What special constitutional status did Jammu and Kashmir have before 2019?

Before 2019, Jammu and Kashmir held a special, semiautonomous status within India, primarily granted through Article 370 of the Constitution of India. Unlike other Indian states, Jammu and Kashmir followed a modified version of the Constitution of India, as outlined in the 1954 presidential order.12

Key aspects of this status included:

• Legislative Autonomy: While the union government maintained direct control over defense, foreign policy, and communications, the state had significant autonomy in other areas.2
• Article 35A: This provision empowered the state legislature to define "permanent residents." Only these residents were permitted to purchase land, vote in state elections, hold public office, and access state-sponsored benefits like government jobs and free health care.3
• Governance: The state maintained its own constitution, which came into force in 1957 and affirmed the region as an integral part of India.3

This "temporary provision" was abrogated in August 2019, when the Indian government removed the state's autonomy, applied the national constitution fully, and reorganized the region into two separate union territories.142