India, Oct. 10 -- The Supreme Court on Friday granted the Centre four weeks to file its response to multiple petitions seeking the restoration of statehood to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

A bench comprising Chief Justice B.R. Gavai and Justice K. Vinod Chandran heard the petitions filed by academician Zahoor Ahmad Bhat and socio-political activist Ahmad Malik, who urged the implementation of the Centre's assurance to restore J&K's statehood "at the earliest." The assurance was earlier made during the hearings on the abrogation of Article 370.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, told the bench that while peaceful elections were conducted in the region last year, the government required additional time to...