Seven years after abrogation of Article 370, critically evaluate the economic and security outcomes in Jammu and Kashmir against the stated objectives of the reorganisation.

Q. Seven years after abrogation of Article 370, critically evaluate the economic and security outcomes in Jammu and Kashmir against the stated objectives of the reorganisation. (15 marks, 250-350 words)

The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 was defended on three promises — accelerated development, full integration through central laws, and an end to terrorism [1]. Seven years on, the record shows measurable gains alongside persistent deficits.

Economic outcomes: growth achieved, convergence not - Gains: extension of 106 central laws, opening of land and industrial investment to non-residents, and a large central development package have widened the fiscal and infrastructure base in power, roads, horticulture and tourism [1][2]. - J&K's real GSDP is estimated to grow 5.82% in 2025-26, with per capita income growth outpacing several neighbouring states [3]. - Shortfall: per capita income (₹1.68 lakh) still trails the national average (₹2.20 lakh), showing the gap with the rest of India has not closed [3]. - Growth remains tourism- and transfer-dependent; youth and graduate unemployment stays well above the national level, limiting the promised private-investment transformation [3].

Security outcomes: violence contained, threat not eliminated - Gains: terrorist-initiated incidents fell from 228 (2018) to 12 (2025); security-force fatalities dropped from 91 to 16 over the same period — a sharp decline in organised violence [4]. - Stone-pelting and organised street unrest have largely subsided, enabling record tourist inflows [2]. - Shortfall: the Pahalgam attack (April 2025) and subsequent incidents show a shift to high-impact, low-frequency terrorism and the spread of activity into the previously calm Poonch-Rajouri belt [5]. - Security gains rest on heavy central deployment rather than settled political consent.

The reorganisation has therefore delivered on containment and connectivity, but not yet on prosperity or durable peace. Restoring Statehood — an assurance the Union recorded before the Supreme Court in its 2023 verdict, alongside its direction for Assembly elections [6] — would convert administrative gains into democratic ownership, aligning outcomes with the cooperative-federal spirit of the Constitution.

(~305 words)

Sources: 1. The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill, 2019 — PRS Legislative Research — bifurcation design, extension of 106 central laws 2. Impact of Abrogation of Article 370 on J&K — PIB — development package, sectoral progress, tourism inflows 3. Economic Survey 2025-26, Government of Jammu and Kashmir — GSDP growth, per capita income, unemployment 4. Ministry of Home Affairs: Year End Review 2025 — PIB — decline in terror incidents and casualties 5. Lok Sabha discussion on the response to the Pahalgam terrorist attack — PIB — Pahalgam attack, April 2025 6. In Re: Article 370 of the Constitution, Judgment dated 11 December 2023 — Supreme Court of India — statehood assurance and direction for Assembly elections