RK Mathur was administered oath by chief justice of Jammu and Kashmir high court Geeta Mittal.
Jammu and Kashmir will have political stability and the cycle of governments formed and brought down for vested interests will stop, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today on his government's decision to end special status to the state under Article 370 and split it into two union territories that come into existence from today. "Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are taking a step towards a new future today," PM Modi said, addressing a gathering in Gujarat's Kevadiya to mark the 144th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the day picked for Jammu and Kashmir's transformation to come into force.
Earlier in the day, Radha Krishna Mathur was sworn-in as the first Lt Governor of Union Territory of Ladakh. Mr Mathur was administered oath by chief justice of Jammu and Kashmir high court Geeta Mittal at a simple function held at Leh.
Girish Chandra Murmu took oath as the Lt Governor of Jammu and Kashmir. Sources say despite the government offices having moved from Srinagar to Jammu, the oath-taking ceremony is being held in Srinagar to highlight Kashmir's integration with the rest of the country.
Following the birth of two union territories nearly three months after the central government scrapped Jammu and Kashmir's decades-old special status under Article 370, President's rule imposed in undivided Jammu and Kashmir in June 2018 has been revoked, according to a government notification.
Neither Prime Minister Narendra Modi nor Home Minister Amit Shah are participating in the oath-taking ceremonies.
Satya Pal Mailk, 73, the outgoing Governor of J&K has been moved as the Governor of Goa.
With the bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir, the number of states in India has come down to 28 and the number of Union Territories has gone up to nine. While Jammu and Kashmir will continue to have a legislature, like in Puducherry, Ladakh will be without one, like Chandigarh.
Here are the highlights from J&K, Ladakh which are now Union Territories:
Girish Chandra Murmu takes oath as the first Lt. Governor of the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The oath was administered by Chief Justice of J&K High Court, Gita Mittal.
The Big Changes In Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh From Today
- Jammu and Kashmir will have elected legislative assembly and council of ministers headed by the chief minister for the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Ladakh will not have an Assembly and will be directly governed by the Union Home Ministry through the Lieutenant-Governor. The Indian Constitution and the Indian laws would be applicable in the Union Territories.
- The strength of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly will be increased by seven seats to 114 from the existing 107 seats. While the strength of the council of ministers will be trimmed to 10 per cent of the total strength of the legislature.
- The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir will continue to have five MPs in the Lok Sabha and will have four MPs in the Rajya Sabha. The Union Territory of Ladakh will have one MP.
- Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh will have a common high court. Panchayat would be more powerful under the new arrangement.
- For recruitment of officers, Ladakh shall come under the ambit of the Union Public Service Commission or UPSC, but Jammu and Kashmir will continue to have Public Service Commission (PSC) as the recruiting agency for the gazetted services.
- Over 100 central laws will become applicable to Jammu and Kashmir union territory. Ladakh will benefit the most and would get direct funding from the Centre.
- Through Article 35A of the constitution, only permanent citizens of the state had exclusive rights to own property and apply for government jobs. Now the laws related to ownership of land and property in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir will be amended and be applicable.
- The new Jammu and Kashmir Assembly will have a term of five years in place of current six years.
- The government employees of the new Union Territories -- Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh -- will start getting salaries and other benefits per the recommendations of the seventh Pay Commission.
- The welfare schemes of the Centre will be applicable to the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. The state police will come under direct control of the Ministry of Home Affairs.
India Corrected Historic Blunder By Removing J&K Special Status: Minister
Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday said India corrected a historic blunder by abrogating Article 370 and 35A in Jammu and Kashmir.
"India corrected a historic blunder by abrogating Article 370 and 35A under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It is only because of the willpower of PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah that integration of Jammu and Kashmir in India was made possible," said Pradhan.
J&K dismembered for ideological reasons: Manish Tewari
The Congress took a swipe at the BJP-led central government, saying that the "multicultural crown" of the country has been "dismembered" for ideological reasons.
"Multicultural crown of India - J&K has been dismembered for ideological reasons. Hindu Jammu, Muslim Kashmir and Buddhist Ladakh fused into one entity represented quintessence of idea of India.
"The BJP government 72-years post partition validates Two Nation Theory today defeating purpose of accession," Congress leader Manish Tewari tweeted on Thursday.
Article 370 led to separatism, terrorism in J&K: PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed his government's decision of abrogating Article 370 and said that the special provision was the reason behind separatism and terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. The Prime Minister made the statement at a day when Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh officialy became Union Territories.
Speaking on the National Unity Day, he said: "With the blessings of Sardar Saheb, the country has taken a very big decision to defeat these forces a few weeks ago. Article 370 gave nothing except separatism and terrorism to Jammu and Kashmir."
"For decades, this article 370 had created a temporary wall among us Indians. Our brothers and sisters who were on the other side of this temporary wall, they also lived in confusion. The wall which was increasing separatism and terrorism in Kashmir, now that wall has been demolished," Modi added.
The Prime Minister said that nearly 40,000 people in three decades have been killed by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir.
Radio Stations in Jammu, Srinagar and Leh have been renamed as All India Radio, Jammu; All India Radio, Srinagar; and All India Radio Leh, news agency ANI reports.
The centre will be in direct control of the police and law and order in Jammu and Kashmir, while decisions on land will be the elected government's jurisdiction. Ladakh will be under the direct control of the central government, which will administer it through the Lieutenant Governor.
Common High Court for Union Territories of J&K, Ladakh
The newly-created Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh will have common High Court which shall have all such powers to make rules and orders as it had when Jammu and Kashmir was a state.
According to the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act 2019, the judges of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir shall become the Judges of the common High Court from today.
Home Ministry issued notification on Wednesday
The Home Ministry, in a notification on Wednesday, replaced the state of Jammu and Kashmir with the "union territory of Jammu and Kashmir" and announced omission of "permanent residents or hereditary state subjects". In the late night notification, the ministry's Jammu and Kashmir division announced a slew of measures, including application of central laws. "... there are references in the state laws that have been applied to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, and the Union Territory of Ladakh to the expressions 'permanent residents' or 'hereditary state subjects'..., wherever they occur, shall be omitted," it said.
Following the birth of two union territories nearly three months after the central government scrapped Jammu and Kashmir's decades-old special status under Article 370, President's rule imposed in undivided Jammu and Kashmir in June 2018 has been revoked, according to a government notification.
Radha Krishna Mathur took oath in low key ceremony in Ladakh
Radha Krishna Mathur was on Thursday sworn-in as the first Lt Governor of Union Territory of Ladakh, which is now a union territory after bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir. Mr Mathur was administered oath by chief justice of Jammu and Kashmir high court Geeta Mittal at a simple function held at Leh.
Nearly three months after the central government scrapped Jammu and Kashmir's decades-old special status under Article 370, the state has officially been split into two Union Territories - Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh - from midnight.
The two new Union Territories have come into existence on the 144th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who is credited for the merger of over 560 princely states into the Union of India. Today, October 31, is also celebrated as National Unity Day.