Age of Great Development: Governance, Infrastructure, and Human Development in Jammu and Kashmir, PoJK, and Gilgit-Baltistan - A Report

The partition of the Indian subcontinent in 1947 did not merely divide territory but set in motion a prolonged geopolitical contest over the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir.

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Although the Instrument of Accession legally integrated Jammu and Kashmir into the Indian Union but Pakistan’s invasion and continued occupation of parts of the erstwhile state gave rise to what are now referred to as Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Gilgit-Baltistan, and since then, two contrasting trajectories of governance and development have unfolded, one under India’s democratic and constitutionally accountable framework. 

While the other is under Pakistan’s highly centralised administrative order, steered largely by its military and bureaucratic elite.

Over the decades, Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh have witnessed major structural transformations, ranging from enhanced infrastructure and renewed political representation to deeper integration with national development schemes.

By contrast, PoK and Gilgit Baltistan remain politically overlooked and economically limited, caught within Islamabad’s rigid administrative control that has left little room for local autonomy. The gap between the two is not a matter of geography or demography but a reflection of the systemic difference in governance, in which one is participatory and reform-oriented and the other extractive and centralised.

In the present context, territories which are under the political control of India exhibit visible advancement across multiple sectors, reflecting a governance model that prioritises inclusion and last-mile delivery. On the other hand, PoK continues to struggle with sluggish growth with limited employment opportunities, and widespread public discontent over economic stagnation.

The contrast thus reveals a broader developmental truth: where transparency and democratic accountability exist, progress becomes self-sustaining, but political repression and fiscal over-centralisation tend to decline.

This study undertakes a comparative assessment of key developmental indicators, namely infrastructure, education, healthcare, governance, and gender empowerment, to examine the widening developmental divide across the Line of Control. It further argues that democratic participation and decentralised planning, along with institutional transparency, have collectively revitalised Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, while the persistent stagnation of PoK stands as proof of the costs of Islamabad’s centralised and extractive governance model.

GOVERNANCE AND POLITICAL STRUCTURE

Since 2019, the political path of Indian Kashmir and PoK has witnessed a sharper divergence than ever before. With the abrogation of Article 370 and the reorganisation of the erstwhile state into the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, being projected by New Delhi as measures aimed at achieving better governance and faster development in the region. While Jammu and Kashmir retained a legislative assembly, Ladakh was placed under direct central administration.

In the years that followed, efforts were made to deepen democratic participation and enhance administrative outreach across the Union Territory, as with the District Development Council elections in 2020 and the legislative polls in 2024.

They were described by the government as important steps toward restoring representative governance, and leading welfare schemes such as Ayushman Bharat and PM Kisan were extended to cover every district of the region.

Although independent reviews of these initiatives are limited, the overall policy direction has stayed focused on strengthening institutions and deepening democratic integration.

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For all official and academic purposes, use the following as a citation, which follows the Chicago Manual Style.

Gunjan Yadav and Kaushal Singh

“Age of Great Development: Governance, Infrastructure,

and Human Development in J&K, PoJK, and Gilgit-Baltistan”

THE GEOSTRATA, January 13, 2026.

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BY GUNJAN YADAV AND KAUSHAL SINGH

STRATEGIC STUDIES CENTRE

TEAM GEOSTRATA

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