All central laws now applicable in new UTs of JK, Ladakh

All central laws such as the anti-corruption act and provisions of the IPC will be applicable in the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh from Thursday, according to a notification issued by the Union Home Ministry.

Some of these laws were until now not applicable to the state of Jammu and Kashmir, because of its special status under Article 370 and Article 35.

On Thursday, through a government notification, two Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh came into existence, in line with the announcement on August 5 on the withdrawal of the special status of JK.

The government said in a notification that under the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, "central laws, ordinance and rules which are applicable to the whole of India except the existing State of Jammu and Kashmir are to be made applicable to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and the Union Territory of Ladakh."