📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Government of Jammu and Kashmir
Politics
Jammu and Kashmir Reclassified as Union Territory, Ending Statehood
✍️ India Today
🗓 17 Oct 2026, 04:02 PM
👁 9
India’s Jammu and Kashmir has been reclassified from a state to a Union Territory, following the 2019 revocation of Article 370. The change centralizes governance and alters the region’s political status.
In a historic move, the Government of India has officially reclassified Jammu and Kashmir from a state to a Union Territory, following the revocation of Article 370 in August 2019. The change removes the region’s special autonomy and brings it under direct central administration.
The reclassification means that Jammu and Kashmir will now have a Lieutenant Governor appointed by the President of India, and its legislative assembly has been dissolved. The Union Territory will be governed by the central government’s policies and directives, similar to other Union Territories such as Delhi and Puducherry.
Political analysts say the move is aimed at integrating the region more closely with the rest of the country and addressing security and development concerns. The decision has been met with mixed reactions, with some local leaders welcoming the change and others expressing concerns over loss of autonomy.
The Indian Parliament passed the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act in 2019, which also split the former state into two Union Territories: Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. The new status will take effect from 31 October 2019, with the first elections for the Union Territory’s legislative assembly scheduled for 2024.
The reclassification means that Jammu and Kashmir will now have a Lieutenant Governor appointed by the President of India, and its legislative assembly has been dissolved. The Union Territory will be governed by the central government’s policies and directives, similar to other Union Territories such as Delhi and Puducherry.
Political analysts say the move is aimed at integrating the region more closely with the rest of the country and addressing security and development concerns. The decision has been met with mixed reactions, with some local leaders welcoming the change and others expressing concerns over loss of autonomy.
The Indian Parliament passed the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act in 2019, which also split the former state into two Union Territories: Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. The new status will take effect from 31 October 2019, with the first elections for the Union Territory’s legislative assembly scheduled for 2024.