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decades-old special status under Article 370, President's rule imposed in undivided Jammu and Kashmir in June 2018 has been revoked, according to a government notification.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.