Ramban district is an administrative district in the Jammu division of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region.<ref name=tertiary-kashmir> 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) (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) (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) 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) 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) 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) (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) 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) 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) Quote:"Some politicised terms also are used to describe parts of J&K. These terms include the words 'occupied' and 'held'." It is located in a valley surrounded the Pir Panjal range. It was carved out as a separate district from erstwhile Doda district in 2007. It is located in the Jammu division. The district headquarters are at Ramban town, which is located midway between Jammu and Srinagar along the Chenab river in the Chenab valley on National Highway-44, approximately 151 km from Jammu and Srinagar.

Administration

Ramban District is divided into eight tehsils: Banihal, Ramban, Khari, Rajgarh, Batote, Gool, Pogal Paristan (Ukhral) and Ramsoo. Each tehsil has its tehsildar, who is the administrative head. The district consisted of 116 census villages and 127 revenue villages in 2001. The total number of panchayat Halqas in the district was 124.

District Development Council Ramban

In the elections for Ramban's District Development Council, Shamshad Begum was elected chairman and Rabiya Beigh was elected vice-chairman.

Geography

Ramban district is 1,156 metres (3,792 feet) above sea level (on average). The boundary lines of Ramban district encompass hill station Patnitop as its southernmost point, Assar on its eastern edge, Gool to the west, and Banihal to the north. The terrain of district Ramban is tough and hilly. District Ramban shares its boundary with Reasi, Udhampur, Doda, Anantnag and Kulgam districts.

Climate

The climate of the district varies according to altitude. The temperature rises as high as 42 °C in the low-lying areas like Ramban town located in between steep mountains on the banks of Chenab River and drops to sub-zero in high-altitude areas like Sangaldan, Gool, Dhagantop, Asthanmarg, Lalagundi, Budhan, Pogal, Paristan, Neel. The working season in most of the district is about eight months because of weather conditions in the district.

Politics

Ramban district has two assembly constituencies: Ramban and Banihal. On 21 January 2021, Ramban district was declared a 'terrorist free' district in Jammu and Kashmir.

Demographics

According to the 2011 census, Ramban district has a population of 283,713. roughly equal to the nation of Barbados. This gives it a ranking of 573rd in India (out of a total of 640). The district has a population density of 213 PD/sqkm. Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 31.81%. Ramban has a sex ratio of 902 females for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate of 54.27%.

Tourist attractions

Sanasar

Tourist activities Sanasar include paragliding, hot air ballooning, trekking, camping, golf, rock climbing and abseiling.

Major projects