It lies to the north of the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab and to the west of Ladakh which is administered by India as a union territory.

[25] Indian citizens from other states were not allowed to purchase land or property in Jammu and Kashmir under Article 35A of the Constitution of India.

At the same time, a reorganization act was also passed, which would reconstitute the state into two union territories, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh,[29] while Article 35A was also abolished through suspension of the Presidential Order of 1954.

[19] In September 2019, nearly 4,000 people, including two former Chief Ministers and hundreds of other politicians, were arrested by the Indian authorities in Kashmir;[31] the state was put under a lockdown and communication and internet services were suspended.

[32] On 11 December 2023, the Supreme Court of India unanimously upheld the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A, while also directing the union government to restore the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir and hold legislative assembly elections no later than September 2024.

[33][34] The first-ever assembly election for Jammu and Kashmir since its special status was revoked was held from September to October 2024,[35] with the alliance of Jammu & Kashmir National Conference and Indian National Congress winning the majority of the seats[36] and Omar Abdullah becoming the Chief Minister.

[43] The southern Jammu region is mostly mountainous, with the Shivaliks, the middle and the great Himalayas running parallel to each other in a southeast–northwest direction.

The effect of the monsoon diminishes in areas lying to the leeward side of the Pir Panjal, such as the Kashmir valley, and much of the rainfall happens in the spring season due to western disturbances.

Only 808 Kashmiri Hindu Pandit families remain in the valley after their forced displacement by Islamic militants.

[70] The Dogras and various organisations of Hindu-majority Jammu region have demanded a separate state after bifurcation of the territory, on the basis of cultural, linguistic and religious differences from neighbouring Kashmiris (who are predominantly Muslim by faith).

Dogri, related to Punjabi and Pahari, is spoken throughout the plains areas of Jammu division, as well as in parts of the hills.

Their role is to advise the Lieutenant Governor in the exercise of functions in matters under the jurisdiction of the legislative assembly.

[78] The gross domestic product of Jammu and Kashmir was estimated at ₹1.76 lakh crore (equivalent to ₹2.1 trillion or US$24 billion in 2023) in 2020–21.

[79] In the fiscal year 2023–2024, it is expected that Jammu and Kashmir's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) will exceed Rs 2.30 lakh crore, with a growth rate of 10 per cent.

[83] Major agricultural exports from Jammu and Kashmir include apples, pears, cherries, plums, saffron and walnuts.

[84] The traditional Kashmiri handicrafts industry employs a large workforce of around 340 thousand artisans and has potential for producing export goods.

[78] Small-scale cottage industries include carpet weaving, silks, shawls, basketry, pottery, copper and silverware, papier-mâché and walnut wood.

[86] Resources such as timber, herbs and medicinal shrubs, edibles such as mushroom, chilgoza, black zeera, and saffron are available in the forests.

[87] Jammu and Kashmir is the only administrative unit in India with a large amount of borax and sapphire resources.

[89] According to the Sustainable Development Goals Index 2021, 10.35 per cent of the population of Jammu and Kashmir live below the national poverty line, the third-highest among union territories in the country.

[90] The apple industry is a significant source of employment in Jammu and Kashmir, generating the highest number of jobs.

It provides approximately 400-man-days of work per year per hectare of orchards, supporting a workforce of 3.5 million people.

The combined apple production for the entire Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir amounted to 1,719,415.69 metric tonnes.

[91] The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) regulates all major aspects pertaining to media and telecommunications in Jammu and Kashmir.

[93] The policy attracted criticism for allegedly reducing people to "passive recipients of the information the government intends to disseminate.

[98] In association with All India Radio, DD Kashir has established high power transmitters along the India–Pakistan border.

[103] Jammu and Kashmir has 18 stadiums, 23 training centres, three indoor sports complexes and 42 government-maintained playing fields.

Every year, thousands of Hindu pilgrims visit holy shrines of Vaishno Devi and Amarnath which has had significant impact on the state's economy.

[114] Gulmarg, one of the most popular ski resort destinations in India, is also home to the world's highest green golf course.