Relevance (UPSC GS-I: Modern Indian History; GS-II: Polity—Federalism and Constitutional Developments)

What happened on this day

On 26 October 1947, Maharaja Hari Singh signed the Instrument of Accession, making Jammu and Kashmir a part of India. This came amid tribal incursion from across the border and urgent pleas for military help. The accession was on the same model offered to all princely states: defence, external affairs, and communications moved to the Indian Union.

Why it matters 

• It is a cornerstone event for understanding nation-building, federal integration, and later constitutional debates around special status and autonomy.
• The day connects history to contemporary changes like the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, which reorganised the former state into two Union Territories and superseded earlier special provisions.
  

Key outcomes over time 

• 1947: Instrument of Accession signed; Indian troops airlifted to Srinagar.
• 1950–1954: Constitutional arrangements evolve; Article 370 and the 1954 Presidential Order (that introduced Article 35A) shape the state’s unique position.
• 2019: Presidential Orders applied all provisions of the Constitution to Jammu and Kashmir; Article 370 provisions ceased; Reorganisation Act created Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and Union Territory of Ladakh (effective 31 October 2019).
• After 2019: Progressive integration of central laws, new local government frameworks, and administrative restructuring.
  

Important terms

• Instrument of Accession: Legal document by which princely states joined India on specified subjects.
• Article 370: A temporary constitutional provision that gave special arrangements to Jammu and Kashmir.
• Article 35A: Enabled the state to define “permanent residents” and their rights (introduced via 1954 Order; now inoperative).
• Presidential Order: A constitutional order applying provisions of the Indian Constitution to Jammu and Kashmir.
• Reorganisation Act, 2019: Law that split the state into two Union Territories.
  

Exam hook

Frame your answer as: incursion → accession on 26 Oct 1947 → constitutional pathway (Article 370/35A) → 2019 changes → present administrative set-up; end with federalism and integration angles.

UPSC Prelims question

With reference to the Instrument of Accession of Jammu and Kashmir, consider the following statements:

1. It transferred defence, external affairs, and communications to the Indian Union.
2. It was signed on 26 October 1947.
3. It permanently barred application of any other provisions of the Indian Constitution to the state.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 1 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (a)

One-line wrap
26 October marks the legal bridge from crisis to accession, setting the stage for India’s evolving federal integration of Jammu and Kashmir.