Business Rules for J&K | 07 Mar 2025
Why in News?
The Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister announced that the government had framed the Business Rules for the Union Territory (UT) administration and sent them to J&K Lieutenant Governor for the Centre’s final approval.
Key Points
- Purpose and Significance:
- The Business Rules aim to prevent confusion regarding institutional dignity and respect.
- The CM emphasized the need to uphold the institution’s honor, expressing disappointment over the loss of J&K’s statehood.
- Key Provisions of the Revised Business Rules:
- The revised rules outline the roles and authority of the Chief Minister, Cabinet, Ministers, and Administrative Secretaries.
- They specify that matters related to law and order, public order, and All India Services remain under the Lieutenant Governor’s jurisdiction.
- The amendments define the procedures for resolving disagreements between the Lieutenant Governor and the Council of Ministers or an individual Minister.
- Context and Implementation:
- The J&K government took over four months to draft these rules as mandated by the J&K Reorganisation Act, 2019.
- J&K became a Union Territory in 2019 following the abrogation of Article 370.
- The UT conducted its first Assembly elections in 2024.
Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019
- It divided Jammu and Kashmir into 2 Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
- It repealed Article 370, which had granted Jammu and Kashmir a unique status.
- Leh and Kargil districts were included in the Union Territory of Ladakh, while the remaining areas became part of Jammu and Kashmir.
- Five Lok Sabha seats were retained by Jammu and Kashmir, and one was transferred to Ladakh.
- Legislature: The seats in the Legislative Assembly will be reserved for tribal and scheduled caste people to keep the proportion intact of their population in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
- The Lt. Governors can nominate two women members for the Assembly to represent women if women are not sufficiently represented to justify equality between men and women.
- The elected Legislative Assembly will be for 5 years, and the Lt. The Governor will summon the Assembly once every six months.
- The Legislative Assembly has the right to pass a law for any given part of the Union Territory of J&K related to any of the matters listed in the Indian Constitutions State's List except for the "Police" and "Public Order."
- Any matter specified in the Concurrent List will be applied to Indian Union Territories. Furthermore, Parliament will have the decision-making power to create laws for Jammu Kashmir and its Union Territory.