Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019

Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019
Parliament of India
Long title An Act to provide for the reorganisation of the existing State of Jammu and Kashmir and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
Citation	Act No. 34 of 2019
Territorial extent	State of Jammu and Kashmir
Enacted by	Rajya Sabha
Enacted	5 August 2019
Enacted by	Lok Sabha
Enacted	6 August 2019
Assented to	9 August 2019
Signed by	President Ram Nath Kovind
Signed	9 August 2019
Effective	31 October 2019
Legislative history
First chamber: Rajya Sabha
Bill citation	Bill No. XXIX of 2019
Introduced by	Minister of Home Affairs Amit Shah
Introduced	5 August 2019
Passed	5 August 2019
Voting summary	(Voice Vote) 125 voted for (Voice Vote) 61 voted against 01 abstained
Second chamber: Lok Sabha
Received from the Rajya Sabha	5 August 2019
Passed	6 August 2019
Voting summary	378 voted for 77 voted against 1 abstained
Related legislation
A number of orders for the adaptation of state laws and central laws to both union territories.[1] Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2021
Supreme Court cases
Constitution bench of 5 judges held the act constitutionally valid.
Summary
Bifurcates the State of Jammu and Kashmir into Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and the Union Territory of Ladakh and provides with legislative and executive powers related to state matters for Parliament to administer the UTs.
Status: In force

The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 is an act of the parliament of India containing provisions to reconstitute the Indian-administered state of Jammu and Kashmir into two Indian-administered union territories (UTs) called Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh, and becoming effective on 31 October 2019. A bill for the act was introduced by the Minister of Home Affairs, Amit Shah, in the Rajya Sabha on 5 August 2019 and was passed on the same day. It was then passed by the Lok Sabha on 6 August 2019 and it received the president's assent on 9 August 2019.

The act consists of 103 clauses, extends 106 central laws to the UTs, repeals 153 state laws, and abolishes the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Council among other things. The introduction of the bill was preceded by a presidential order which indirectly amended Article 370 of the Indian constitution and revoked Jammu and Kashmir's special status. The act has also given powers to the central government to pass a number of executive orders in relation to both the union territories. These orders have resulted in the modification or repeal of over 400 state and central laws with respect to the union territories. The act was challenged in supreme court through a number of petitions, on 11 December 2023, the court declared the act and the related orders to be valid and constitutional. Ordering to restore Statehood "as soon as possible".^[2] A 2023 ruling by the Supreme Court of India resolved its legal dispute.

The combination of the presidential orders and enactment of the Reorganisation Act was followed by a security lockdown and communications blackout.