Poonch district, India

For Poonch district administered by Pakistan, see Poonch District, Pakistan.

For other uses, see Poonch (disambiguation).

Poonch or Punch is a district of the Jammu division of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region.^[1] With headquarters in the town of Poonch, it is bounded by the Line of Control (boundary between Indian and Pakistan administered Kashmir) on three sides (north, west and south). The 1947–48 war between India and Pakistan divided the earlier district into two parts. One went to Pakistan and the other became part of the then-Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir.^[7]

Poonch district
District of Jammu and Kashmir administered by India[1]
View of Mandi Town in Poonch
Interactive map of Poonch district
Poonch district is in the Jammu division (shown with neon blue boundary) of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir (shaded in tan in the disputed Kashmir region[1]
Coordinates (Poonch (town)): 33°42′N 74°14′E
Administering country	India
Union Territory	Jammu & Kashmir
Division	Jammu
Capital	Poonch
Headquarters	Poonch
Tehsils[2]	1. Balakote, 2. Haveli, 3. Mandi, 4. Mankote, 5. Mendhar, 6. Surankote
Government
• Lok Sabha Constituency	Anantnag - Rajouri
• MP	Mian Altaf Ahmad Larvi, JKNC
• Vidhan Sabha constituencies	3 constituences
• District Magistrate	Mr. Vikas Kundal, IAS
Area
• Total	1,674 km2 (646 sq mi)
Elevation [3]	1,000 m (3,300 ft)
Population  (2011)228
• Total	476,835
• Density	280/km2 (740/sq mi)
• Urban	8.1%
Demographics
• Literacy[4]	66.74%
• Sex ratio[4]	893 ♀/ 1000 ♂
Languages [5][6]
• Official	Gojri, Dogri, English, Hindi, Kashmiri, Urdu
• Spoken	Gojri, Pahari
Time zone	UTC+05:30 (IST)
Vehicle registration	JK-12
Major highways	NH 144A
Website	poonch.nic.in

Geography

Poonch district has a total area of 1,674 square kilometres (646 sq mi). The district is bordered by Kulgam district, Shopian district and Budgam district in the east, Rajouri district to the south and Baramulla district and Haveli district, Pakistan administered Jammu and Kashmir to the north and Poonch district, Pakistani administered Kashmir to the west.

The district also de-jure includes the areas of Poonch Division under Pakistani control (Bagh District, Haveli District, Poonch District, Sudhanoti District).^[8]

Administration

15km
10miles

Bala Kote

Mankote

Mendhar

Surankote

Mandi

Poonch
(Haveli)

  

Poonch district tehsils

The district headquarters is in the Poonch city. Presently, district Poonch in Jammu and Kashmir is divided into six tehsils:

• Haveli Tehsil
• Mandi Tehsil
• Mendhar Tehsil
• Surankote Tehsil
• Mankote Tehsil
• Balakote Tehsil

Each tehsil has its Tehsildar, who is the administrative head. The district is further divided into eleven. blocks: Poonch, Mandi, Loran Sathra Mendhar, Mankote Balakote, Surankote and Buffliaz.^[9] The administrative head of each block is the Block Development Officer (BDO). Each block consists of a number of panchayats. Recently added One Sub Division(Surnkote), other is Mendhar. Poonch district has a total of 179 villages.

Economy

In 2006 the Ministry of Panchayati Raj named Poonch one of the country's 250 most backward districts (out of a total of 640).^[10] It is one of the three districts in Jammu and Kashmir currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF).^[10]

Politics

Poonch district has 3 assembly constituencies: Surankote, Mendhar and Poonch Haveli. On 19 November 2018, the assembly was dissolved by Governor Satya Pal Malik. The former MLA of Poonch Haveli is Shah Mohammed Tantray of JKPDP, Mohammed Akram of Indian National Congress represented the Surankote constituency and Mendhar was represented by Javid Rana of Jammu & Kashmir National Conference. Poonch district comes in Jammu-Poonch Lok Sabha constituency. The present MP of Jammu–Poonch constituency is Jugal Kishore Sharma of the BJP.^[11][12]

Demographics

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
1901	102,011	—
1911	112,009	+9.8%
1921	117,759	+5.1%
1931	127,477	+8.3%
1941	140,446	+10.2%
1951	147,489	+5.0%
1961	154,532	+4.8%
1971	170,787	+10.5%
1981	224,197	+31.3%
1991	290,727	+29.7%
2001	372,613	+28.2%
2011	476,835	+28.0%
† 1951 and 1991 populations are estimated Source: Census of India[13]

Religion in Poonch district (2011)[14] Religion Percent Islam   90.45% Hinduism   6.84% Sikhism   2.35% Other or not stated   0.36%

Languages of Poonch district (2011)^[15]

  Pahari (50.21%)

  Gojri (40.39%)

  Kashmiri (5.37%)

  Urdu (1.86%)

  Others (2.17%)

According to the 2011 census Poonch district, India has a population of 476,835,^[14] roughly equal to the nation of Suriname.^[16] This gives it a ranking of 548th in India (out of a total of 640). The district has a population density of 285 inhabitants per square kilometre (740/sq mi). Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 27.97%. Poonch has a sex ratio of 893 females for every 1000 males (which varies with religion),^[14] and a literacy rate of 68.69%. The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes account for 0.1% and 36.9% of the population of the district.^[17] The district is 90.45% Muslim.^[14]

Religion

As of  2011^[update], the proportions of different religions in the district were as follows: Islam (90.45%), Hinduism (6.84%), Sikhism (2.35%), Christianity (0.20%), not stated (0.15%), and others (0.02%).^[14]

Only 8.1% of the district's population lived in urban areas. The proportions of religions in urban areas differed from the district as a whole, being: Islam (51.38%), Hinduism (32.82%), Sikhism (14.62%), Christianity (0.96%), not stated (0.20%), and others (0.03%).^[14]

Poonch district: religion, gender ratio, and % urban of population, according to the 2011 Census.[14]
	Hindu	Muslim	Christian	Sikh	Buddhist	Jain	Other	Not stated	Total
Total	32,604	431,279	958	11,188	83	10	2	711	476,835
	6.84%	90.45%	0.20%	2.35%	0.02%	0.00%	0.00%	0.15%	100.00%
Male	23,684	220,636	614	6,497	76	5	1	386	251,899
Female	8,920	210,643	344	4,691	7	5	1	325	224,936
Gender ratio (% female)	27.4%	48.8%	35.9%	41.9%	8.4%	50.0%	50.0%	45.7%	47.2%
Sex ratio (no. of females per 1,000 males)	377	955	560	722	–	–	–	842	893
Urban	12,677	19,848	371	5,647	8	3	0	76	38,630
Rural	19,927	411,431	587	5,541	75	7	2	635	438,205
% Urban	38.9%	4.6%	38.7%	50.5%	9.6%	30.0%	0.0%	10.7%	8.1%

Sex Ratio in Poonch District in 2011 Census.[14] (no. females per 1,000 males)
Religion (and population)			Sex Ratio
Muslim (pop 431,279)			955
Hindu (pop 32,604)			377
Sikh (pop 11,188)			722
Other (pop 1,764)			630
Total (pop 476,835)			893

Major clans and ethnicities include Muslim Gujars, Bakerwals, Jats, Mughals, Syeds, Punjabi Jats, Paharis, Kashmiris and Muslim Rajputs. mostly reside on the slopes of mountains. The inhabitants typically cultivate small plots of land, and own some cattle. Muslim Gujjars and Bakerwals (nomadic tribes) speak Gojri, apart from Kashmiris the rest of the population speak Pahari-Pothwari, Poonchi, Kaghani besides Punjabi and only a minuscule population may be speaking Dogri.^[18][19]

Transportation

Air

The Poonch Airport is a non-operational airstrip located in Poonch which is mainly used by the Indian Army. The nearest airport is Sheikh ul-Alam International Airport in Srinagar which is located around 180 kilometres from Poonch town.

Rail

There is no railway connectivity to Poonch yet. There are plans to build the Jammu–Poonch line in the near future to connect Poonch with Jammu.^[20] The nearest major railway station is Jammu Tawi railway station which is located 235 kilometres from district headquarters Poonch.

Road

Poonch district is connected to the summer capital Jammu by the NH 144A alongside other intra-district roads. It also has road connectivity with Srinagar through the picturesque Mughal Road. There are plans to upgrade the existing NH 144A to four-lane for faster movement of traffic.^[21] A bus across the LOC, the Poonch–Rawalakot Bus has helped to re-establish ties across the border.

Education

Schools

There are more government schools than private institutes.The major and well known educational institutions in the city include:

• Christ School Dungus Poonch
• Christ School Degwar
• Nanak Academy, Purani Poonch
• Sai School of Education
• Government Boys Higher Secondary School Poonch, Near Poonch Stadium
• Nagbani School Poonch
• Government Girls Higher Secondary School, Sheesh Mahal
• Islamia School Parade Poonch
• Zamia Ul Uloom School
• Zia Ul Uloom School
• Anwar ul Quran
• Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Surankote

Gallery

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See also

• 1947 Poonch Rebellion
• 1963 Poonch Indian Air Force helicopter crash
• Poonchi (disambiguation)
• Moghul road
• Pir Panjal
• Poonch Division (Pakistan)

References

1. The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a mention of the Kashmir dispute is supported by the tertiary sources (a) through (d), reflecting due weight in the coverage. Although "controlled" and "held" are also applied neutrally to the names of the disputants or to the regions administered by them, as evidenced in sources (f) through (h) below, "held" is also considered politicized usage, as is the term "occupied," (see (i) below).
   (a) Kashmir, region Indian subcontinent, Encyclopaedia Britannica, retrieved 15 August 2019 (subscription required) Quote: "Kashmir, region of the northwestern Indian subcontinent ... has been the subject of dispute between India and Pakistan since the partition of the Indian subcontinent in 1947. The northern and western portions are administered by Pakistan and comprise three areas: Azad Kashmir, Gilgit, and Baltistan, the last two being part of a territory called the Northern Areas. Administered by India are the southern and southeastern portions, which constitute the state of Jammu and Kashmir but are slated to be split into two union territories.";
   (b) Pletcher, Kenneth, Aksai Chin, Plateau Region, Asia, Encyclopaedia Britannica, retrieved 16 August 2019 (subscription required) Quote: "Aksai Chin, Chinese (Pinyin) Aksayqin, portion of the Kashmir region, at the northernmost extent of the Indian subcontinent in south-central Asia. It constitutes nearly all the territory of the Chinese-administered sector of Kashmir that is claimed by India to be part of the Ladakh area of Jammu and Kashmir state.";
   (c) "Kashmir", Encyclopedia Americana, Scholastic Library Publishing, 2006, p. 328, ISBN 978-0-7172-0139-6 C. E Bosworth, University of Manchester Quote: "KASHMIR, kash'mer, the northernmost region of the Indian subcontinent, administered partlv by India, partly by Pakistan, and partly by China. The region has been the subject of a bitter dispute between India and Pakistan since they became independent in 1947";
   (d) Osmańczyk, Edmund Jan (2003), Encyclopedia of the United Nations and International Agreements: G to M, Taylor & Francis, pp. 1191–, ISBN 978-0-415-93922-5 Quote: "Jammu and Kashmir: Territory in northwestern India, subject to a dispute betw een India and Pakistan. It has borders with Pakistan and China."
   (e) Talbot, Ian (2016), A History of Modern South Asia: Politics, States, Diasporas, Yale University Press, pp. 28–29, ISBN 978-0-300-19694-8 Quote: "We move from a disputed international border to a dotted line on the map that represents a military border not recognized in international law. The line of control separates the Indian and Pakistani administered areas of the former Princely State of Jammu and Kashmir.";
   (f) Kashmir, region Indian subcontinent, Encyclopaedia Britannica, retrieved 15 August 2019 (subscription required) Quote: "... China became active in the eastern area of Kashmir in the 1950s and has controlled the northeastern part of Ladakh (the easternmost portion of the region) since 1962.";
   (g) Bose, Sumantra (2009), Kashmir: Roots of Conflict, Paths to Peace, Harvard University Press, pp. 294, 291, 293, ISBN 978-0-674-02855-5 Quote: "J&K: Jammu and Kashmir. The former princely state that is the subject of the Kashmir dispute. Besides IJK (Indian-controlled Jammu and Kashmir. The larger and more populous part of the former princely state. It has a population of slightly over 10 million, and comprises three regions: Kashmir Valley, Jammu, and Ladakh.) and AJK ('Azad" (Free) Jammu and Kashmir. The more populous part of Pakistani-controlled J&K, with a population of approximately 2.5 million. AJK has six districts: Muzaffarabad, Mirpur, Bagh, Kodi, Rawalakot, and Poonch. Its capital is the town of Muzaffarabad. AJK has its own institutions, but its political life is heavily controlled by Pakistani authorities, especially the military), it includes the sparsely populated "Northern Areas" of Gilgit and Baltistan, remote mountainous regions which are directly administered, unlike AJK, by the Pakistani central authorities, and some high-altitude uninhabitable tracts under Chinese control."
   (h) Fisher, Michael H. (2018), An Environmental History of India: From Earliest Times to the Twenty-First Century, Cambridge University Press, p. 166, ISBN 978-1-107-11162-2 Quote: "Kashmir’s identity remains hotly disputed with a UN-supervised “Line of Control” still separating Pakistani-held Azad (“Free”) Kashmir from Indian-held Kashmir.";
   (i) Snedden, Christopher (2015), Understanding Kashmir and Kashmiris, Oxford University Press, p. 10, ISBN 978-1-84904-621-3 Quote:"Some politicised terms also are used to describe parts of J&K. These terms include the words 'occupied' and 'held'."
2. "Administrative Setup Tehsil wise District Poonch ä District Poonch, Government of Jammu and Kashmir ä India".
3. "Agriculture", District Administration, Poonch, Jammu and Kashmir. Developed and hosted by National Informatics Centre, Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology, Government of India, retrieved 19 January 2021
4. "Poonch Census 2011" (PDF). Govt of India Census. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
5. "The Jammu and Kashmir Official Languages Act, 2020" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 27 September 2020. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
6. "Parliament passes JK Official Languages Bill, 2020". Rising Kashmir. 24 April 2024. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
7. "Poonch: A History of Conflict and Division - Azadi Times". 25 June 2023. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
8. "New Indian map shows UTs of J&K, Ladakh". The Hindu. 2 November 2019.
9. Statement showing the number of blocks in respect of 22 Districts of Jammu and Kashmir State including newly Created Districts Archived 2008-09-10 at the Wayback Machine dated 2008-03-13, accessed 2008-08-30
10. Ministry of Panchayati Raj (8 September 2009). "A Note on the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme" (PDF). National Institute of Rural Development. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 April 2012. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
11. "Lok Sabha Members". Lok Sabha. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
12. "ERO's and AERO's". Chief Electoral Officer, Jammu and Kashmir. Archived from the original on 22 October 2008. Retrieved 28 August 2008.
13. "A-2 Decadal Variation In Population Since 1901". Censusindia.gov.in. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
14. C-1 Population By Religious Community – Jammu & Kashmir (Report). Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
15. C-16 Population By Mother Tongue – Jammu & Kashmir (Report). Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
16. US Directorate of Intelligence. "Country Comparison:Population". Archived from the original on 13 June 2007. Retrieved 1 October 2011. Suriname 491,989 July 2011 est.
17. "Punch District Population Religion - Jammu and Kashmir, Punch Literacy, Sex Ratio - Census India". www.censusindia.co.in. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
18. "Dogri". Ethnologue.
19. Baba, Yasar Muhammad (2007). My land my people: Kashmir in perspective. Gulshan Books. p. 85. ISBN 9788183390705.
20. "Start work on Jammu-Poonch rail link". Daily Excelsior. 12 June 2021. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
21. "Akhnoor-Poonch national highway to be four-lane soon". Amar Ujala. Retrieved 2 April 2021.

External links

• Official website of District Poonch
• 2011 District Census Handbook