Two Union Territories Are Born: Sections 3 to 7
Part II of the Act (Sections 3 to 7) does the main job: it splits the State of J&K into two Union Territories.
What the Act says
- Section 3: Union Territory of Ladakh (without a legislature). It is formed from the Kargil and Leh districts, which cease to be part of the State.
- Section 4: Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir (with a legislature). It is formed from all the remaining territory of the old State.
- Section 5: Lieutenant Governor. A common Lieutenant Governor may serve both UTs for a period fixed by the President. In practice, separate LGs were appointed from the start (see Lieutenant Governor).
- Section 6: First Schedule of the Constitution is amended. J&K is removed from the list of States (entry 15) and the later entries are renumbered. J&K and Ladakh are added to the list of Union Territories (as entries 8 and 9).
- Section 7: Saving power. The J&K UT government keeps the power to alter the name, area or boundaries of districts and other territorial divisions after the appointed day.
The map of India after 31 October 2019
| Item | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| States | 29 | 28 |
| Union Territories | 7 | 9 |
| Total units | 36 | 37 |
The new territories
| Feature | J&K (UT) | Ladakh (UT) |
|---|---|---|
| Legislature | Yes (Assembly) | No |
| Districts in 2019 | 20 | 2 (Leh, Kargil) |
| Head | Lieutenant Governor | Lieutenant Governor |
| Lok Sabha seats | 5 | 1 |
| Rajya Sabha seats | 4 | None |
| High Court | Common (J&K and Ladakh) | Common |
| Capital / seats | Srinagar (summer) and Jammu (winter) | Leh and Kargil |
Keep practising
Notes are only half the work. Test yourself with questions and discuss doubts with other aspirants.
Prepared for exam revision from standard sources, official publications and the Census. Figures and recent developments change, so check official sources before relying on them. Found a mistake? Tell us.