Jammu and Kashmir (union territory)
{{Short description| Region administered by India}}
{{About|the region administered by India as a union territory|other uses|Jammu and Kashmir (disambiguation)}}
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{{EngvarB|date=June 2025}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2025}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name = Jammu and Kashmir
| settlement_type = Region administered by India as a union territory{{citation|last=Briticannica|first=Eds Encycl.|chapter=Ladakh|title=Encyclopaedia Britannica|date=1 March 2021|publisher= Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.|chapter-url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Ladakh|access-date=2 April 2022|quote=Ladakh, large area of the northern and eastern Kashmir region, northwestern Indian subcontinent. Administratively, Ladakh is divided between Pakistan (northwest), as part of Gilgit-Baltistan, and India (southeast), as part of Ladakh union territory (until October 31, 2019, part of Jammu and Kashmir state); in addition, China administers portions of northeastern Ladakh.}}
| image_skyline = {{Photomontage
| photo1a = Pahalgam Valley.jpg
| photo2a = Akhnoor Fort - Jammu - Jammu and Kashmir - DSC 0001 JPEG.jpg
| photo3a =
| photo4a =
| spacing =
| position = centre
| size = 250
| border = 0
| color =
| foot_montage = From top to bottom: Lidder Valley, Akhnoor Fort
}}
| image_blank_emblem =
| blank_emblem_size =
| blank_emblem_type =
| image_alt =
| image_caption =
| image_flag =
| image_map = File:Kashmir region. LOC 2003626427 - showing sub-regions administered by different countries.jpg
| map_alt = Map of the disputed Kashmir region showing areas of control by India, Pakistan, and China
| map_caption = A map of the disputed Kashmir region with the two Indian-administered union territories Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh shown in tan.
| image_map1 = {{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-width=300|frame-height=170|frame-align=center|zoom=4|type=point|title=Jammu and Kashmir|marker=city|type2=shape|stroke-width2=2|stroke-color2=#808080}}
| map_caption1 = Interactive map of Jammu and Kashmir
| coordinates = {{Coord|33|5|24|N|74|47|24|E|display=inline,title}}
| coor_pinpoint =
| coordinates_footnotes =
| subdivision_type = Administering state
| subdivision_name = India
| subdivision_type2 = India
| subdivision_name2 =
| established_title = Union territory
| established_date = 31 October 2019
| seat_type = Capitals
| seat = Srinagar (May–October)
Jammu (November–April){{Cite news |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/what-is-the-darbar-move-in-j-k-all-about/article18409452.ece |title=What is the Darbar Move in J&K all about? |author=The Hindu Net Desk |date=8 May 2017 |newspaper=The Hindu|access-date=23 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171110135648/http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/what-is-the-darbar-move-in-j-k-all-about/article18409452.ece |archive-date=10 November 2017 |url-status=live }}
| parts_type = Districts
| parts_style = para
| p1 = 20
| government_footnotes =
| governing_body = Government of Jammu and Kashmir
| leader_title = Lieutenant Governor
| leader_name = Manoj Sinha
| leader_title1 = Chief Minister
| leader_name1 = Omar Abdullah
JKNC
| leader_title2 = Deputy Chief Minister
| leader_name2 = Surinder Kumar Choudhary
JKNC
| leader_title3 = Legislature
| leader_name3 = Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly
| leader_title4 = National Parliament
| leader_name4 = Parliament of India
: Lok Sabha (5)
| unit_pref = Metric
| area_footnotes = {{Britannica|id=300213|title=Jammu and Kashmir}}
| area_total_km2 = 42,241
| area_rank =
| elevation_max_m = 7,135
| elevation_max_point = Nun Peak
| elevation_max_rank =
| elevation_min_footnotes =
| elevation_min_m = 247
| elevation_min_point = Chenab River
| elevation_min_rank =
| population_total = 12,267,013
| population_as_of = 2011
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_rank =
| population_note =
| registration_plate = JK
| timezone1 = IST
| utc_offset1 = +05:30
| iso_code = IN-JK
| unemployment_rate =
| blank_info_sec1 = {{Increase}} 0.720 (High){{cite web |title=India: Subnational HDI |url=https://globaldatalab.org/shdi/table/shdi/IND/ |website=Global Data Labs |access-date=8 June 2025}} (6th)
| blank_name_sec1 = HDI {{nobold|(2022)}}
| blank1_info_sec1 =
| blank_name_sec2 = Literacy {{nobold|(2024)}}
| blank_info_sec2 = 82.0%{{Cite book |url=https://www.mospi.gov.in/sites/default/files/publication_reports/AnnualReport_PLFS2023-24L2.pdf |title=Annual Report, Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) (July 2023 – June 2024) |date=23 September 2024 |publisher=National Sample Survey Office, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Government of India |pages=A-10 |chapter=Appendix-A: Detailed tables, Table (7): Literacy rate (in per cent) of persons of different age groups for each State/UT (persons, age-group (years): 7 & above, rural+urban (column 6))}} (26th)
| blank2_name_sec2 =
| blank2_info_sec2 =
| demographics_type1 = Languages
| demographics1_title1 = Official
| demographics1_info1 = Kashmiri, Dogri, Urdu, Hindi, English{{cite web |url=http://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/2020/222037.pdf |title=The Jammu and Kashmir Official Languages Act, 2020 |publisher=The Gazette of India|date=27 September 2020 |access-date=27 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201019215035/http://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/2020/222037.pdf |archive-date=19 October 2020}}{{cite news | title=Parliament passes JK Official Languages Bill, 2020 | work=Rising Kashmir | date=23 September 2020 | url=http://risingkashmir.com/news/parliament-passes-jk-official-languages-bill-2020 | access-date=23 September 2020 | archive-date=24 September 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200924141909/http://risingkashmir.com/news/parliament-passes-jk-official-languages-bill-2020 }}
| demographics1_title2 = Spoken
| demographics1_info2 = Kashmiri, Gojri, Pahari, Punjabi, Bhadarwahi, Sarazi, Khowar, Shina, Burushaski, Bateri{{refn|1={{Cite news |title=Pakistan's "Burushaski" Language Finds New Relatives |url=https://www.npr.org/2012/06/20/155454736/pakistans-burushaski-language-finds-new-relatives|work=National Public Radio |access-date=6 August 2019}}{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RRbIAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA184 |title=The Parchment of Kashmir: History, Society, and Polity |last=Khan |first=N. |date=6 August 2012 |publisher=Springer |isbn=978-1-137-02958-4 |page=184|access-date=23 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190223184947/https://books.google.com/books?id=RRbIAAAAQBAJ&lpg=PP1&pg=PA184#v=onepage&q&f=false |archive-date=23 February 2019 |url-status=live }}{{Cite encyclopedia |title=Bhadrawahi |encyclopedia=Ethnologue: Languages of the World |location=Dallas |publisher=SIL International |url=http://www.ethnologue.com/language/bhd|access-date=6 August 2019}}{{Cite encyclopedia |title=Bateri |encyclopedia=Ethnologue (Free All) |url=http://www.ethnologue.com/language/btv}}{{cite book|last1=Simons|first1= Gary F. |last2=Fennig|first2=Charles D. |title=Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Twentieth Edition|year=2017|publisher=SIL International|location= Dallas}}{{cite book|last=Crane|first=Robert I.|title=Area Handbook on Jammu and Kashmir State|year=1956|publisher=University of Chicago for the Human Relations Area Files|page=179|quote=Shina is the most eastern of these languages and in some of its dialects such as the Brokpa of Dah and Hanu and the dialect of Dras, it impinges upon the area of the Sino-Tibetan language family and has been affected by Tibetan with an overlay of words and idioms.}}{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XNqOjvaAb9cC&pg=PA6 |title=Modern History of Jammu and Kashmir: Ancient times to Shimla Agreement |last1=Aggarwal |first1=J. C. |last2=Agrawal |first2=S. P. |date=1995 |publisher=Concept Publishing Company |isbn=978-81-7022-557-7|access-date=23 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190224001711/https://books.google.com/books?id=XNqOjvaAb9cC&lpg=PP1&pg=PA6#v=onepage&q&f=false |archive-date=24 February 2019 |url-status=live }}}}
| website = {{URL|https://www.jk.gov.in/}}
| footnotes =
| official_name =
| module =
}}
Jammu{{efn|Pronounced variably as {{IPAc-en|ˈ|dʒ|æ|m|uː|audio=en-us-Jammu.oga}} {{respell|JAM|oo}} or {{IPAc-en|ˈ|dʒ|ʌ|m|uː}} {{respell|JUM|oo}}.{{Citation |last=Jones |first=Daniel |author-link= Daniel Jones (phonetician) |title= English Pronouncing Dictionary |editor=Peter Roach |editor2=James Hartmann |editor3=Jane Setter |place=Cambridge |publisher= Cambridge University Press |orig-date=1917 |year=2003 |isbn=978-3-12-539683-8 }}}} and Kashmir{{efn|Pronounced variably as {{IPAc-en|ˈ|k|æ|ʃ|m|ɪər|audio=en-us-Kashmir.oga}} {{respell|KASH|meer}} or {{IPAc-en|k|æ|ʃ|ˈ|m|ɪər}} {{respell|kash|MEER}}.}} ({{small|abbr.}} J&K) is a region administered by India as a union territory{{citation|last1=Akhtar|first1=Rais|last2=Kirk|first2=William|chapter=Jammu and Kashmir|title=Encyclopaedia Britannica|date=22 March 2021|publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.|chapter-url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Jammu-and-Kashmir|access-date=2 April 2022|quote=The union territory is part of the larger region of Kashmir, which has been the subject of dispute between India, Pakistan, and China since the partition of the subcontinent in 1947. ... The territory that India administered on its side of the line, which contained both Jammu (the seat of the Dogra dynasty) and the Vale of Kashmir, took on the name Jammu and Kashmir. However, both India and Pakistan have continued to claim the entire Kashmir region}} and consists of the southern portion of the larger Kashmir region, which has been the subject of a dispute between India and Pakistan since 1947 and between India and China since 1959.The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a mention of the Kashmir dispute is supported by the tertiary sources (a) through (e), reflecting due weight in the coverage. Although "controlled" and "held" are also applied neutrally to the names of the disputants or to the regions administered by them, as evidenced in sources (h) through (i) below, "held" is also considered politicised usage, as is the term "occupied", (see (j) below).
(a) {{citation|title=Kashmir, region Indian subcontinent|publisher=Encyclopaedia Britannica|url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Kashmir-region-Indian-subcontinent |access-date=15 August 2019}} (subscription required) Quote: "Kashmir, region of the northwestern Indian subcontinent ... has been the subject of dispute between India and Pakistan since the partition of the Indian subcontinent in 1947. The northern and western portions are administered by Pakistan and comprise three areas: Azad Kashmir, Gilgit, and Baltistan, the last two being part of a territory called the Northern Areas. Administered by India are the southern and southeastern portions, which constitute the state of Jammu and Kashmir but are slated to be split into two union territories.";
(b) {{citation|last1=Pletcher|first1=Kenneth|title=Aksai Chin, Plateau Region, Asia|publisher=Encyclopaedia Britannica|url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Aksai-Chin |access-date=16 August 2019}} (subscription required) Quote: "Aksai Chin, Chinese (Pinyin) Aksayqin, portion of the Kashmir region, at the northernmost extent of the Indian subcontinent in south-central Asia. It constitutes nearly all the territory of the Chinese-administered sector of Kashmir that is claimed by India to be part of the Ladakh area of Jammu and Kashmir state.";
(c) {{citation|chapter=Kashmir|title=Encyclopedia Americana|publisher=Scholastic Library Publishing|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=l_cWAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA328|year=2006|isbn=978-0-7172-0139-6|page=328}} C. E Bosworth, University of Manchester Quote: "KASHMIR, kash'mer, the northernmost region of the Indian subcontinent, administered partly by India, partly by Pakistan, and partly by China. The region has been the subject of a bitter dispute between India and Pakistan since they became independent in 1947";
(d) {{citation|last1=Osmańczyk|first1=Edmund Jan|title=Encyclopedia of the United Nations and International Agreements: G to M|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fSIMXHMdfkkC&pg=PA1191|year=2003|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=978-0-415-93922-5|pages=1191–}} Quote: "Jammu and Kashmir: Territory in northwestern India, subject to a dispute between India and Pakistan. It has borders with Pakistan and China."
(e) {{citation|last=Talbot|first=Ian|title=A History of Modern South Asia: Politics, States, Diasporas|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eNg_CwAAQBAJ&pg=PA28|year=2016|publisher=Yale University Press|isbn=978-0-300-19694-8|pages=28–29}} Quote: "We move from a disputed international border to a dotted line on the map that represents a military border not recognized in international law. The line of control separates the Indian and Pakistani administered areas of the former Princely State of Jammu and Kashmir.";
(f) {{citation|last=Skutsch|first=Carl|editor-last=Ciment|editor-first=James|title=Encyclopedia of Conflicts Since World War II|edition=2nd|year=2015|orig-date=2007|isbn=978-0-7656-8005-1|chapter=China: Border War with India, 1962|location=London and New York|publisher=Routledge|page=573|quote=The situation between the two nations was complicated by the 1957–1959 uprising by Tibetans against Chinese rule. Refugees poured across the Indian border, and the Indian public was outraged. Any compromise with China on the border issue became impossible. Similarly, China was offended that India had given political asylum to the Dalai Lama when he fled across the border in March 1959. In late 1959, there were shots fired between border patrols operating along both the ill-defined McMahon Line and in the Aksai Chin.}}
(g) {{citation|last=Clary|first=Christopher|year=2022|title=The Difficult Politics of Peace: Rivalry in Modern South Asia|publisher=Oxford University Press|location = Oxford and New York|isbn=978-0-19-763840-8|page=109|quote=Territorial Dispute: The situation along the Sino-Indian frontier continued to worsen. In late July (1959), an Indian reconnaissance patrol was blocked, "apprehended", and eventually expelled after three weeks in custody at the hands of a larger Chinese force near Khurnak Fort in Aksai Chin. ... Circumstances worsened further in October 1959, when a major class at Kongka Pass in eastern Ladakh led to nine dead and ten captured Indian border personnel, making it by far the most serious Sino-Indian class since India's independence.}}
(h) {{citation|last=Bose|first=Sumantra|title=Kashmir: Roots of Conflict, Paths to Peace|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3ACMe9WBdNAC&pg=PA294|year=2009|publisher=Harvard University Press|isbn=978-0-674-02855-5|pages=294, 291, 293}} Quote: "J&K: Jammu and Kashmir. The former princely state that is the subject of the Kashmir dispute. Besides IJK (Indian-controlled Jammu and Kashmir. The larger and more populous part of the former princely state. It has a population of slightly over 10 million, and comprises three regions: Kashmir Valley, Jammu, and Ladakh.) and AJK ('Azad" (Free) Jammu and Kashmir. The more populous part of Pakistani-controlled J&K, with a population of approximately 2.5 million.), it includes the sparsely populated "Northern Areas" of Gilgit and Baltistan, remote mountainous regions which are directly administered, unlike AJK, by the Pakistani central authorities, and some high-altitude uninhabitable tracts under Chinese control."
(i) {{citation|last=Fisher|first=Michael H.|title=An Environmental History of India: From Earliest Times to the Twenty-First Century|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kZVuDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA166|year=2018|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-1-107-11162-2|page=166}} Quote: "Kashmir's identity remains hotly disputed with a UN-supervised "Line of Control" still separating Pakistani-held Azad ("Free") Kashmir from Indian-held Kashmir.";
(j) {{citation|last=Snedden|first=Christopher|title=Understanding Kashmir and Kashmiris|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5amKCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA10|year=2015|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-1-84904-621-3|page=10}} Quote:"Some politicised terms also are used to describe parts of J&K. These terms include the words 'occupied' and 'held'."
The Line of Control separates Jammu and Kashmir from the Pakistani-administered territories of Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan in the west and north respectively. It lies to the north of the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab and to the west of Ladakh which is administered by India as a union territory. Insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir has persisted in protest over autonomy and rights. In 2019, the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act was passed, re-constituting the former state of Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories: Ladakh in the east and the residuary Jammu and Kashmir in the west.
Srinagar and Jammu jointly serve as the capital of the region, which is divided into two divisions and 20 districts. The area holds substantial mineral deposits, including sapphire, borax, and graphite. Agriculture and services drive the economy, with major contributors being horticulture, handicrafts, and tourism. Apple cultivation is one of the largest industries, employing 3.5 million people and producing 10% of the gross state domestic product. Despite these activities, over 10% of the population are under the national poverty line.
Terminology
Jammu and Kashmir is named after the two regions it encompasses {{ndash}} the Jammu region and the Kashmir Valley. India collectively refers to the parts of Kashmir under Pakistani administration as "Pakistan-occupied Kashmir" (POK), and considers the region corresponding to Azad Kashmir as part of Jammu and Kashmir.{{cite book |first=Christopher |last=Snedden |author-link=Christopher Snedden |title=Kashmir: The Unwritten History |publisher=HarperCollins India |year=2013 |isbn=978-93-5029-898-5 |pages=2–3}}{{cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/the-enigma-of-terminology/article5621801.ece|title=The enigma of terminology|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151016082903/http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/the-enigma-of-terminology/article5621801.ece|archive-date=16 October 2015|newspaper=The Hindu|date=27 January 2014}} Pakistan collectively refers to the Indian-administered territories of Kashmir as "Indian-occupied Kashmir" (IOK) or "Indian-held Kashmir" (IHK).{{cite web |first= Ali | last=Zain |url= http://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/pakistan/pakistani-flag-hoisted-pro-freedom-slogans-chanted-in-indian-occupied-kashmir-567/ |title= Pakistani flag hoisted, pro-freedom slogans chanted in Indian Occupied Kashmir – Daily Pakistan Global | work=Daily Pakistan Global |publisher= En.dailypakistan.com.pk |date= 13 September 2015 |access-date= 17 November 2015 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20151118114311/http://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/pakistan/pakistani-flag-hoisted-pro-freedom-slogans-chanted-in-indian-occupied-kashmir-567/ |archive-date= 18 November 2015 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |url=http://dunyanews.tv/index.php/en/World/298421-Pakistani-flag-hoisted-once-again-in-Indian-Occupi |title= Pakistani flag hoisted once again in Indian Occupied Kashmir |website=Dunya News |date= 11 September 2015 |access-date=17 November 2015}} Neutral sources use "Indian-administered Kashmir"/"Pakistan-administered Kashmir" and "Indian-controlled Kashmir"/"Pakistan-controlled Kashmir" to demarcate the areas.South Asia: fourth report of session 2006–07 by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Foreign Affairs Committee page 37
History
{{For|the history prior to Indian administration|Kashmir#History}}
After the Indo-Pakistani war of 1947–1948, three distinct areas of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir were under Indian control: Muslim-majority Kashmir Valley, Hindu-majority Jammu region, and Buddhist-dominated Ladakh district.[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-49234708 Article 370: What happened with Kashmir and why it matters]. BBC (6 August 2019). Retrieved 7 August 2019. These regions were constituted as Jammu and Kashmir state and accorded special status by Article 370 of the Constitution of India, adopted in 1950. In contrast to other states of India, Jammu and Kashmir established its own constitution, flag, and administrative autonomy.{{citation |author=K. Venkataramanan |title=How the status of Jammu and Kashmir is being changed |newspaper=The Hindu |date=5 August 2019 |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/explained-how-the-status-of-jammu-and-kashmir-is-being-changed/article28822866.ece?homepage=true}} In 1954, Article 35A was introduced via a Presidential Order under Article 370, empowering the Jammu and Kashmir Legislature to define permanent residents and bar Indian citizens from other states from purchasing property.{{Cite news|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/article-370-and-35a-revoked-how-it-would-change-the-face-of-kashmir/articleshow/70531959.cms|title=Article 370 and 35(A) revoked: How it would change the face of Kashmir|newspaper=The Economic Times|date=5 August 2019}} The Constituent Assembly, tasked with drafting the constitution and deciding Article 370's future, adopted the constitution of Jammu and Kashmir in 1957 and then dissolved without recommending 370's abrogation, leading to the provision's indefinite continuation.
After Sheikh Abdullah's death in 1982, unrest and violence persisted in the Kashmiri Valley and, following a disputed state election in 1987, an insurgency persisted in protest over autonomy and rights. In the early 1990s, amid the rise of militancy and targeted violence, a mass exodus of Kashmiri Hindus occurred from the Kashmir Valley.{{cite news|title=219 Kashmiri Pandits killed by militants since 1989 |date=24 March 2010|work=The Hindu|url=http://www.hindu.com/2010/03/24/stories/2010032461230900.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100325203907/http://www.hindu.com/2010/03/24/stories/2010032461230900.htm|archive-date=25 March 2010}} Through the 1990s and 2000s, the region witnessed prolonged violence between insurgent groups and Indian security forces.{{cite web|last1=Jeelani|first1=Mushtaq A.|title=Kashmir: A History Littered With Rigged Elections|url=http://www.mediamonitors.net/jeelani4.html|website=Media Monitors Network|access-date=24 February 2017|date=25 June 2001|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304051443/http://www.mediamonitors.net/jeelani4.html|archive-date=4 March 2016}}
While Article 370 had come to be seen as effectively permanent, it historically faced ideological opposition. In the 1950s, Syama Prasad Mookerjee, founder of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh (BJS), opposed Article 370 on grounds that it hindered national integration and created unequal constitutional treatment.{{cite news|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-history/syama-prasad-mookerjee-jammu-kashmir-integration-9063688/|title=How Syama Prasad Mookerjee fought for J&K's integration with India|newspaper=The Indian Express|date=12 December 2023|first=Arjun|last=Sengupta}} In their 2019 Indian general election manifesto, the Bharatiya Janata Party (successor to the BJS) pledged its revocation. After its victory, the Parliament of India passed resolutions to repeal Article 370 in August 2019, and Article 35A was abolished through suspension of the 1954 Presidential Order.{{cite news |first=Arshi |last=Aggarwal |title=Article 370 powers gone, Lok Sabha passes J&K bifurcation bill: All you need to know |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/article-370-jammu-kashmir-ladakh-bifurcation-all-you-need-to-know-1578034-2019-08-07 |access-date=22 June 2024 |work=India Today |date=7 August 2019}} At the same time, a reorganisation act was also passed to reconstitute the state into two union territories: the new union territory of Ladakh, with the residual state continuing as the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/parliament-live-govt-to-move-jammu-and-kashmir-reorganisation-bill-for-passage-in-lok-sabha/article28831274.ece|title=Parliament Live | Lok Sabha passes Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill, Ayes: 370, Noes 70|date=6 August 2019|newspaper=The Hindu|access-date=6 August 2019}} The reorganisation took effect from 31 October 2019.{{citation|url=http://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/2019/210412.pdf|title=In exercise of the powers conferred by clause a of section 2 of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act.|date=9 August 2019|access-date=9 August 2019|author=Ministry of Home Affairs|work=The Gazette of India}} In the days that followed, nearly 4,000 people, including two former Chief Ministers and hundreds of other politicians, were arrested by the Indian authorities in Kashmir;{{cite news |title=Thousands detained in Indian Kashmir crackdown, official data reveals |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-india-kashmir-detentions/thousands-detained-in-indian-kashmir-crackdown-official-data-reveals-idUSKCN1VX142 |work=Reuters |date=12 September 2019 |first1=Devjyot |last1=Ghoshal |first2=Alasdair |last2=Pal}} the state was put under a lockdown and communication and internet services were suspended.{{cite news |title=Kashmir in lockdown after autonomy scrapped |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-49246434 |access-date=6 June 2021 |work=BBC News |date=6 August 2019}}
In April 2020, the government notified a domicile law to replace the previous 'permanent residents' scheme. Under the new law, any one that resided in Jammu and Kashmir for 15 years, or studied for 7 years and appeared for Class 10 and Class 12 exams, would be deemed to be a 'domicile'. Government officials that served in Jammu and Kashmir for 10 years and their children also become eligible for domicile status.{{cite news |last1=Ahmad |first1=Mudasir |last2=Sareen |first2=Pallavi |date=1 April 2020 |title=New Domicile Law Opens J&K State Jobs for Outsiders, Lowest Grade Jobs Reserved for Locals |url=https://thewire.in/government/jk-domicile-law-jobs-centre |work=The Wire |access-date=29 April 2025}} In April 2025, it was revealed that over 83,000 people received domicile certificate under the new law who would not have qualified under the old laws.{{cite news |last1=Iqbal |first1=Naveed |date=10 April 2025 |title=Over 80,000 'non-state subjects' have received domicile certificates in last two years, J&K govt says |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/over-80000-non-state-subjects-have-received-domicile-certificates-in-last-two-years-jk-govt-says-9935364/ |work=The Indian Express |access-date=22 April 2025}}
On 11 December 2023, the Supreme Court of India unanimously upheld the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A, while also directing the union government to restore the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir and hold legislative assembly elections no later than September 2024.{{cite news |title=Live Updates: Supreme Court Backs Centre On Scrapping Of Jammu & Kashmir Special Status |url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/article-370-verdict-live-updates-supreme-court-verdict-on-validity-of-scrapping-article-370-in-jammu-and-kashmir-today-4652207 |access-date=11 December 2023 |work=NDTV |date=11 December 2023}}{{cite news |first=Anando |last=Bhakto |title=Jammu and Kashmir: Supreme Court upholds abrogation of Article 370 in landmark decision |url=https://frontline.thehindu.com/news/jammu-kashmir-supreme-court-upholds-abrogation-of-article-370-in-landmark-decision/article67627243.ece |access-date=22 June 2024 |work=Frontline |date=11 December 2023}} The assembly election was held from September to October 2024.{{cite news |title=Baseless accusations: NC on rumours of post-poll alliance with BJP in J-K |url=https://www.business-standard.com/elections/jammu-kashmir-elections/baseless-accusations-nc-on-rumours-of-post-poll-alliance-with-bjp-in-j-k-124100400502_1.html |access-date=6 October 2024 |agency=Press Trust of India |work=Business Standard |date=4 October 2024}} The alliance of Jammu & Kashmir National Conference and Indian National Congress formed the first government of the residual union territory{{cite news |last=Ashiq |first=Peerzada |date=8 October 2024 |title=NC-Congress alliance set to form govt. in J&K, BJP wins big in Jammu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/elections/jammu-and-kashmir-assembly/jammu-and-kashmir-assembly-election-results/article68733305.ece |work=The Hindu |access-date=9 October 2024}} with Omar Abdullah as chief minister.{{Cite web |title=Omar Abdullah To Take Oath As Jammu And Kashmir Chief Minister On October 16 |url=https://zeenews.india.com/india/omar-abdullah-to-take-oath-at-new-jammu-and-kashmir-chief-minister-on-october-16-2806841.html |access-date=3 November 2024 |website=Zee News |language=en}}
Geography
=Topography=
File:Kashmir top.jpg of Jammu and Kashmir, with visible altitude for the Kashmir valley and Jammu region.]]
Jammu and Kashmir is home to several valleys such as the Kashmir Valley, Tawi Valley, Chenab Valley, Poonch Valley, Sind Valley, and Lidder Valley.{{cite web|last=Vij|first=Shivam|date=5 May 2017|title=Kashmir Is A Prison With Three Walls|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.in/2017/05/04/kashmir-is-a-prison-with-three-walls_a_22070340/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170505073150/http://www.huffingtonpost.in/2017/05/04/kashmir-is-a-prison-with-three-walls_a_22070340/|archive-date=5 May 2017|access-date=9 August 2019|work=HuffPost}} [https://shivamvij.in/2017/05/05/755/ Alt URL] The Kashmir valley is {{convert|100|km|mi|abbr=on}} wide and {{convert|15520.3|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}} in area.{{cite web|url=https://www.asianage.com/columnists/indus-water-flow-can-t-be-stopped-721|title=Indus: The water flow can't be stopped|first=Mohan|last=Guruswamy|work=The Asian Age|date=28 September 2016|access-date=9 August 2019}} The Himalayas divide the Kashmir valley from the Tibetan plateau while the Pir Panjal range, which encloses the valley from the west and the south, separates it from the Punjab Plain of the Indo-Gangetic Plain.{{cite web|url=https://www.greaterkashmir.com/news/opinion/a-tryst-of-the-heart-and-history-along-the-karakoram-highway/|title=A Tryst of the Heart and History along the Karakoram Highway|first=Asma|last=Khan|work=Greater Kashmir|date=26 April 2018|access-date=9 August 2019}} Along the northeastern flank of the Valley runs the main range of the Himalayas.{{cite web|url=https://www.zmescience.com/other/feature-post/india-pakistan-conflict-07032019/|title=Why India and Pakistan keep fighting over Kashmir – the history of the Kashmir conflict|first=Mihai|last=Andrei|work=GME Science|date=11 March 2019|access-date=9 August 2019}} This valley has an average height of {{convert|1850|m|ft}} above sea-level, but the surrounding Pir Panjal range has an average elevation of {{convert|10000|ft|m}}.{{cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/society/history-and-culture/in-the-past-the-mountain-passes-were-entry-exit-points-for-travellers-and-invaders/article22136536.ece|title=Doorway of the gods: Himalaya crosses five countries|author1=Vrinda|author2=J. Ramanan|newspaper=The Hindu|date=21 December 2017|access-date=9 August 2019}} The Jhelum River is the major Himalayan river which flows through the Kashmir valley.{{cite encyclopedia|url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Jhelum-River|title=Jhelum River|encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica|date=15 December 2015|access-date=9 August 2019}} The southern Jammu region is mostly mountainous, with the Shivaliks, the middle and the great Himalayas running parallel to each other in a southeast–northwest direction. A narrow southwestern strip constitutes fertile plains. The Chenab, Tawi and Ravi are important rivers flowing through the Jammu region.{{cite web|url=https://nation.com.pk/29-Jul-2019/flooding-alert-issued-as-india-releases-water|title=Flooding alert issued as India releases water|work=The Nation|author=Agencies|date=29 July 2019|access-date=9 August 2019}}
File:Banihal Pass, Jammu and Kashmir, India.jpg; the pass connects the Vale of Kashmir (left) with the mountainous Jammu region (right)]]
=Climate=
The climate of Jammu and Kashmir varies with altitude and across regions. Southern and southwestern areas have a sub tropical climate, with hot summers and cool winters. This region receives most of its rainfall during the monsoon season. In the east and north, summers are usually pleasant. The effect of the monsoon diminishes in areas lying to the leeward side of the Pir Panjal, such as the Kashmir valley, and much of the rainfall happens in the spring season due to western disturbances. Winters are cold, with temperatures reaching sub-zero levels. Snowfall is common in the valley and the mountain areas.
Administrative divisions
File:J,K and L - Indian Union Territories.jpg
{{Main|List of districts of Jammu and Kashmir}}
The union territory of Jammu and Kashmir consists of two divisions: Jammu Division and Kashmir Division, and is further divided into 20 districts.{{cite web|url=http://mha.nic.in/uniquepage.asp?Id_Pk=306 |title=Ministry of Home Affairs:: Department of Jammu & Kashmir Affairs |access-date=28 August 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081208212815/http://mha.nic.in/uniquepage.asp?Id_Pk=306 |archive-date=8 December 2008 }}
Transportation
=Air=
File:Lapangan terbang Srinagar.jpg, Srinagar]]
Jammu and Kashmir has two major airports at the two capitals of the territory: Jammu Airport at Jammu and Srinagar Airport at Srinagar, which is also the only international airport in the territory. These airports have regular flights to Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chandigarh and other major cities of the country. In 2025, Jammu Airport began undergoing expansion, including a 45,000 m² terminal with night-landing capabilities.{{cite news |title=Foundation stone of new state-of-the-art terminal of Jammu Airport |author=FE Online |work=The Financial Express |url=https://www.financialexpress.com/business/airlines-aviation-pm-modi-to-lay-foundation-stone-of-new-state-of-the-art-terminal-of-jammu-airport-all-you-need-to-knownbsp-3399541/ |date=20 February 2024}}
Srinagar Airport is also undergoing expansion, with the construction of a 71,500 m² terminal.{{cite news |title=RK Exclusive: Srinagar’s Rs 1800 cr airport terminal project set to get final nod |author=Abid Bashir |work=Rising Kashmir |url=https://risingkashmir.com/rk-exclusive-srinagars-rs-1800-cr-airport-terminal-project-set-to-get-final-nod/ |date=22 February 2025}} In 2025, Udhampur Air Force Station was assessed by a government committee for the feasibility of launching commercial flight operations as an airport.{{cite news |title=Expert panel to assess Udhampur airport for potential commercial flight operations |author=Adil Akhzer |work=The Tribune |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/j-k/expert-panel-to-assess-udhampur-airport-for-potential-commercial-flight-operations/ |date=24 March 2025}} An aerial ropeway for Shankaracharya Temple in Srinagar is planned for completion in 2026 and will cut ascent time from 30 minutes to 5 minutes.{{cite news |title=Ropeways Looking Up: With 8 Projects Expected to be Ready by 2026, What the Future Holds for Cable Cars |author=Nivedita Singh |work=News18 |url=https://www.news18.com/india/ropeways-looking-up-with-8-projects-expected-to-be-ready-by-2026-what-the-future-holds-for-cable-cars-8794672.html |date=28 February 2024}}
=Railway=
File:Srinagar railway station.jpg
The Jammu–Baramulla line of the Northern Railways is the only major railway line in Jammu and Kashmir. Its completion integrates the Kashmir Valley into India’s national rail grid and provides a direct rail link from other parts of India to the region. The line comprises Chenab Rail Bridge, the highest railway bridge in the world, and Anji Khad Bridge, the only cable-stayed railway bridge in India.[https://theprint.in/india/jk-will-be-given-the-status-of-a-state-by-pm-modi-says-cm-omar-abdullah/2649525/ J&K will be given the status of a state by PM Modi, says CM Omar Abdullah], The Print, 6 June 2025. The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link, a 272 km broad-gauge line that connects the Kashmir Valley to mainland India, achieved completion in December 2024 with the Reasi-Katra section (17 km), which features the Chenab Rail Bridge.{{cite news |title=Connecting bridge: On the Chenab Rail Bridge |url=https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/connecting-bridge-on-kashmir-india-and-the-chenab-rail-bridge/article69683163.ece |work=The Hindu |date=12 June 2025 }} The Banihal-Baramulla segment (118 km), among others, is electrified.{{cite news |title=Railways enhancing Jammu and Kashmir's infrastructure: A look at Indian Railways' tunnels and bridges transforming connectivity in J&K |author= |work=The Financial Express |url=https://www.financialexpress.com/business/railways-enhancing-jammu-and-kashmirs-infrastructure-a-look-indian-railways-tunnels-and-bridges-transforming-connectivity-in-j-k-3707136/ |date=26 March 2024}}
The Jammu railway division, established in January 2025, oversees 742 km of operational tracks. It manages routes such as Pathankot-Jammu-Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla, Bhogpur Sirwal-Pathankot, Batala-Pathankot, and Pathankot-Joginder Nagar.{{cite news |title=Rail Division for Jammu and Train to Kashmir – Modi Govt's 2025 Plans |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/jammu-rail-division-direct-train-to-kashmir-modi-government-2025-plans-9763281/ |work=The Indian Express |date=7 January 2025 }} The division oversees the operation of Vande Bharat Express trains between Jammu and Srinagar.
= Roads =
File:Jammu Srinagar Highway.jpg]]
As of August 2022, the total road network in Jammu and Kashmir encompasses 41,141 km.{{cite news |title=Road construction in Jammu and Kashmir gathers record pace after scrapping of Article 370 |author= |work=Daily Excelsior |url=https://www.dailyexcelsior.com/road-construction-in-jammu-and-kashmir-gathers-record-pace-after-scrapping-of-article-370/ |date=4 August 2022}} There are 11 national highways, together constituting 1,752.16 km.{{cite report |title=MoRTH Annual Report for the Year 2022-23 |author=Ministry of Road Transport and Highways |url=https://morth.nic.in/sites/default/files/MoRTH%20Annual%20Report%20for%20the%20Year%202022-23%20in%20English.pdf |page=122 |year=2023}} The responsibility for road maintenance and development is distributed among multiple agencies, with the Roads & Buildings (R&B) department managing 10,461 km in Jammu division and 13,953.9 km in Kashmir division, while PMGSY oversees 6,878 km in Jammu and 3,415.4 km in Kashmir.{{cite report |title=The Jammu and Kashmir Road Gazette 2022 |author=Jammu and Kashmir Public Works (Roads and Buildings) Department |url=https://www.jkpwdrb.nic.in/pdfs/229_2022.pdf |year=2022}} The Border Roads Organisation, NHAI, and NHIDCL collectively manage 4,439.3 km of strategic roads.
The Jammu–Srinagar National Highway, a segment of the NH44, is the main highway in the territory connecting the two capitals by road. National Highways 1, 144, 144A, 444, 501, 701 and 701A are the other NHs in the territory.
The Jammu-Srinagar National Highway is enhanced by structures like the 9 km Chenani–Nashri Tunnel.{{cite news |title=Chenani-Nashri Highway Tunnel: Beginning of a New Era |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/centre/chenani-nashri-highway-tunnel-beginning-of-a-new-era/articleshow/57940918.cms |work=The Times of India |date=31 March 2017 }} This tunnel bypasses 41 km of road length and reduces travel time by 2 hours. The Mughal Road provides an alternative 84 km route connecting Shopian district with the Poonch and Rajouri districts.{{cite news |title=Mughal Road Reopens After 3-Month Closure |url=https://kashmirobserver.net/2025/04/15/mughal-road-reopens-for-one-way-traffic-after-three-month-closure/ |work=Kashmir Observer |date=15 April 2025 }} This route was originally used by Mughal Emperor Akbar to conquer Kashmir and served as an ancient trade pathway.{{citation |last=Hasan |first=Mohibbul |title=Kashmir under the Sultans |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EUlwmXjE9DQC |year=1959 |publisher=Aakar Books |isbn=978-81-87879-49-7 |ref={{sfnref|Hasan, Kashmir under the Sultans|1959}}}}{{rp|24}} Despite its historical significance and scenic value, the route faces seasonal accessibility challenges due to heavy snowfall and remains closed during winter months.
= Water =
While waterways had historically served as vital routes for transportation and trade, their full potential remains largely untapped.{{cite web |date=17 February 2024 |title=Kashmir's inland waterways: A path to economic and touristic transformation |url=https://www.jkpi.org/kashmirs-inland-waterways-a-path-to-economic-and-touristic-transformation/ |publisher=Jammu and Kashmir Policy Institute }} The Inland Waterways Authority operates a regional office in Srinagar.{{cite web |date=13 May 2025 |title=IWAI sets up its new office in Srinagar |url=https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2128419 |publisher=Press Information Bureau }} In 2018, the rivers Jhelum, Chenab, Indus, and Ravi were accorded the status of national waterways.{{cite web |date=31 January 2018 |title=4 major rivers in J&K declared 'national waterways': JK govt |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/transportation/shipping-/-transport/4-major-rivers-in-jk-declared-national-waterways-jk-govt/articleshow/62722333.cms |publisher=The Economic Times }} Water transport on the Jhelum, revived in 2021 under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme, introduced 30-seat "Bus Boats" and luxury pontoons, reducing downtown Srinagar commute times.{{cite news |title=Luxury bus boat to revive decades-old water transport on river Jhelum |author= |work=Live Mint |url=https://www.livemint.com/news/india/luxury-bus-boat-to-revive-decades-old-water-transport-on-river-jhelum-see-pics-11626601369685.html |date=18 July 2021}}
Dal Lake in Srinagar is a major tourist attraction, with traditional wooden shikaras operating daily. In December 2024, Uber launched a boat-hailing service on Dal Lake, allowing tourists to book shikara rides using their application.{{cite news |date=4 December 2024 |title=Uber Shikara in Kashmir: Explore Dal Lake with India's first water transport service |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/uber-shikara-in-kashmir-explore-dal-lake-with-indias-first-water-transport-service/asias-first-water-transport-service-uber-shikara/slideshow/115963536.cms |work=The Economic Times }}
Demographics
As per the 2011 census, Jammu and Kashmir has a total population of 12,267,013. The sex ratio is 889 females per 1000 males. Around 924,485 (7.54%) of the population is scheduled caste and more than 18.55% of the population belongs to the scheduled tribes.{{efn|This includes 1,275,106 (10.39%) who were granted the scheduled tribes (ST) status in 1991, mainly Gujjar, Bakerwal, Gaddi, and Sippi, as well as 8.16% Paharis who were granted the status in 2024. The Paddaris were also granted ST status in 2024, as were some sub-groups of the Gaddis (Gadda Brahmin) and Sippis (Koli).{{cite web |last=Sharma |first=Arun |date=1 August 2024 |url= https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/who-are-the-paharis-and-paddaris-proposed-for-st-status-in-jk-8870220/lite/ |title= Who are the Paharis and Paddaris, proposed for ST status in J&K? |work=The Indian Express}}{{cite web |last=Gandhi |first=Anjali |date=13 September 2024 |url= https://www.swaniti.com/analysis-of-the-constitution-jammu-and-kashmir-scheduled-tribes-order-amendment-bill-2023/ |title=Analysis of The Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Tribes Order (Amendment) Bill, 2023 |work=Swaniti}}}} The SCs are mostly concentrated in the Jammu region. The region also has a minority Christian community.
{{pie chart
|caption=Religions in Jammu and Kashmir (2011)
|label1=Islam|color1=green|value1=68.80
|label2=Hinduism|color2=darkorange|value2=28.80
|label3=Sikhism|color3=yellow|value3=1.90
|label4=Christianity|color4=dodgerblue|value4=0.28
|label5=Other|color5=grey|value5=0.21
}}
=Religion=
The majority of the population of Jammu and Kashmir is Muslim and a large minority is Hindu.{{Cite web |title=Table C-16 Population by Religion: Jammu and Kashmir |url=https://censusindia.gov.in/nada/index.php/catalog/11376/download/14489/DDW01C-01%20MDDS.XLS|website=censusindia.gov.in |publisher=Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India}} The population of the Kashmir Division is predominantly Muslim (96.41%) with small Hindu (2.45%) and Sikh (0.81%) communities. In 2022, only 808 Kashmiri Hindu Pandit families remained in the valley after their forced displacement by Islamic militants.{{Cite news |last1=Ali |first1=Sajid |last2=Pandey |first2=Tanushree |date=8 June 2022 |url=https://theprint.in/feature/locked-up-like-animals-pandits-want-to-flee-kashmir-hope-its-their-last-exodus/988337/ |title='Locked up like animals' – Pandits want to flee Kashmir, hope it's their last exodus |work=The Print |access-date=12 August 2023}} Shias are mostly concentrated in the Budgam district, where they form about 30-40% of the population.{{cite web|url=http://www.tehelka.com/are-kashmiri-shias-the-next-pandits/|title=Are Kashmiri Shias The Next Pandits?|date=14 November 2013|access-date=21 May 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150621185324/http://www.tehelka.com/are-kashmiri-shias-the-next-pandits/|archive-date=21 June 2015}}{{Cite news |last1=Iyer-Mitra |first1=Abhijit|date=27 September 2019 |title=After scrapping of Article 370, Shias in Kashmir are in a state of relief and caution |url=https://theprint.in/opinion/after-scrapping-of-article-370-shias-in-kashmir-are-in-a-state-of-relief-and-caution/297510/ |access-date=11 September 2021 |work=ThePrint}}
The Jammu Division is predominantly Hindu (67.5%) with a significant Muslim population (30%). The Muslims form a majority in the Rajouri (63%), Poonch (90%), Doda (54%), Kishtwar (58%) and Ramban (71%) districts of Jammu, while the Hindus form a majority in Kathua (88%), Samba (86%), Jammu (84%) and Udhampur (88%) districts. Reasi district has an almost equal number of Hindus and Muslims.{{cite web|title=Population by religion community – 2011|url=http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/C-01/DDW00C-01%20MDDS.XLS|website=Census of India, 2011|publisher=The Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150825155850/http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/C-01/DDW00C-01%20MDDS.XLS|archive-date=25 August 2015}} The Dogras and various organisations of Hindu-majority Jammu region have demanded a separate state after bifurcation of the territory, on the basis of cultural, linguistic and religious differences from neighbouring Kashmiris (who are predominantly Muslim by faith).{{Cite web|url=https://www.outlookindia.com/national/explained-protests-for-jammu-statehood-the-idea-of-jammu-and-kashmir-trifurcation-and-rss-2002-resolution-news-210475|title=Explained: Protests For Jammu's Statehood, The Idea Of Jammu & Kashmir's Trifurcation, And RSS 2002 Resolution|date=19 July 2022 }}{{Cite web|url=https://www.dailypioneer.com/2022/india/movement-launched-across-jammu-for----separate-state---.html|title=Movement launched across Jammu for 'separate State'|first=The|last=Pioneer|website=The Pioneer}}{{Cite web|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/jammu/ikkjutt-activists-detained-after-protests-demanding-separate-state-for-jammu-8035521/|title=IkkJutt activists detained after protests demanding separate state for Jammu|date=18 July 2022}}
=Language=
{{Pie chart
|caption= Languages in Jammu & Kashmir 2011 Census of India.
|label1 = Kashmiri |value1 = 52.87 |color1 = limegreen
|label2 = Dogri |value2 = 20.48 |color2 = red
|label3 = Gojri |value3 = 9.25 |color3 = turquoise
|label4 = Pahari |value4 = 7.98 |color4 = pink
|label5 = Hindi |value5 = 2.28 |color5 = orange
|label6 = Punjabi |value6 = 1.76 |color6 = lightcoral
|label7 = Others |value7 =5.38 |color7 = grey
}}
The most widely spoken language is Kashmiri, the mother tongue of {{sigfig|53.27|2}}% of the population according to the 2011 census. Kashmiri is primarily spoken in the Kashmir Valley and in the upper reaches of the Chenab Valley, with a sizeable number of speakers in Jammu City. Other major languages include Dogri ({{sigfig|20.04|2}}%), Gojri ({{sigfig|9.05|2}}%), Pahari ({{sigfig|7.8|2}}%), Hindi ({{sigfig|2.43|2}}%), Punjabi ({{sigfig|1.75|2}}%), Balti, Bateri, Bhadarwahi, Brokskat, Changthang, Ladakhi, Purik, Sheikhgal, Spiti Bhoti, and Zangskari. Dogri, related to Punjabi and Pahari, is spoken throughout the plains areas of Jammu division, as well as in parts of the hills. The hill people speak several languages. In the Pir Panjal Range, bordering Pakistan-administered Kashmir, the main language is Pahari-Pothwari, a western variety of Punjabi, as well as Gojri, the language of the Gujjar tribe. In the eastern hills of Jammu division are spoken various Western Pahari languages such as Siraji and Bhaderwahi, which merge with the dialects of western Himachal Pradesh.{{Cite web |title=Table C-16 Population by Mother Tongue: Jammu and Kashmir |url=https://censusindia.gov.in/nada/index.php/catalog/10206/download/13318/DDW-C16-STMT-MDDS-0100.XLSX |website=censusindia.gov.in |publisher=Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India}} Additionally, several other languages, predominantly found in neighbouring regions, are also spoken by communities within Jammu and Kashmir: Bhattiyali, Chambeali, Churahi, Gaddi, Hindko, Lahul Lohar, Pangwali, Pattani, Sansi, and Shina.{{Ethnologue21}}
Urdu is also widely understood and spoken, particularly in the Kashmir region where it acts as the lingua franca alongside Kashmiri and also serves as a medium of instruction along with English, while Hindi is taught and understood in the southern areas of Jammu.{{citation needed|date=November 2023}}
Education
{{main|List of institutions of higher education in Jammu and Kashmir}}
File:University_Convocation_Complex,_University_of_Kashmir.png
According to the 2011 census, the literacy rate in Jammu and Kashmir was 67.17%, male literacy was 75%, while female literacy was at 56.43%.
University of Kashmir located in Srinagar is the main university in the territory. Other universities include University of Jammu, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University, Islamic University of Science & Technology, etc. Major institutions of higher education are NIT Srinagar, IIT Jammu, IIM Jammu, NIFT Srinagar and IHM Srinagar. Medical colleges include SKIMS, and the Government Medical College in Srinagar and All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Vijaypur, Jammu.
Government and politics
{{main|Government of Jammu and Kashmir|Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir|Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly}}
The union territory of Jammu and Kashmir is administered under the provisions of Article 239 of the Constitution of India. Article 239A, originally formulated for the union territory of Puduchery, is also applicable to Jammu and Kashmir.
[https://indianexpress.com/article/india/jammu-kashmir-bifurcation-ladakh-union-territory-key-takeaways-from-reorganisation-bill-article-370-amit-shah-5880177/ Jammu & Kashmir Reorganisation Bill passed by Rajya Sabha: Key takeaways], The Indian Express, 5 August 2019.
=Executive branch=
File:Omar Abdullah (Cropped).jpg has been chief minister since October 2024.]]
The President of India appoints a Lieutenant Governor for the union territory. A Council of Ministers led by a Chief Minister is appointed by the Lieutenant Governor from the membership of the legislative assembly. Their role is to advise the Lieutenant Governor in the exercise of functions in matters under the jurisdiction of the legislative assembly. In other matters, the Lieutenant Governor is empowered to act in his own capacity. Omar Abdullah has been chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir since October 2024.{{cite news |last1=Masood |first1=Bashaarat |date=16 October 2024 |title=As Omar takes oath as J&K CM, here are the ministers in his Cabinet |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/omar-abdullah-jammu-and-kashmir-cm-cabinet-ministers-9622879/ |work=The Indian Express |access-date=16 October 2024}}
=Legislative branch=
File:India Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly 2024.svg]]
The legislative branch of government is a unicameral legislative assembly, whose tenure is five years. The legislative assembly may make laws for any of the matters in the State List of the Constitution of India except "public order" and "police", which will remain the preserve of the central Government of India. The Lieutenant Governor also has the power to promulgate ordinances which have the same force as the acts of the legislative assembly.
Elections for the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly were held in September and October 2024.{{Cite web|url=https://zeenews.india.com/india/jammu-and-kashmir-assembly-election-in-2021-after-delimitation-ec-sources-2230726.html|title=Jammu and Kashmir assembly election in 2021 after delimitation: EC sources|date=29 August 2019|website=Zee News}}
=Judicial branch=
FILE:Stamp of India - 2006 - Colnect 158978 - High Court of Jammu - Kashmir.jpeg on postal stamps of India]]
The union territory is under the jurisdiction of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court, which also serves as the high court for Ladakh. Police services are provided by the Jammu and Kashmir Police.{{cite web|url=https://www.livelaw.in/top-stories/salient-features-of-jammu-kashmir-reorganization-bill-146998|title=Salient Features Of Jammu & Kashmir Reorganization Bill [Read Bill]|first1=Devesh|first2=Iti|last1=Ratan|last2=Johri|date=7 August 2019|website=LiveLaw.in: All about law|access-date=7 August 2019}}
=Parties=
The main political parties active in the region are the Jammu & Kashmir National Conference (leader: Omar Abdullah) the Jammu and Kashmir People's Democratic Party (President: Mehbooba Mufti) the Bharatiya Janata Party (State President: Sat Paul Sharma), the Indian National Congress (State President: Vikar Rasool Wani), and the Jammu and Kashmir People's Conference (President: Sajjad Gani Lone). Other parties with a presence in the region include the Communist Party of India (Marxist), the Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party, and the Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party (President: Altaf Bukhari).
=Jammu and Kashmir in the Parliament of India=
Jammu and Kashmir sends five members (MPs) to the lower house of the Indian parliament (the Lok Sabha) and four members to the upper house (the Rajya Sabha).
;Lok Sabha constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir
| class="wikitable sortable" | ||
| Constituency No. | style="width:180px;" |Constituency | Reserved for (SC/ST/None) |
|---|---|---|
| align="centre" |1 | Baramulla | align="centre" |None |
| align="centre" |2 | Srinagar | align="centre" |None |
| align="centre" |3 | Anantnag-Rajouri | align="centre" |None |
| align="centre" |4 | Udhampur | align="centre" |None |
| align="centre" |5 | Jammu | align="centre" |None |
Economy
Jammu and Kashmir's economy is primarily services-based and agriculture-oriented. The gross domestic product of Jammu and Kashmir was estimated at {{INRConvert|2.88|lc|year=2025}} in 2025–26.{{cite web|url=http://mospi.nic.in/sites/default/files/press_releases_statements/State_wise_SDP_15_03_2021.xls|title=MOSPI State Domestic Product, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation|publisher=Government of India|date=15 March 2021|access-date=17 April 2021}} In the fiscal year 2023–2024, it is expected that Jammu and Kashmir's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) will exceed Rs 2.30 lakh crore, with a growth rate of 10 per cent.{{cite news |last1=Akmali |first1=Mukeet |title=J&K's economy projected to grow 10% in 2023-24 |url=https://www.greaterkashmir.com/todays-paper/front-page/jks-economy-projected-to-grow-10-in-2023-24 |access-date=6 August 2023 |work=Greater Kashmir |date=24 March 2023}} Along with horticulture and agriculture, tourism is an important industry for Jammu and Kashmir, accounting for about 7% to its economy.{{Cite web|url=https://www.livemint.com/news/india/jammu-and-kashmir-s-tourism-flourishes-receives-highest-footfall-since-independence-1947-11665122159734.html|title=Jammu and Kashmir's tourism flourishes, receives highest footfall in 75 years|date=7 October 2022|website=mint}}
The Kashmir Valley is known for its sericulture and cold-water fisheries.{{cite news|url=https://thekashmirimages.com/2021/03/16/time-for-skuast-jammu-to-start-horti-dairy-farming-agri-engineering-deptts-lg/|title=Time for SKUAST-Jammu to start Horti, Dairy Farming, Agri Engineering deptts: LG|date=16 March 2021|work=The Kashmir Images}} Wood from Kashmir is used to make high-quality cricket bats, popularly known as Kashmir Willow.{{cite news|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/thesundaystandard/2017/nov/05/jalandhar-bats-with-pakistani-goods-1692212.html|title=Jalandhar bats with Pakistani goods|date=5 November 2017|work=The New Indian Express}} Major agricultural exports from Jammu and Kashmir include apples, pears, cherries, plums, saffron and walnuts.{{cite news|url=https://gulfnews.com/uae/jk-special-report-ready-reckoner-of-top-agri-product-manufacturers-and-industry-bodies-from-jammu--kashmir-1.1609037238326|title=J&K special report: Ready reckoner of top agri-product manufacturers and industry bodies from Jammu & Kashmir|date=27 December 2020|work=Gulf News}} The traditional Kashmiri handicrafts industry employs a large workforce of around 340 thousand artisans and has potential for producing export goods. Small-scale cottage industries include carpet weaving, silks, shawls, basketry, pottery, copper and silverware, papier-mâché and walnut wood. The horticulture sector is the next biggest source of income in the economy. The temperature of Jammu and Kashmir is also suited to floriculture and can support various species of flora.
File:1700s Boteh Example from - a Dochalla Shawl in the WOVENSOULS collection.jpg
Over 500 mineral blocks are present in Jammu and Kashmir, 261 of which are in the Kashmir Division alone. Kishtwar is known as the 'land of sapphire and saffron'.{{cite news|url=https://www.greaterkashmir.com/todays-paper/jammu-todays-paper/kishtwar-couple-globalising-local-produce-promoting-kashmiri-dogra-arts-and-crafts|date=11 July 2021|author=Syed Amjad Shah|work=Greater Kashmir|title=Kishtwar couple globalising local produce; promoting Kashmiri-Dogra arts and crafts}} Resources such as timber, herbs and medicinal shrubs, edibles such as mushroom, chilgoza, black zeera, and saffron are available in the forests. The sapphire reserve mines of Machail, Paddar are a source of mineral wealth.{{cite news|url=https://www.dailyexcelsior.com/kishtwar-ignored-beauty/|date=15 March 2020|title=Kishtwar Ignored Beauty|work=Daily Excelsior}} Jammu and Kashmir is the only administrative unit in India with a large amount of borax and sapphire resources. It possesses 36 per cent of the graphite, 21 per cent marble and 14 per cent of gypsum present in India. Coal, limestone and magnesite are found scattered among the different districts of the union territory.
Other minerals of significance that occur are bauxite, ball clay and china clay in Udhampur; bentonite in Jammu; diaspore in Rajouri and Udhampur; graphite in Baramulla; lignite and marble in Kupwara; quartz and silica sand in Anantnag, Doda and Udhampur; and quartzite in Anantnag district. In addition, the Department of Geology and Mining has determined the presence of minerals such as magnetite, dolomite, fuel mineral, decorative building stones, slate, and gemstones. All are materials with commercial and industrial uses in many products and factories.{{cite news|url=https://thekashmirimages.com/2020/09/11/new-mining-policy-in-jk-interests-of-locals-are-paramount-not-revenue/|title=New Mining Policy in J&K: Interests of locals are paramount, not revenue|date=11 September 2020|work=The Kashmir Images}}
In the fiscal year 2019–20, total exports from Jammu and Kashmir amounted to {{INRConvert|188.18|m|year=2020}}.{{cite web|url=https://www.ibef.org/states/jammu-and-kashmir-presentation|title=Jammu And Kashmir Presentation And Economic Growth Report|date=29 July 2021|publisher=India Brand Equity Foundation}} The Jammu & Kashmir Bank, which is listed as a NIFTY 500 conglomerate, is based in the union territory.{{cite web|url=https://www.financialexpress.com/market/stock-market-stats/|title=The Jammu & Kashmir Bank Ltd. - Stock Price|access-date=2 August 2021|work=The Financial Express}} Jammu and Kashmir is one of the largest recipients of grants from the central government annually.{{cite web|url=https://www.jakfinance.nic.in/budget/budget2122/8%20Demands%20for%20Grants%202021-22.pdf|title=Demand for Grants of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir 2021-22.|access-date=2 August 2021|publisher=Finance Department Jammu and Kashmir}} According to the Sustainable Development Goals Index 2021, 10.35 per cent of the population of Jammu and Kashmir live below the national poverty line, the third-highest among union territories in the country.{{cite news|url=https://kashmirobserver.net/amp/|title=10.35% Population In J&K Living Below Poverty Line: Survey|date=11 June 2021|access-date=11 June 2021|work=Kashmir Observer}}
=Apple cultivation=
The apple industry is a significant source of employment in Jammu and Kashmir, generating the highest number of jobs. It provides approximately 400-man-days of work per year per hectare of orchards, supporting a workforce of 3.5 million people. Moreover, it contributes approximately 10 per cent to the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP). In the year 2020–2021, the apple production in Kashmir was reported to be 1,695,000.00 metric tonnes, while in the Jammu Division, it stood at 24,415.69 metric tonnes. The combined apple production for the entire Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir amounted to 1,719,415.69 metric tonnes. Notably, the Kashmir Valley is the primary contributor to these numbers, accounting for 75 per cent of India's total apple production and exporting around 1.8 million metric tonnes of apples annually.{{cite news |last1=Haneef |first1=Mohammad |title=Kashmir's Apple: An 800-year-old economical backbone of Kashmir |url=http://risingkashmir.com/kashmirs-apple-an-800-year-old-economical-backbone-of-kashmir |access-date=6 August 2023 |work=Rising Kashmir |date=31 March 2023}}
Media
{{main|Media in Jammu and Kashmir}}
File:Floating Post Office - Dal Lake - Srinagar- Jammu and Kashmir.jpg
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) regulates all major aspects pertaining to media and telecommunications in Jammu and Kashmir.{{cite book |title=The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act, 1997 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0gfeQc1ZBqIC&pg=PA112 |publisher=Georg Thieme Verlag |page=112 |id=GGKEY:BJ6HEPE0NRE}} In addition, the Jammu and Kashmir administration released their media policy in 2020 which enabled government officers to sanction journalists and media organisations for disseminating "fake news", and is valid for the next five years.{{cite web|url=https://thewire.in/media/kashmir-new-media-policy-press-freedom|title=Why Journalists Are Worried About the New Media Policy in Jammu and Kashmir|date=17 July 2020|website=The Wire}} The policy attracted criticism for allegedly reducing people to "passive recipients of the information the government intends to disseminate."{{cite journal|url=https://www.epw.in/engage/article/kashmir-media-policy-accentuating-curbs-freedom-press|journal=Economic and Political Weekly|title=Kashmir Media Policy: Accentuating the Curbs on the Freedom of Press|date=19 August 2020|pages=7–8}} The Press Council of India (PCI) expressed concern over the provisions of fake news in the policy, as it "interferes with the free functioning of the press."{{cite news|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2020/jun/17/press-council-of-india-seeks-jk-govt--reply-on-fake-news-in-its-media-policy-2157594.html|title=Press Council of India seeks J&K govt reply on 'fake news' in its media policy|work=The New Indian Express|date=17 June 2020}}
Major periodicals in Jammu and Kashmir include Greater Kashmir, Rising Kashmir, Kashmir Times, Daily Excelsior, Elite Kashmir and Kashmir Monitor.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fPgADgAAQBAJ&pg=PT169|title=Mass Media in India - 2004|publisher=Publications Division, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting|year=2016|isbn=978-81-230-2338-0}} DD Kashir is the state-owned television broadcaster.{{cite web | title=Kashmir gets its own version of KBC from today | website=The Tribune | date=29 April 2019 | url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/j-k/kashmir-gets-its-own-version-of-kbc-from-today-765559}} Popular private television channels are ETV Urdu and Gulistan News.{{cite web | title=Amid Shutdown, a Private News Channel Connects Thousands in J&K | website=The Wire | date=24 September 2019 | url=https://thewire.in/media/kashmir-shutdown-gulistan-news}} In association with All India Radio, DD Kashir has established high power transmitters along the India–Pakistan border.{{cite web|url=http://www.rediff.com/news/1999/dec/16pak2.htm |title=Rediff on the NeT: AIR, DD to counter Pak propaganda along border areas |work=Rediff.com |date=16 December 1999}} Radio Sharda, a worldwide community radio service for Kashmiri Pandits, was started by Ramesh Hangloo.{{Cite news|url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/beyond-business/the-borderline-cases-of-jammu-kashmir-116020501436_1.html|title=The borderline cases of Jammu & Kashmir|last=Mohan|first=Archis|date=6 February 2016|work=Business Standard India|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171108034459/https://www.business-standard.com/article/beyond-business/the-borderline-cases-of-jammu-kashmir-116020501436_1.html|archive-date=8 November 2017}} FM Tadka 95.0, BIG FM 92.7, Radio Mirchi and Red FM 93.5 are private FM radio stations.{{cite web | title=FM radio stations and their audiences bloom in restive Kashmir | website=Asia Times | date=25 September 2018 | url=https://asiatimes.com/2018/09/fm-radio-stations-and-their-audiences-bloom-in-restive-kashmir/}}
Internet shutdowns are frequent in Jammu and Kashmir. As of February 2021, the region had 300 internet shutdowns since 2012. In 2020 alone, this number was 115, the highest of any year.{{Cite web|title=India: number of internet shutdowns J&K 2021|url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/1096574/india-number-of-internet-shutdowns-jammu-kashmir/|access-date=29 July 2021|website=Statista}}
Sports
{{Main|Sports in Jammu and Kashmir}}
File:First ever Khelo India Winter Games.jpg
Sports tournaments in Jammu and Kashmir are organised by both the Indian army and police, as well as mainstream political parties and the All Parties Hurriyat Conference. Sportspersons who represent India in tournaments face stigmatisation from separatists.{{Cite web|last=Gupta|first=Amit|date=16 October 2020|title=Sports in Kashmir: How 5 journalists run a magazine that focuses on local sports|url=https://mumbaimirror.indiatimes.com/sport/others/to-be-a-sportsman-in-kashmir-in-these-grim-times-cant-be-easy/articleshow/78693513.cms|website=Mumbai Mirror}}
Jammu and Kashmir has 18 stadiums, 23 training centres, three indoor sports complexes and 42 government-maintained playing fields.{{Cite web|url=http://dteyssjk.nic.in/youth-sports/infra.html|title=Department of Youth Services & Sports|website=Department of Youth Services and Sports|publisher=Government of Jammu and Kashmir|access-date=29 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191129051640/http://dteyssjk.nic.in/youth-sports/infra.html|archive-date=29 November 2019}} Srinagar is home to the Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium, a stadium where international cricket matches have been played.{{cite web | url = http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/records/team/match_results.html?class=2;id=559;type=ground | title = Records / Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium, Srinagar / One-Day Internationals | publisher = ESPNcricinfo | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140813232013/http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/records/team/match_results.html?class=2%3Bid%3D559%3Btype%3Dground |archive-date=13 August 2014}} The Maulana Azad Stadium in Jammu is one of the home venues for the Jammu and Kashmir cricket team.{{cite web|title=Molana Azad Stadium, Jammu|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Grounds/14/1059.html|work=CricketArchive|access-date=1 August 2021}} The Bakshi Stadium in Srinagar, named after Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad, hosts football matches.{{cite news | url = https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/JK-stadium-hosts-football-match-after-25-year-gap/articleshow/14972629.cms | title = J&K stadium hosts football match after 25-year gap | work = The Times of India | date = 16 July 2012 | access-date = 1 August 2021 | archive-date = 11 May 2013 | url-status = live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130511194756/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-07-16/india/32697338_1_football-clubs-bakshi-stadium-santosh-trophy }}
Institutions such as the Jawahar Institute of Mountaineering and Winter Sports provides mountaineering, skiing and adventure courses.{{Cite web|url=https://www.dailyexcelsior.com/ut-govt-denies-pensionary-benefits-to-retired-employees-of-jimws/|title=UT Govt denies pensionary benefits to retired employees of JIM&WS|website=Daily Excelsior|date=5 July 2021 |last1=Excelsior |first1=Daily }} The Royal Springs Golf Course, Srinagar, located on the banks of Dal lake, is considered one of the best golf courses in India.{{cite web|title=India|url=http://www.rtj2.com/index.php?option=com_mtree&task=listcats&cat_id=55&Itemid=37|publisher=Robert Trent Jones – Golf Architects|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131212020422/https://www.rtj2.com/index.php?option=com_mtree&task=listcats&cat_id=55&Itemid=37|archive-date=12 December 2013}} Jammu and Kashmir was also host to the first Khelo India Winter Games, held in 2020 in Gulmarg.{{Cite news|last=Ashiq|first=Peerzada|date=7 March 2020|title=Khelo India Winter Games kicked off in J&K|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/sport/other-sports/khelo-india-winter-games-kicked-off-in-jk/article31011206.ece|issn=0971-751X}} Jammu and Kashmir came first with the most gold medals at 26, followed by the Indian Army team with 8 gold medals.{{Cite web|last=Iveson|first=Ali|date=15 March 2020|title=Hosts win 26 gold medals as first-ever Khelo India Winter Games conclude|url=https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1091948/khelo-india-winter-games|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201219123227/https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1091948/khelo-india-winter-games|archive-date=19 December 2020|website=Inside the Games}} The second edition of the winter games were also held in Gulmarg in 2021, with Jammu and Kashmir coming first again.{{Cite web|last=|date=2 March 2021|title=Spectacular Closing Ceremony of 2nd Khelo India National Winter Games organized at Gulmarg|url=http://www.knskashmir.com/spectacular-closing-ceremony-of-2nd-khelo-india-national-winter-games-organized-at-gulmarg-65215|website=Kashmir News Service}}
Tourism
{{Main|Tourism in Jammu and Kashmir}}
File:Vaishno.jpg in winter]]
Tourism is a significant pillar for Jammu and Kashmir's economy, contributing substantially to employment and the gross domestic product. Estimates suggest that tourism accounts for around 7–15% of Jammu and Kashmir’s GDP, with approximately half of the population engaged directly or indirectly in tourism-related activities.{{cite web|title=What terror attacks like Pahalgam mean for J&K's economy|date=30 April 2025 |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/pahalgam-terror-attack-jammu-kashmir-economy-9974315/|access-date=28 May 2025}}{{cite journal|title=Determinants Of Tourism Development In Jammu And Kashmir|journal=Academy of Marketing Studies Journal |date=20 June 2021 |volume=25 |issue=4 |pages=1–5 |url=https://www.abacademies.org/articles/determinants-of-tourism-development-in-jammu-and-kashmir-an-empirical-analysis-11262.html|access-date=28 May 2025 |last1=Mukhopadhyay |first1=D. |last2=Jena |first2=Pabitra Kumar |last3=Joshi |first3=D. P. Priyadarshi }} The sector supports a wide range of economic activities, including hospitality, handicrafts, transport, and local services, and is vital for the socio-economic development of the territory.
Some major tourist attractions are Srinagar, the Mughal Gardens, Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Patnitop, Bhaderwah and Jammu. Every year, thousands of Hindu pilgrims visit holy shrines of Vaishno Devi and Amarnath which has had significant impact on the economy.{{cite news |url=http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/002200709130350.htm |work=Online edition of The Hindu |title=Amarnath Board to study yatra impact on Kashmir economy |access-date=6 June 2009 |location=Chennai, India |date=13 September 2007 |archive-date=9 November 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121109091413/http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/002200709130350.htm }}{{cite book|chapter=The Role of Tourism in the Economic Development of Jammu and Kashmir Region| doi=10.1108/978-1-83608-326-920241012 |chapter-url=https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/978-1-83608-326-920241012/full/pdf?title=the-role-of-tourism-in-the-economic-development-of-jammu-and-kashmir-region|access-date=28 May 2025 | title=Sustainable Tourism, Part B | date=2024 | last1=Kumar | first1=Raushan | last2=Pathak | first2=Niranjan Deo | last3=Jha | first3=Shiv Swaroop | pages=209–221 | isbn=978-1-83608-327-6 }} The Kashmir valley is one of the top tourist destinations in India.{{cite news|url=http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/004200903181221.htm|work=Online edition of The Hindu|title=Foreign tourists flock Kashmir|access-date=18 March 2009|location=Chennai, India|date=18 March 2009|archive-date=9 November 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121109091716/http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/004200903181221.htm}} Gulmarg, one of the most popular ski resort destinations in India, is also home to the world's highest green golf course.{{cite web|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB119332713217271534?mod=googlenews_wsj|title=Fairway to Heaven|author=Cris Prystay|date=26 October 2007|work=The Wall Street Journal}}
The government has prioritised the development of tourism infrastructure and the promotion of both traditional and off-beat destinations, aiming to expand the sector and ensure sustainable growth.{{cite web|title=Over 2.35 crore tourists visited Jammu and Kashmir in 2024|date=14 March 2025 |url=https://www.cnbctv18.com/travel/destinations/over-2-35-crore-tourists-visited-jammu-and-kashmir-in-2024-govt-is-now-promoting-srinagar-19573656.htm|access-date=28 May 2025}}
The tourism industry in Jammu and Kashmir has been profoundly affected by periods of insurgency, political instability, and violence. The onset of militancy in the late 1980s led to a dramatic decline in tourist arrivals, especially in the Kashmir Valley. For instance, tourist numbers in the valley fell from over 550,000 in 1989 to fewer than 10,000 in 1996, with both domestic and foreign tourism severely impacted.{{cite web|title=Tourism and Terrorism- A Study of Jammu and Kashmir|url=https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1174&context=jti|access-date=28 May 2025}} The Jammu region, while less affected, also experienced a reduction in visitors during periods of heightened unrest. Episodes of violence and terror attacks have repeatedly disrupted the sector, leading to mass cancellations and long-term damage to the region's image as a safe destination.{{cite web|title=Political Instability and Tourism in Jammu and Kashmir|url=https://www.ijtrd.com/papers/IJTRD7794.pdf|access-date=28 May 2025}}{{cite web|title=Insurgency as a stumbling block to the development of tourism industry of Kashmir valley|url=https://www.johronline.com/articles/insurgency-as-a-stumbling-block-to-the-development-of-tourism-industry-of-kashmir-valley.pdf|access-date=28 May 2025}} Notably, the 2019 advisory from the Government of India, following the abrogation of Article 370, resulted in the abrupt evacuation of tourists and a near-complete shutdown of the industry. Terror attacks such as the 2025 Pahalgam attack, which resulted in significant loss of life, have led to widespread cancellations, a sharp decline in bookings, and the closure of many tourist sites as part of security measures.{{cite web|title=Terrorism and tourism can't go hand-in-hand: Tour operators|work=The Times of India |date=26 April 2025 |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/spotlight/terrorism-and-tourism-cant-go-hand-in-hand-tour-operators/articleshow/120605803.cms|access-date=28 May 2025}}{{cite web|title=India shuts over half Kashmir tourist spots in security review after attack|work=Reuters |date=29 April 2025 |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/india/india-shuts-over-half-kashmir-tourist-spots-security-review-2025-04-29/|access-date=28 May 2025 |last1=Bukhari |first1=Fayaz |last2=Patel |first2=Shivam }}
The immediate aftermath of such incidents typically sees a steep drop in tourist arrivals, with ripple effects on employment and local businesses dependent on tourism. The sector’s recovery often takes several years, and recurring instability continues to act as a major constraint on its full potential. Despite these challenges, the region has demonstrated resilience, with tourism numbers rebounding during periods of relative calm. Periods of decrease in violence boosts tourism.{{cite web|url=http://sify.com/news/Tourists-arrival-gives-boost-to-J-K-economy-news-jm3v4cihjai.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716071016/http://www.sify.com/news/Tourists-arrival-gives-boost-to-J-K-economy-news-jm3v4cihjai.html|archive-date=16 July 2011|title=Tourists arrival gives boost to J-K economy|work=Sify}} In 2024, Jammu and Kashmir recorded over 23 million tourist visits. However, the volatility associated with insurgency is a persistent obstacle to sustainable tourism development.
Notes
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See also
{{Portal|Geography|Asia|India}}
- Jammu and Kashmir (princely state), for the entity that existed till 1952
- Kashmiriyat
- Kashmiri cinema
- Literature of Kashmir
- Music of Jammu and Kashmir
- Kus Bani Koshur Karorpaet
- AIR Srinagar
- Central University of Kashmir
- Central University of Jammu
- Jammu and Kashmir cricket team
- Real Kashmir F.C.
- Jammu and Kashmir football team
- Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry
- Jammu and Kashmir Rifles
- Mansar-Surinsar Wildlife Sanctuary
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References
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External links
{{Commons category}}
- [http://jk.gov.in/ Government of Jammu and Kashmir] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220614035323/http://jk.gov.in/ |date=14 June 2022 }}
- [https://jkgad.nic.in/ General Administration Department]
- [http://jkrajbhawan.nic.in/ Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir]
- [https://jammukashmir.s3waas.gov.in/ Jammu and Kashmir district portal]
{{Jammu and Kashmir topics}}
{{Regions and administrative territories of Kashmir}}
{{Kashmir Valley}}
{{States and Union Territories of India}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jammu And Kashmir}}
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Category:States and territories established in 2019
Category:2019 establishments in India
Category:Countries and territories where Urdu is an official language
Category:Countries and territories where Kashmiri is an official language
Category:Territorial disputes of Pakistan
Category:Disputed territories in Asia