Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah chairs a security review meeting on Jammu and Kashmir

1. At a Glance

• High-level CT review chaired by Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah on 8 January 2026 in New Delhi, with the LG of J&K Shri Manoj Sinha, Union Home Secretary, IB Director, J&K Chief Secretary, DGP J&K, and CAPF heads [1].
• Reiterates the Centre's "zero-tolerance, mission-mode" doctrine on terror infrastructure and terror-financing in J&K post-Article 370 abrogation [1][2].
• Important for UPSC: maps to Internal Security (GS-III) — cross-border terrorism, J&K reorganisation aftermath, and Centre–UT executive coordination.

2. Why in the News

• On 8 Jan 2026, Shah chaired the Delhi review meeting; followed by a second meeting in Jammu within a month with Army Chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi to assess the on-ground security situation [1][2].
• Comes amid sustained CT operations targeting terror financing networks and OGW (Over-Ground Worker) ecosystem in J&K [1].

3. Background & Evolution

• 5 Aug 2019: Presidential Orders abrogated Article 370; J&K Reorganisation Act, 2019 bifurcated the state into UT of J&K (with legislature) and UT of Ladakh (without legislature) w.e.f. 31 Oct 2019 [3].
• Dec 2023: Supreme Court in In Re: Article 370 upheld abrogation; directed Assembly elections by 30 Sep 2024.
• Oct 2024: First J&K Assembly elections post-reorganisation; NC–Congress government formed under CM Omar Abdullah.
• Periodic Union HM security reviews became institutionalised post-2019 to coordinate MHA, Army, CAPFs, IB, J&K Police.

4. Core Static Facts

• Convening authority: Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) [1].
• Chair: Union Home Minister & Minister of Cooperation [1].
• Key attendees: LG J&K, Union Home Secretary, Director IB, Chief Secretary J&K, DGP J&K, DGs of CAPFs (CRPF, BSF, SSB, ITBP) [1].
• Statutory framework: J&K Reorganisation Act, 2019; UAPA, 1967; NIA Act, 2008; Article 239/239A (UTs) [3].
• Govt data (Rajya Sabha): Terror incidents fell to 496 post-abrogation vs 843 in the comparable 841-day pre-abrogation window [3].
• Casualty trend: J&K fatalities dropped from 4,011 (2001) to 127 (2024) [3].

5. Multi-Dimensional Analysis

Geopolitical / Strategic

• Cross-border terror sponsorship from Pakistan (LeT, JeM, TRF) remains primary external threat; review covered LoC infiltration and narco-terror funding [1].
• TRF (The Resistance Front) designated a terrorist organisation under UAPA in 2023.

Legal / Constitutional

• Post-abrogation, Parliament is the legislature during President's Rule; J&K Assembly (since Oct 2024) has limited powers — public order & police remain with the Centre under the 2019 Act [3].

Administrative

• Unified Command structure: Army (Northern Command), CRPF, J&K Police, IB — coordination via MHA's J&K division.
• Mission-mode CT operations target terror financing and OGW networks; ED and NIA used for financial choking [1].

Social

• Push to dismantle terror ecosystem includes dismissal of government employees under Article 311(2)(c) for security-linked misconduct.

6. Recent Developments (last 12–18 months)

• 22 Apr 2025: Pahalgam terror attack (Baisaran meadow) — major trigger for intensified CT posture.
• Oct 2024: J&K Assembly polls; Omar Abdullah sworn in as CM.
• 8 Jan 2026: Shah's Delhi security review [1].
• Feb 2026: Shah's follow-up Jammu review with Army Chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi [2].

7. Prelims Hooks

• Meeting chaired on 8 January 2026 in New Delhi [1].
• Shri Amit Shah holds dual portfolios: Home Affairs + Cooperation (Ministry of Cooperation created 6 July 2021) [1].
• LG of J&K: Shri Manoj Sinha (since Aug 2020) [1].
• Army Chief (as of 2026): Gen Upendra Dwivedi (took over 30 June 2024) [2].
• J&K Reorganisation Act: enacted 2019; effective 31 October 2019 [3].
• UT of Ladakh: no legislature; UT of J&K: with legislature [3].
• Article 370 abrogation date: 5 August 2019 [3].
• Govt-reported terror incidents post-abrogation: 496 vs 843 earlier [3].
• MHA (not MoD) is the nodal ministry for J&K internal security.
• NIA Act, 2008 and UAPA, 1967 are key statutes for terror prosecution.

8. Mains Relevance

• GS-III: Internal Security — Linkages of organised crime with terrorism; role of external state and non-state actors in creating challenges to internal security; security challenges in border areas.
• GS-II: Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States; issues and challenges pertaining to the federal structure (UT governance).

Probable question stems:

1. "Discuss the effectiveness of the mission-mode counter-terrorism approach in Jammu & Kashmir post-abrogation of Article 370."
2. "Terror financing is the lifeline of insurgency. Examine the institutional mechanisms used by the Government of India to choke terror funding in J&K."
3. "Critically analyse the Centre–UT coordination architecture for internal security in Jammu & Kashmir."

9. Related Topics to Study Next

• Article 370 & 35A abrogation — constitutional and legal basis of current J&K framework.
• J&K Reorganisation Act, 2019 — UT structure, division of subjects.
• UAPA & NIA Act — statutory CT tools.
• CAPFs (CRPF/BSF/SSB/ITBP) — deployment and mandates.
• Financial Action Task Force (FATF) — terror-financing global regime.
• AFSPA, 1958 — its (non-)applicability in current J&K UT.
• Pahalgam attack 2025 & TRF — recent trigger event.
• Supreme Court verdict on Article 370 (Dec 2023) — judicial validation.

10. Common Errors / Trap Areas

• Cooperation Ministry is a separate Union Ministry created in 2021, not a department under Agriculture — Shah heads both [1].
• LG of J&K vs LG of Ladakh are different posts; do not conflate.
• J&K UT has a legislature; Ladakh UT does not — frequently swapped in MCQs.
• Police & Public Order in J&K UT lie with the Centre via LG, unlike Delhi (post-GNCTD Amendment) — but J&K's arrangement is under the 2019 Act, not Article 239AA.
• Article 370 was not "repealed" — it was rendered inoperative via Presidential Order C.O. 272 & 273 + Parliament resolution.