General Awareness with Special Reference to Jammu & Kashmir
General Awareness with special reference to Jammu & Kashmir tests the UT's post-2019 constitutional position, geography, economy, culture and flagship schemes. Questions are factual and often hinge on whether a candidate has updated a pre-2019 fact.
Constitution and administration
- The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, effective 31 October 2019, created two UTs: Jammu and Kashmir (with a legislature) and Ladakh (without one).
- The J&K Legislative Assembly has 90 seats after the 2022 delimitation; 7 seats are reserved for Scheduled Castes and 9 for Scheduled Tribes.
- The Lieutenant Governor is the administrative head; the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh is common to both UTs. Jammu is the winter capital and Srinagar the summer capital.
- Articles 370 and 35A ceased to operate; the UT is governed by the Constitution of India, the Reorganisation Act and transaction-of-business rules.
Geography, economy and culture
- Himalayan rivers include the Jhelum, Chenab, Tawi and Ravi; Wular and Dal are well-known lakes; Banihal and Zoji La are important passes.
- Dachigam, Kishtwar and Salim Ali are national parks; Pampore is associated with saffron, while apples, pashmina and handicrafts are key products.
- The Treaty of Amritsar (1846) created the Dogra princely state; Maharaja Hari Singh signed the Instrument of Accession in 1947.
- The J&K Official Languages Act, 2020, recognises Urdu, Kashmiri, Dogri, Hindi and English.
Worked example
If asked 'How many seats are reserved for STs in the J&K Assembly?', recall the 2022 delimitation: 90 total, 7 SC, 9 ST. Answer 9. If a question says 'J&K is a state', reject it: it is a UT with a legislature.
Traps
- Using pre-2019 state terminology.
- Mixing Ladakh's status with J&K's.
- Confusing the winter and summer capitals.
- Quoting the old 87-seat Assembly.
- Attributing the Instrument of Accession to Sheikh Abdullah.