26 October 2026
A Division Bench of Justice Sanjeev Kumar and Justice M.A. Chowdhary held that the Government cannot pick persons from the open market, engage them as daily wagers or casual workers and then regularise them, calling the practice a fraud on the Constitution of India. The judgment is in UT of Jammu and Kashmir v. Harmeet Singh, reported as 2026 LiveLaw (JKL) 475. The respondents had donated land for tube wells under gift deeds that promised a government job, and were engaged as casual labour in the Department of Irrigation and Flood Control from 2014. The Central Administrative Tribunal, Jammu Bench, had ordered their regularisation after ten years of continuous service. The High Court held that the Government has no authority to promise a permanent job in exchange for donated land, that appointments must follow advertisement and a fair selection process consistent with Articles 14 and 16, and that the respondents are entitled only to regular engagement under the Jammu and Kashmir Casual and Other Workers (Regular Engagement) Rules, 2017.
Rules applied:
Jammu and Kashmir Casual and Other Workers (Regular Engagement) Rules, 2017
Citation:
2026 LiveLaw (JKL) 475
Why it matters for exams: Articles 14 and 16 on equality in public employment are among the most asked provisions in polity.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
CAT Central Administrative Tribunal — The tribunal that decides service disputes of central government and Union Territory employees.
26 October 2026
A Single Judge Bench of Justice Sanjay Dhar quashed an FIR registered under Sections 447-A and 427 of the Ranbir Penal Code against a Tehsildar and the Executive Officer of a Municipal Committee. The case is Qadeer-Ul-Rehman v. State (UT of J&K), CRMC No. 447 of 2018. A Chowkidar of the Court of Munsiff, Thanamandi had reported a land demarcation to the Presiding Officer, and the Judicial Magistrate First Class directed the police to register an FIR under Section 156(3) of the Jammu and Kashmir Criminal Procedure Code, 1989. The High Court held that the Chowkidar's application was not a complaint in the strict sense, that it sought no FIR and was really information on an administrative matter, and that the proper course was to place it before the District Judge and the High Court on the administrative side. The direction flouted the procedure laid down by the Supreme Court in Priyanka Srivastava v. State of U.P., (2015) 6 SCC 287, and gave a criminal colour to an administrative matter. The FIR and all proceedings arising from it were quashed. The citation is 2026 LiveLaw (JKL) 450.
Case number:
CRMC No. 447 of 2018
Precedent relied on:
Priyanka Srivastava v. State of U.P., (2015) 6 SCC 287
Why it matters for exams: Section 156(3) and Priyanka Srivastava v. State of U.P. are standard criminal procedure questions, and the Ranbir Penal Code is specific to Jammu and Kashmir.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
RPC Ranbir Penal Code — The criminal code that applied in Jammu and Kashmir before the central codes were extended to it.
Tehsildar Tehsildar — The revenue officer in charge of a tehsil, a sub-division of a district.
Background
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who holds the tourism portfolio, placed visitor figures before the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly in February 2026. The Union Territory recorded over 7.85 crore visitors in the three years 2023-25, against 4.76 crore in 2016-18. The Kashmir division rose from over 59 lakh in 2016-18 to 2.42 crore in 2023-25, while the Jammu region went from 4.16 crore to 5.43 crore. Kashmir drew over 98 lakh visitors in 2024 and over 47 lakh in 2025, a fall the Government linked to the Pahalgam terror attack. The Shri Mata Vaishno Devi shrine at Katra received over 95 lakh pilgrims in 2024, up from 90 lakh in 2023.
Visitors 2023-25:
over 7.85 crore
Visitors 2016-18:
4.76 crore
Vaishno Devi pilgrims in 2024:
over 95 lakh
Why it matters for exams: Tourism figures for Jammu and Kashmir and the location of the Vaishno Devi shrine are frequently asked.
Kerala PSCUPSCBank
In plain words
Katra Katra — The base town in Reasi district from which pilgrims walk to the Vaishno Devi shrine.
Background
The Ladakh Bench of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh began hearing cases at Leh this week, so the decision behind it is worth recording. The Union Cabinet approved the establishment of a Bench of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court in Ladakh. Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the decision will significantly enhance access to justice for citizens living in remote areas of Ladakh and will reduce the time people need to access legal services. He said the Government is committed to the all-round development of Ladakh and to constitutional safeguards for the region. Until then the High Court had sat only at Srinagar and at Jammu, and litigants from Ladakh had to travel out of the Union Territory.
Decision taken by:
Union Cabinet
Why it matters for exams: The number and seats of High Court Benches, and who creates them, are standard judiciary questions.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Bench Bench of a High Court — A permanent sitting place of a High Court away from its principal seat.
Background
Jammu and Kashmir's visitor figures are in the news this week, and the rail link that carries much of that traffic is worth knowing. Indian Railways is to introduce a third Vande Bharat Express between Jammu Tawi and Srinagar, running via Martyr Captain Tushar Mahajan Udhampur. The service was approved in a letter from Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, which Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh made public. Two Vande Bharat services already run on the route. The line gives the Kashmir valley a direct rail connection to the rest of the country.
Service:
third Vande Bharat Express between Jammu Tawi and Srinagar
Stop named:
Martyr Captain Tushar Mahajan Udhampur
Why it matters for exams: Vande Bharat routes and the Jammu-Srinagar rail link are asked in infrastructure and current affairs papers.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Vande Bharat Express Vande Bharat Express — Indian Railways' semi-high-speed self-propelled train service.
Background
The High Court has begun hearing cases at Leh this week, so the district itself is worth placing. Leh district covers 45,100 square kilometres, which the district administration describes as making it one of the largest districts in the country. It lies between about 32 and 36 degrees north and 75 and 80 degrees east, at altitudes from 2,300 to 5,000 metres above sea level. Pakistan-occupied Kashmir lies to its west, China to the north and east, and Lahul Spiti of Himachal Pradesh to the south-east. The district is entirely mountainous, with three parallel Himalayan ranges running through it: the Zanskar, the Ladakh and the Karakoram. The Shayok, the Indus and the Zanskar flow between these ranges, and most of the population lives in their valleys. Leh is 434 kilometres from Srinagar and 474 kilometres from Manali.
Area:
45,100 sq km
Altitude:
2,300 m to 5,000 m
Distance from Srinagar:
434 km
Why it matters for exams: Leh's area, altitude range and the three ranges and rivers around it are standard geography questions.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Karakoram Karakoram range — The northernmost of the ranges running through Leh district.
Background
The Kashmir valley's visitor figures were placed before the Legislative Assembly this week, and its largest water body is a wetland of international importance. Wular Lake is Ramsar site number 461. It was designated on 23 March 1990 and covers 18,900 hectares in Jammu and Kashmir. The Ramsar record calls it the largest freshwater lake in India, with extensive emergent and floating marshes, especially of water chestnut. Its coordinates are given as 34 degrees 16 minutes north and 74 degrees 33 minutes east. A Ramsar site is a wetland listed under the Convention on Wetlands, to which India is a party.
Ramsar site number:
461
Area:
18,900.0 ha
Designated:
23 March 1990
Why it matters for exams: Ramsar sites, their numbers and areas, and India's largest freshwater lake are asked directly.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Ramsar site Ramsar site — A wetland listed as internationally important under the Convention on Wetlands signed at Ramsar.
Background
The newly appointed Chief Secretary takes charge at Srinagar, so the district deserves placing. Srinagar lies at the centre of the Kashmir valley and is the summer capital of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The city stands 1,585 metres above sea level. The Jhelum, known locally as Vyath, flows through it and meanders through the valley before deepening into Dal Lake; the city lies on both banks and nine old bridges link the two parts. The district is surrounded by Ganderbal, Pulwama and Budgam and by the Union Territory of Ladakh. The administration describes the city as famous for its gardens, lakes and houseboats, traditional Kashmiri handicrafts and dried fruits. The Hokersar wetland, of 13.75 square kilometres, lies within the district.
Altitude:
1,585 metres
Old bridges on the Jhelum:
nine
Hokersar wetland:
13.75 sq km
Why it matters for exams: Srinagar's altitude, the Jhelum's local name and Dal Lake are frequently asked facts.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Vyath Vyath — The local Kashmiri name for the river Jhelum.
Background
The administrative capital in the news this week has a Ramsar wetland on its edge. Hokera Wetland is Ramsar site number 1570, designated on 8 November 2005, and covers 1,375 hectares in Jammu and Kashmir. The Ramsar record describes it as a natural perennial wetland connected to the Jhelum basin in the north-west Himalayan region, about ten kilometres from Srinagar, and calls it the only site with remaining reedbeds of Kashmir. It supports 68 species of waterfowl, among them the Large Egret, the Great Crested Grebe, the Little Cormorant, the Common Shelduck, the Tufted Duck and the endangered White-eyed Pochard. Its marsh vegetation includes Typha, Phragmites, Eleocharis, Trapa and Nymphoides. The site carries a national designation as a Protected Area.
Ramsar site number:
1570
Area:
1,375.0 ha
Waterfowl species:
68
Why it matters for exams: The number, date and area of each Indian Ramsar site are asked directly in environment papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Reedbed Reedbed — A stand of tall marsh grasses such as Phragmites growing in shallow water.