Srinagar, June 03: In a significant move to address the long-standing demands of Ladakh’s people, the Government of India on Tuesday introduced new policies related to domicile status, employment quotas, and reservation in local governance for the Union Territory.
According to several official notifications accessed by Rising Kashmir, the new regulations have come into immediate effect. Notably, 85 percent of all jobs in Ladakh will now be reserved exclusively for local residents.
Additionally, the government has amended the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils Act to reserve at least one-third of the seats in both Leh and Kargil councils for women. These reserved seats will rotate among constituencies based on serial numbers notified in the official gazette.
The updated domicile policy defines a domicile as a person who has resided in Ladakh for 15 years, or studied there for at least seven years and appeared in Class 10 or 12 examinations from an institution located within the UT. Children of central government employees and officers of PSUs, banks, and research institutions who have served in Ladakh for 10 years will also be eligible for domicile status.
The existing 10 percent reservation for the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) will remain unchanged.
As per the new regulations, the domicile certificate issued under these rules will be valid only for employment within Ladakh and shall not be used for administrative or political purposes, as defined under the Ladakh Civil Services Decentralisation and Recruitment (Amendment) Regulation, 2025.
Ladakh has been demanding constitutional safeguards since Article 370 was abrogated and the region was carved out as a separate Union Territory from Jammu and Kashmir on 5 August 2019. Although many initially welcomed UT status, dissatisfaction grew due to the absence of a legislative assembly and the region being directly governed by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.
In response to growing unrest and local concerns, the Centre constituted a High-Powered Committee (HPC) in December 2023, chaired by Minister of State Nityanand Rai. The committee was tasked with exploring measures to protect Ladakh’s unique identity, secure land and job rights, empower the autonomous councils, and ensure inclusive development.
Multiple rounds of talks have taken place, including a key meeting on 27 May this year, and earlier sessions in January and December 2024, involving civil society members and government representatives. In October 2024, renowned climate activist Sonam Wangchuk held an indefinite hunger strike in Delhi to highlight these demands. In a related development, five new districts — Zanskar, Drass, Sham, Nubra, and Changthang — were created in August 2024, expanding administrative access across the vast and remote Union Territory.
