Latest news with #LadakhCivilServicesDecentralisationandRecruitment
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
In Ladakh, Centre's notifications go a long way in addressing demands of people
Since 2019 and the bifurcation of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, the leaders from the Union Territory of Ladakh have demanded constitutional protections for land ownership, economic opportunities, preserving tribal cultures and languages, and a more representative government. Each of these clusters of demands is rooted in the unique historical and demographic profile of the region, and the promise — both explicit and implicit — at the time of the abrogation of Article 370 was that they would be addressed. Earlier this week, a slew of notifications by the central government moved the needle significantly on many of the demands from Ladakh, especially around domicile-based government jobs, protection and promotion of languages and quotas. Welcome as they are, these orders should be followed in due course by measures that ensure a deepening of representative democracy in Ladakh and assuage some of the anxieties around land rights. The Ladakh Civil Services Decentralisation and Recruitment (Amendment) Regulation introduces a domicile requirement for government jobs: To be eligible, a person must have resided in Ladakh for 15 years or appeared in Class X or Class XII examinations in the UT. The Union Territory of Ladakh Reservation (Amendment) Regulation has placed a cap of 85 per cent on reservation, excluding the EWS quota. This, in effect, provides nearly blanket reservation for local people (the UT has a 90 per cent Scheduled Tribe population). The Centre has also recognised English, Hindi, Urdu, Bhoti and Purgi as official languages of the Union Territory, in addition to facilitating other mechanisms for promoting and protecting the region's culture and heritage. Bhoti and Purgi are spoken by a majority of the population, and their long-delayed recognition has been a demand for many years. There is no gainsaying the fact that the Centre and the armed forces have — and will continue to have — a deep interest and presence in Ladakh. The UT borders both Pakistan and China and has been a military flashpoint with both countries — in Kargil with Pakistan in 1999, and the border clashes with China from 2020 to 2024. In addition, vast swathes of land in the region are important for the country's renewable energy goals. These imperatives, however, cannot negate the underlying principles of democracy. The demand from many in Ladakh was the area's inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution — like parts of the Northeast — which allows for significant autonomy. The Centre, on its part, has sought to provide protections through its orders. But it does not seem to have engaged with the demand for restrictions on people from outside owning land. Even more glaring in its absence is a greater devolution of powers to the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (LAHDCs). Currently, these local elected bodies have no legislative powers and few administrative ones. Ladakh, like the rest of the erstwhile state of J&K, deserves some form of representative government. As the Centre and the local leadership negotiate the next steps on the political architecture for the UT, giving its people a voice should be paramount.
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Ladakh: Statehood issue yet to be addressed, say Kargil leaders
With the Union government notifying new rules for Ladakh, allowing reservation in government jobs for locals, a 15-year residency requirement for domicile status, one-third of seats in hill councils for women, and five official languages as part of efforts to safeguard the region's interests, the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) has said statehood is a big issue for it. At the same time, it also said 'something is better than nothing'. The KDA, along with the Leh Apex Body (LAB), has been spearheading an agitation in Ladakh, seeking statehood, safeguards enshrined under the sixth schedule of the Constitution and a separate public service commission (PSC) for the strategic Himalayan region. In 2023, the Union home ministry had formed a high-powered committee under minister of state Nityanand Rai to discuss ways to protect Ladakh's unique culture, considering its location and strategic importance. Reacting to the Centre's notifications, KDA's senior leader and political in-charge of Jamiat ul Ulama Isna Ashariya Kargil (JUIAK), Sajjad Hussain Kargili, said, 'Though it's good, women reservation was not a part of our four-point agenda. We have been agitating for legislature. Statehood is a big issue for us.' On domicile law, Kargili said, 'Something is better than nothing. In the past six years, not even a single gazetted post (job) has been given in Ladakh.' 'We also arrived at a consensus that domicile law of 15 years should be implemented prospectively. At the same time, we want it to be made 30 years. The government has assured us to consider it,' said Kargili. 'We hope that without further delay, the Ladkah administration will now advertise jobs,' he said. Congress' Tsering Namgyal, leader of the Opposition in Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council of Leh, welcomed 33% reservation for women in hill councils. He lambasted the Centre for fixing 15-year residency for domicile law and described it a ploy to change the demography of Ladakh. 'The LAB and the KDA wanted 1989 as the cut-off year to grant domicile certificates. This 15-year residency rule has been rejected by 80% to 90% people of Ladakh,' he said. Chering Dorjay Lakrook, ex-BJP minister and president of the Ladakh Buddhist Association, refused to make any comment. 'After we study them (notifications), we will address media on Wednesday. Till then, I have been asked not to talk to mediapersons,' he said. The Ladakh Civil Services Decentralisation and Recruitment (Amendment) regulation was notified days after the ministry and Ladakhi representatives met on May 27 and agreed to the rules, an official aware of the matter said. It defines a domicile for jobs for a person who has resided in the UT for 15 years, studied for seven years, and appeared for class 10 or 12 examinations in Ladakh. A similar policy was announced for Jammu and Kashmir in May 2020. The Union Territory of Ladakh Reservation (Amendment) Regulation, also notified on Tuesday, says the reservation shall in no case exceed 85% of the available vacancies, excluding reservation for economically weaker sections. The official cited above said 80% of vacancies are reserved for the region's majority, scheduled tribes (STs), 4% for those living along the Line of Actual Control or Line of Control, 1% for the scheduled castes and 10% for the economically weaker sections. The ministry had proposed 95% of the reservation for locals during discussions. The third notification provides for one-third seats for women in the hill councils by rotation to different territorial constituencies. The Ladakh Official Languages Regulation recognises English, Hindi, Urdu, Bhoti, and Purgi as the official languages and says that the administrator 'shall make special efforts for the promotion and development of other native languages of Ladakh: Shina (Dardic), Brokskat (Dardic), Balti and Ladakhi'.
