On Monday, the Supreme Court of India endorsed the legislation enacted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government in 2019, which revoked the autonomous status of the disputed region of Jammu and Kashmir, removing its special status. According to Anadolu Agency, the Constitutional Bench of the Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chandrachud, declared, "We consider the presidential exercise of power in issuing a constitutional order that abrogates Article 370 of the Constitution to be valid." The Court affirmed that "all provisions of the Indian Constitution can be applied to Jammu and Kashmir," and directed the government to conduct local elections in Jammu and Kashmir by September 2024. Justice Chandrachud noted that "the Court rejected retaining any element of sovereignty or internal sovereignty for Jammu and Kashmir upon its accession to the Indian Union." In September, the Court concluded hearings on numerous petitions mainly concerning the legitimacy of the 2019 legislation passed by Modi's government. Approximately 20 petitions were filed in the Supreme Court by various individuals, groups, and political parties, describing the 2019 government decision to abolish Jammu and Kashmir's autonomy as "unconstitutional." On August 5, 2019, India's Ministry of Justice issued a presidential decree that led to the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution, which had granted the predominantly Muslim residents of Jammu and Kashmir special rights since 1974, allowing them to make independent decisions from the central government. The Ministry clarified that the decision was effective "immediately." The region under India's control in the disputed territory of Kashmir, shared with Pakistan, is known as "Jammu and Kashmir." This region has witnessed ongoing conflict since 1989, with some groups resisting what they consider to be "Indian occupation" of their areas. The inhabitants of the region have been demanding independence from India and joining Pakistan since the independence of both countries from Britain in 1947, sharing the predominantly Muslim region. Conflicts between Pakistan and India continue within the context of the Kashmir dispute, with the countries having fought three wars in 1948, 1965, and 1971, resulting in approximately 70,000 casualties on both sides. Source: Anadolu Agency