Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh shown as separate Union Territories in new map of India; country now has 28 states, 9 UTs

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs on Saturday released a new map of India, showing the two recently-created Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. The two Union Territories officially came into existence on 31 October.

The announcement on bifurcating the former state, and ending its special status under Article 370 of the Constitution, was made on 5 August. Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) is part of the newly created Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, while Gilgit-Baltistan is in the Union Territory of Ladakh in the fresh maps that have been released.

The Ministry of Home Affairs said the Union Territory of Ladakh consists of two districts of Kargil and Leh while the rest of the erstwhile state is in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

In 1947, the erstwhile state had the following 14 districts — Kathua, Jammu, Udhampur, Reasi, Anantnag, Baramulla, Poonch, Mirpur, Muzaffarabad, Leh and Ladakh, Gilgit, Gilgit Wazarat, Chilhas and Tribal Territory, a home ministry statement said.

By 2019, the government of erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir had reorganised the areas of these 14 districts into 28 districts. The names of the new districts were — Kupwara, Bandipur, Ganderbal, Srinagar, Budgam, Pulwama, Shopian, Kulgam, Rajouri, Ramban, Doda, Kishtwar, Samba and Kargil.

Out of these, Kargil district was carved out from the area of Leh and Ladakh district.

The Leh district has been defined in the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Removal of Difficulties) Second Order, 2019, issued by the President of India, to include the areas of the districts of Gilgit, Gilgit Wazarat, Chilhas and Tribal Territory of 1947, in addition to the remaining areas of Leh and Ladakh districts of 1947, after carving out the Kargil District.

The maps prepared by Survey General of India depicting the new UTs of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh, as created on 31 October, 2019, along with the map of India, are released, the statement said.

On the recommendation of Parliament, the President effectively dismantled Article 370 of the Indian Constitution and gave assent to the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019.

Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and supervision of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir has been reorganised as the new Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and the new Union Territory of Ladakh on October 31, 2019, the statement said.

With inputs from PTI