56,160 square kilometres, across two divisions and 20 districts.
• Jammu and Kashmir follows a dual-capital system. Srinagar serves as the capital from May to October, and Jammu from November to April.
• The Kashmir Valley and the Jammu region have distinct geography and culture. The Valley is known for Dal Lake and the Pir Panjal range; the Jammu region sits among the Shivalik foothills.
• The Amarnath Yatra, a major annual Hindu pilgrimage, draws large numbers of pilgrims to a Himalayan cave shrine each year. See CA0069 — Amarnath Yatra 2026 for this year’s dates and details.

Test Yourself

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1. Jammu and Kashmir became a Union Territory on 31 October 2019, under which Act?

The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act 2019

The States Reorganisation Act 1956

The Constitution (Seventieth Amendment) Act

The Government of Jammu and Kashmir Act 2019

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Great to Know

• Jammu and Kashmir’s dual capital tradition predates its 2019 reorganisation. It goes back to the princely-state era, when the ruling Dogra dynasty moved its court seasonally between the two cities.
• Jammu and Kashmir has an elected Chief Minister alongside a centrally-appointed Lieutenant Governor. This gives it a governance model close to Delhi’s and Puducherry’s, closer to a state’s than most Union Territories.
• Ladakh, split off in the same 2019 reorganisation, took the opposite path, remaining a Union Territory without its own legislature.

Current Affairs

• 7 August 2026: The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs (260th Report) tabled its review of administrative governance, socioeconomic development, and internal security in J&K and Ladakh.
  • It suggested building an airport or aviation facility in Katra, Jammu, to serve rising Vaishno Devi pilgrim traffic and tourism.
  • It noted significant progress exploring lithium, sapphire, limestone, graphite, lignite, and marble deposits, urging scientific, sustainable extraction that benefits the local economy.
  • It flagged a rising secondary-level dropout rate, up to 12.6% in 2024-25, with the Gross Enrolment Ratio falling sharply from 114.2% at primary level to 53.7% at higher-secondary level.
  • On the Forest Rights Act, 2006, it noted only 6,172 of 46,242 individual and community claims had been approved, calling the high rejection rate a concern needing scrutiny.
  • It found that despite 6,510 Kashmiri migrant families expressing willingness to return, only 3 had permanently resettled, and recommended a comprehensive review of security, housing, and livelihood concerns.
  (Source: Business Standard)
• As of August 2026, the restoration of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir remains unresolved. This is despite repeated assurances from the Centre since the 2024 Assembly election restored an elected government.
• On the seventh anniversary of Article 370’s abrogation in August 2026, National Conference leaders again pressed the Centre for a timeline on statehood restoration. Source: The Federal.
• Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has repeatedly called for early statehood restoration. He did so in a January 2025 statement, and again through 2026. Source: The News Mill.
• The Congress party has also demanded immediate restoration of full statehood. It organised a march in Jammu on the issue in 2026. Source: The Tribune.
• The Union government has stated statehood will be restored “at the right time,” without giving a specific date.
• On 5 August 2026, PM Modi marked the seventh anniversary of Article 370’s abrogation. He called it a “decisive new chapter” for Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
  • He linked the date to Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee’s 125th birth anniversary. Modi said Mookerjee’s long-standing advocacy for full integration found “historic fulfilment” in 2019.
  • The government cited over 50 lakh Vaishno Devi visitors and more than 4 lakh Amarnath pilgrims in 2026, as evidence of tourism growth.
  • It also highlighted Srinagar’s recognition as a UNESCO Creative City and World Craft City.
  • Several Central laws, including provisions on child marriage prohibition, the Right to Education, and land reforms, now apply in the territory.
  (Source: DD India)