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Business Standard
5 days ago
- Business
- Business Standard
Ladakh announces new domicile, job reservation and language policies
The government on Tuesday announced new reservation and domicile polices for the Union Territory of Ladakh, reserving 85 per cent jobs for locals and one-third of the total number of seats in the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils for women. English, Hindi, Urdu, Bhoti and Purgi languages have been made the official languages in Ladakh. The move is aimed at safeguarding local interests as people in Ladakh have been protesting for constitutional safeguards to protect their language, culture and land after the special status of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 was abrogated in 2019. The changes in the policies for reservation in jobs, autonomous councils, domicile and languages will come into effect from Tuesday, according to multiple notifications issued by the government. Under the new rules, those who have resided for a period of 15 years in the UT or studied for a period of seven years and appeared in class 10 or 12 examination in an educational institution located in the UT shall be domicile of Ladakh for the purposes of appointment to any post under the UT or under a local or other authority other than cantonment board. Children of central government officials, All India Services Officers, officials of Public Sector Undertaking and autonomous body of central government, Public Sector Banks, officials of statutory bodies, officials of central universities and recognised research institutes of central government who have served in the UT for a total period of 10 years are also eligible for domicile. Reservation for the Economically Weaker Sections continues to be 10 per cent. In another notification, the government said that in the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils Act, 1997, not less than one-third of the total number of seats in the Councils shall be reserved for women and such seats may be allotted by rotation to different territorial constituencies. The rotation of constituencies reserved for women shall be made on the basis of serial number allotted to each constituencies by notification in the official gazette. Ladakh has two autonomous hill development councils - the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Leh and the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Kargil. Domicile certificate will be valid only for the purpose of appointment to the posts under the UT of Ladakh as defined in the Ladakh Civil Services Decentralisation and Recruitment (Amendment) Regulation, 2025. Besides making English, Hindi, Urdu, Bhoti and Purgi as the official languages of Ladakh, the government said English shall continue to be used for all the official purposes of the UT for which it was being used before the date of commencement of this regulation. The administrator of the UT will also take such necessary steps to strengthen the institutional mechanisms for the promotion and development of other languages in Ladakh and the establishment of the Academy of Art, Culture and Languages. Special efforts will be made for the promotion and development of other native languages of Ladakh like Shina (Dardic), Brokskat (Dardic), Balti and Ladakhi. According to the provisions of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, Jammu and Kashmir has been made a UT with a legislative assembly and Ladakh a UT without any assembly. The BJP-led Centre had assured a delegation from Ladakh in December 2023 that it was committed to fast-tracking the development of the UT and meeting the aspirations of the people in the region. Subsequently, the Ministry of Home Affairs formed a High Powered Committee (HPC) for Ladakh under Union Minister of State Nityanand Rai's chairmanship to discuss measures needed to protect the region's unique culture and language, taking into consideration its geographical location and strategic importance. The HPC was given mandate to discuss ways for protection of land and employment, measures for inclusive development and employment generation in the region, measures related to the empowerment of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils of Leh and Kargil and constitutional safeguards that could be provided. Several organisations of Ladakh were demanding a separate UT for the region for decades and the demand was fulfilled on August 5, 2019. However, many people of Ladakh were not happy after losing the rights to elect their representatives to the legislative assembly. In August 2024, the Centre created five new districts in the UT of new districts were Zanskar, Drass, Sham, Nubra and Changthang. Being a UT, Ladakh comes under the direct administrative control of the union home ministry. In October 2024, climate activist Sonam Wangchuk also sat on an indefinite fast in Delhi to press for their demands After that, talks were held with civil society leaders from Ladakh on December 3, 2024 and again on January 15 this year and on May 27.


News18
5 days ago
- Business
- News18
New Reservation, Domicile Rules In Ladakh: 85% Job Quota For Locals
Last Updated: The rotation of constituencies reserved for women shall be made on the basis of serial number allotted to each constituency by notification in the official gazette The government on Tuesday announced new reservation and domicile policies for the Union Territory of Ladakh, reserving 85 per centof jobs for locals and one-third of the total number of seats in the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils for women. English, Hindi, Urdu, Bhoti and Purgi languages have been made the official languages in Ladakh. The move is aimed at safeguarding local interests as people in Ladakh have been protesting for constitutional safeguards to protect their language, culture and land after the special status of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 was abrogated in 2019. The changes in the policies for reservation in jobs, autonomous councils, domicile and languages will come into effect from Tuesday, according to multiple notifications issued by the government. Under the new rules, those who have resided for a period of 15 years in the UT or studied for a period of seven years and appeared in class 10 or 12 examination in an educational institution located in the UT shall be domicile of Ladakh for the purposes of appointment to any post under the UT or under a local or other authority other than cantonment board. Children of central government officials, All India Services Officers, officials of Public Sector Undertaking and autonomous body of central government, Public Sector Banks, officials of statutory bodies, officials of central universities and recognised research institutes of central government who have served in the UT for a total period of 10 years are also eligible for domicile. Reservation for the Economically Weaker Sections continues to be 10 per cent. The rotation of constituencies reserved for women shall be made on the basis of serial number allotted to each constituency by notification in the official gazette. Ladakh has two autonomous hill development councils – the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Leh and the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Kargil. Domicile certificate will be valid only for the purpose of appointment to the posts under the UT of Ladakh as defined in the Ladakh Civil Services Decentralisation and Recruitment (Amendment) Regulation, 2025. Besides making English, Hindi, Urdu, Bhoti and Purgi as the official languages of Ladakh, the government said English shall continue to be used for all the official purposes of the UT for which it was being used before the date of commencement of this regulation. The administrator of the UT will also take such necessary steps to strengthen the institutional mechanisms for the promotion and development of other languages in Ladakh and the establishment of the Academy of Art, Culture and Languages. Special efforts will be made for the promotion and development of other native languages of Ladakh like Shina (Dardic), Brokskat (Dardic), Balti and Ladakhi. According to the provisions of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, Jammu and Kashmir has been made a UT with a legislative assembly and Ladakh a UT without any assembly. The BJP-led Centre had assured a delegation from Ladakh in December 2023 that it was committed to fast-tracking the development of the UT and meeting the aspirations of the people in the region. Subsequently, the Ministry of Home Affairs formed a High Powered Committee (HPC) for Ladakh under Union Minister of State Nityanand Rai's chairmanship to discuss measures needed to protect the region's unique culture and language, taking into consideration its geographical location and strategic importance. The HPC was given mandate to discuss ways for protection of land and employment, measures for inclusive development and employment generation in the region, measures related to the empowerment of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils of Leh and Kargil and constitutional safeguards that could be provided. Several organisations of Ladakh were demanding a separate UT for the region for decades and the demand was fulfilled on August 5, 2019. However, many people of Ladakh were not happy after losing the rights to elect their representatives to the legislative assembly. In August 2024, the Centre created five new districts in the UT of new districts were Zanskar, Drass, Sham, Nubra and Changthang. Being a UT, Ladakh comes under the direct administrative control of the union home ministry. In October 2024, climate activist Sonam Wangchuk also sat on an indefinite fast in Delhi to press for their demands After that, talks were held with civil society leaders from Ladakh on December 3, 2024 and again on January 15 this year and on May 27. (with PTI inputs) About the Author Saurabh Verma Saurabh Verma covers general, national and international day-to-day news for as a Senior Sub-editor. He keenly observes politics. You can follow him on Twitter -- First Published:


The Wire
06-05-2025
- Politics
- The Wire
Ladakh: Local BJP Unit Joins Protests Against LG B.D. Mishra's ‘Administrative Failures'
Menu हिंदी తెలుగు اردو Home Politics Economy World Security Law Science Society Culture Editor's Pick Opinion Support independent journalism. Donate Now Government Ladakh: Local BJP Unit Joins Protests Against LG B.D. Mishra's 'Administrative Failures' The Wire Staff 7 minutes ago The Ladakh unit of the BJP issued a statement in support of the protestors, questioning the LG's capability to lead at his age. B.D. Mishra taking oath as the governor of Meghalaya before Justice H.S. Thangkhiew on October 4. Photo: Twitter/@BrigMishra New Delhi: At least three Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) representatives in the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council have supported various trade unions that are protesting against the alleged highhandedness of lieutenant governor (LG) B.D. Mishra. The fresh row between the LG and the trade unions have come at a time when the Union government is already grappling with anxieties in the adjoining Kashmir valley after the Pahalgam terror attack. Joining the transport society's protests in Leh, district president of Leh, Stanzin Chosfel, district president of Changthang, Ishey Spalzang, and councillor Lobzang Sharab criticised LG's alleged administrative failures and accused him of not keeping the Union government in loop regarding a number of demands raised by the unions. Repeating the demands made by the protesting transport unions, Sharab said, 'The Ladakh transport society was established in 1999. At that time, we went to Kargil and served the people of our have also supported the people of our country during the Chinese aggression in 1962. After Ladakh was made a Union Territory, the people of Ladakh had high hopes. We thought that businesses will grow and we will make a good living.' He alleged that the LG was giving preferential treatment to internet-based transport companies over locals who have invested a lot in building the transport society. 'It is very important for us to give preference to the locals. You should work in their favour,' Sharab said. Spalzang told reporters that the LG has been acting against the interests of the people. '…You should not harass the local people. The Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council should always be with the people. As long as their demands are not fulfilled, the police should not take any action on (protesting) people,' he said. 'Mr. LG, you are the LG of Ladakh. You are not the LG of Delhi or any other state. If you are the LG of Ladakh, you should think about the interests of the people of Ladakh. I would like to ask you, how much shame would you like to hear? You are hearing 'shame shame' from the opposition,' he said. 'You [LG] are not giving confidence to the people of Ladakh. You are not giving confidence to the Hill Council,' he said. Chosfel demanded the LG's resignation. 'You are 86-87 years old. I think you should resign. You should be a good listener, a strategist, an experienced person who can run the administration well,' said Chosfel. 'The genuine issue of Ladakh does not reach the Union government. You are trying to break the good environment here. You are forcing the police to come here [at the site of the protest] and are trying to mislead people, you are trying to set fire to Ladakh in the name of UT administration,' he said. Chosfel said that the LG was being misled by big think tanks who 'think that they are intelligent' but were actually sidelining Ladakh's locals from getting a share in different upcoming businesses. 'We have to think good for these drivers, for local tourism, too. We have to walk together with locals,' Chosfel said. In what may be embarrassing for the Modi government, the BJP unit of Ladakh, too, issued a statement in support of the protestors, questioning the LG's capability to lead at his age, and urged the Union government to appoint a more efficient administrator. 'Despite our sacrifices, we are being pushed into worsening conditions,' a party spokesperson told a regional news channel. Protests against the UT administration have rocked Ladakh frequently since its separation from Jammu and Kashmir. Political activist Sajjad Kargili told The Wire that ever since Ladakh was made a UT, the sense of insecurity among people has been increasing. 'On 5th August 2019, without thinking, without any vision, without any planning, Union Territory status was imposed on Ladakh. Since then, till date, in Ladakh, we see that there is no democracy, there is no safeguard of land, there is no safeguard for the protection of our environment. There is a sense of insecurity among the people. Unemployed youths are in a state of distress. The move has not been able to provide a single post to a single Ladakhi,' he alleged. 'The scale of this sense of insecurity has gone so far that even the local leaders of the BJP are agitating and criticising the Union Territory administration. This should be taken seriously by the UTA administration and the Union government. The failed idea of Union Territory should be brought back and Ladakh should be given the status of statehood and safeguard,' he said. He said that only road development work has taken place over the last few years, but nothing that can enhance people's living conditions has improved. 'Today, when we look towards Ladakh, there is no full-fledged university, there is no medical college, there is no agricultural university, there is no research centre. Ladakh has been pushed towards darkness. We do not have an assembly to elect our government. Our assembly was taken away from us. Before August 5, 2019, when we were with Jammu and Kashmir, we had MLAs and MLCs,' he said. Kargil said that they did not want to keep protesting, and would rather want to be 'happy and peaceful'. 'But the Union Government should take these issues very seriously and remove the resentment of the people of Ladakh. Otherwise, we see that there is a sense of alienation and disenfranchisement of the people of Ladakh. I feel that this is neither good for the people of Ladakh nor for the country,' he added. 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Time of India
03-05-2025
- Time of India
Ladakh is safe for travel, says Hill Council following ‘unsafe' rumours
SRINAGAR: Amid concerns among tourists about the security situation in the Union territories of J&K and Ladakh in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror strike last month, Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) Leh and the Ladakh UT administration on Saturday said that Ladakh was safe for travel and urged visitors to ignore misinformation circulating in the public domain portraying the region as unsafe. While meeting a delegation of tour and travel operators of Ladakh UT who raised this issue with LAHDC Leh CEC Tashi Gyalson and DC Leh Santosh Sukhadeve, Gyalson said the region was safe for travel and requested tourists to disregard rumours. Gyalson said LAHDC was committed to promoting tourism and would ensure all necessary support for the security and well-being of visitors. Responding to the delegation's request for the early opening of Leh-Manali road, Gyalson said he had informed the Border Roads Organisation to restore the route, and efforts were underway to open it at the earliest.


India.com
29-04-2025
- India.com
Ladakh's luck shines, tourists will reach Siachen-Galwan, China and Pakistan will....
Ladakh's luck shines, tourists will reach Siachen-Galwan, China and Pakistan will.... With the early opening of the Zojila Pass, which connects Leh to the rest of the country, the Siachen Base Camp has opened for tourists. Similarly, the Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh will also be opened for tourists from June 15 via Shyok village. This is the same place adjacent to the Line of Actual Control (LAC), where a violent clash took place five years ago. Access to the Galwan Valley is currently prohibited. Tashi Gyalson, Chief Executive Councillor (CEC) of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, has said that tourists will not need any prior permission to visit the Siachen Base Camp. Recently, a delegation led by CEC Tashi Gyalson has also met Union Home Minister Amit Shah. In this, along with development in various areas of Ladakh , special talks were also held about tourism and connectivity. This delegation has been assured of all possible support from the Center. Gyalson has said that 'this will be the first time that Galwan Valley will open for tourists.' Let us tell you that on the night of June 15, 2020, the Indian Army fought very bravely against the Chinese soldiers in the Galwan Valley. Despite being in small numbers, Indian soldiers led by Colonel Santosh Babu inflicted heavy losses on the Chinese soldiers. According to the official report, India lost 20 brave soldiers, but the Chinese army suffered much more than that. Due to the early opening of Zojila Pass, other tourist places including Siachen Base Camp have got a chance to open early. Siachen Base Camp is the world's highest war zone. The Indian Army is always deployed here. In Siachen Base Camp, tourists will get a chance to know about the life of army soldiers. They will also be able to understand the difficult conditions here. Zojila Pass connects Ladakh to the rest of India. It is usually closed in winter due to snowfall. Its early opening will promote tourism in Leh-Ladakh. Now tourists will be able to go to Siachen Base Camp without any hassle. The Border Roads Organization (BRO) has achieved a major achievement by opening Zojila Pass early. The Galwan Valley is on the eastern side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC). This valley is surrounded by rugged terrain. To the north is the Karakoram mountain range. The Galwan Valley is known for its difficult climate and strategic importance. It is near Aksai Chin, a disputed area between India and China.