Gazette Notification establishing J&K, Ladakh as Union territories out

After the abrogation of Article 370 and the re-organisation of Jammu and Kashmir, the State is officially set to be converted into two union territories namely Jammu & Kashmir, and Ladakh on October 31 which will witness the swearing-in of lieutenant governors of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh to mark the re-organisation. Senior IAS officer Girish Chandra Murmu will be the first lieutenant governor of the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Whereas the union territory of Ladakh will have senior IAS officer of Tripura, Radha Krishna Mathur as its lieutenant governor. Murmu has reportedly arrived on Wednesday at Jammu and Kashmir’s capital Srinagar for his swearing ceremony scheduled on Thursday, October 31.

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Here is a part of the Gazette Notification that establishes J&K, Ladakh as Union territories

Excerpts from the Gazette Notification

The notification states the principal act to reorganize the existing state of J&K and the inclusion of central laws which will now be applicable to the two Union Territories just as they are applicable for the rest of the country. The notification further announces the state of Jammu and Kashmir has been bifurcated into two and will now be referred to as Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and Union Territory of Ladakh. The notification further states the abolishment of State Legislature including the Legislative Council and the formation of Legislative assembly in the Union Territories.

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About Article 370, Article 35A and their abrogation

The historic abrogation of Article 370 and Article 35A took place after Home Minister Amit Shah tabled a proposal to revoke Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir allowing its full integration into the Indian Union on August 5 in the Parliament. The historic moment was met with a massive uproar in the Rajya Sabha.

Article 370 of the Indian Constitution was a 'temporary provision' which granted autonomous, special status to the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Under part XXI of the Constitution that looks at 'Temporary, Transitional and Special provisions,' the state was accorded with the special status under Article 370. All the provisions of the Constitution applicable to other states were not applicable to Jammu and Kashmir. 

Article 35A, a provision under Article 370 was also revoked along with Article 370. Article 35A allowed the Jammu and Kashmir legislature to define who are permanent residents of the state. It was inserted through the Constitution (Application to Jammu and Kashmir) Order, 1954.

After the abrogation of article 370, Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed the participation of local youth in various sports activities across the state conducted by the state administration, The youth actively participated in various recruitment drives such as the army recruitment drive held earlier in October and the SPO's recruitment drive that saw the participation of thousands of Kashmiri youth.

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