Jammu and Kashmir statehood to be restored soon? Govt to introduce key bill in Lok Sabha today

The Union Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs has requested the Lok Sabha Secretariat to include four new bills for introduction on Wednesday, including the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2025. 

 

Alongside this legislation, the House is set to consider the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirtieth Amendment) Bill, 2025; the Government of Union Territories (Amendment) Bill, 2025; and the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025. 

 

The day’s agenda also features a motion to refer the three amendment bills—the Constitution Bill, the Government of Union Territories Bill, and the J&K Reorganisation Bill—to a Joint Committee of both Houses of Parliament following their introduction. 

 

A special discussion is scheduled on “India’s First Astronaut Abroad and the International Space Station – Critical Role of the Space Programme for Viksit Bharat 2047.” 

 

Any business not concluded on Wednesday will be carried forward to Thursday as noted in the schedule. 

 

While the exact contents of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2025, are not known, speculation in political and civil society circles suggests that some amendments will have political and administrative implications for the region. The bill also raises curiosity regarding the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.

 

The introduction of the bill concerning Jammu and Kashmir comes on the heels of speculation that the Modi government is planning another round of political restructuring for the region. Recently, speculation has ranged from the restoration of statehood to a controversial bifurcation, granting statehood to Jammu while retaining Kashmir as a Union Territory (UT). 

 

The trigger for this debate was the approach of August 5, 2019, the date on which Article 370 was abrogated, resulting in the division of the former state of Jammu and Kashmir into two UTs—Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. Many believed the Modi government might use the occasion to announce another significant decision. A high-level meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and the President added fuel to the fire. Given the government’s history of using symbolic dates for historic decisions, expectations grew that something major would unfold. 

 

However, the day passed quietly, with no announcement made. The reason remains unclear, but the debates still rage on.

India