Latest news with #SixthSchedule
Time of India
5 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
In Ladakh, 85% job quota for locals
The Centre has introduced new reservation and domicile policies for Ladakh, reserving 85% of jobs for locals and one-third of seats in the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils for women. The Kargil Democratic Alliance and Apex Body Leh have welcomed these notifications as a positive step. Dialogue will continue regarding statehood and the implementation of the Sixth Schedule. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Srinagar: The Centre on Tuesday announced new reservation and domicile policies for Ladakh, reserving 85% jobs for locals and one-third of the total number of seats in the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils for Kargil Democratic Alliance (KBL) and Apex Body Leh (ABL), which are fighting for implementation of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution in the Union Territory (UT), statehood, a separate public service commission and two Lok Sabha seats for Ladakh, welcomed the notifications as a welcome step in the right direction. They said dialogue for statehood and Sixth Schedule implementation will Centre's multiple notifications aimed at safeguarding the local interests of people in Ladakh spelt out changes in policies for reservation in jobs, autonomous councils, domicile and of the notifications on reservation specified that the total percentage of reservation for locals will not case exceed 85 per cent excluding economically weaker sections, for which it is 10 per cent. The new notifications also specified that those who have resided in Ladakh for a period of 15 years or studied for a period of seven years and appeared in class 10 or 12 examinations in an educational institution located in the UT shall be considered domicile of Ladakh for the purposes of appointment to any post under the UT or under a local or other authority other than cantonment 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 will be reserved for women and such seats may be allotted by rotation to different territorial constituencies. Besides making English, Hindi, Urdu, Bhoti and Purgi the official languages of Ladakh, the government said English will continue to be used for all official purposes of the UT for which it was being used before the date of commencement of this regulation."This is a satisfactory decision by the government of India and they have done as was discussed in the meetings with us. Now one chapter is closed and we have been assured that dialogue on other demands will start within a month," said Chering Dorjay Lakruk of Democratic Alliance member Sajjad Kargili said, "Something is better than nothing. We now expect that a notification for jobs would be issued soon as well."The ABL and KDA held a meeting with the Centre in the last week of May in Delhi and now they have been assured that another meeting will be slotted in the last week of two bodies were formed in Leh and Kargil after 2019, when Ladakh was carved out as a separate Union territory from Jammu and Kashmir to strive for the rights of the people across the region. They joined hands and held a series of protest meetings in Ladakh, Jammu and December 2023, the Centre started talks with the two bodies which were stalled briefly and resumed after a series of protests the next year. Besides, in 2024, climate activist Sonam Wangchuk sat on a fast for several days demanding implementation of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution in Ladakh to preserve its environment, culture and natural resources. His movement greatly helped the cause of ABL and KDA. In August 2024, the Centre created five new districts in Ladakh.
Indian Express
16 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Centre notifies domicile rules, seeks to address Ladakh job, quota concerns
THE CENTRE has notified a series of regulations aimed at addressing Ladakh's concerns over jobs, quotas and cultural preservation. The new legal framework introduces a domicile-based job reservation system, recognition of local languages, and procedural clarity in civil service recruitment. As per the new regulations, a person has to be a resident of Ladakh for 15 years to get a domicile certificate and be eligible for jobs, while the total quota for SC/STs has been capped at 85%, excluding the reservation for EWS. Since Ladakh is 90% tribal, it would virtually give reservation to all the indigenous Ladakhis. The law, as it existed until now, under the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act, 2004, only mentioned that reservation for SC/STs 'shall not exceed the ratio and proportion as the population of each such category'. The regulations, issued on Monday and Tuesday, come amid demands in Leh and Kargil for tribal autonomy and legal protection following Ladakh's bifurcation from Jammu and Kashmir in 2019. However, the regulations do not address another key Ladakh demand, for restricting land ownership by outsiders, which is behind the call for constitutional safeguards under the Sixth Schedule. Sajjad Kargili of the Kargil Democratic Alliance, which has been spearheading protests in the Kargil region of Ladakh and been part of the meetings between the Centre and Ladakh civil society groups over their demands, expressed partial satisfaction over the regulations notified by the government. 'Something is better than nothing. There was a huge pressure from the public due to rising unemployment. We hope the government will also quickly notify vacancies now and fill up posts so that the frustration of youth is addressed,' Kargili told The Indian Express. The most substantive change comes in the form of the Ladakh Civil Services Decentralization and Recruitment (Amendment) Regulation, 2025, which inserts a clear domicile criterion for recruitment into government services in the Union Territory. Under Section 3A of the amended regulation, a person is considered a domicile of Ladakh if they have resided in the region for 15 years, or studied there for at least seven years and appeared in Class 10 or 12 examinations. Children of Central government employees who have served in Ladakh for at least 10 years are also eligible. The accompanying rules, notified by the Ministry of Home Affairs on Tuesday, lay out a detailed procedure for issuing domicile certificates, with tehsildars designated as the competent authority and deputy commissioners as the appellate authority. Applications may be made physically or online, the rule states, adding: 'The format shall clearly mention that the domicile certificate is valid only for the purpose of appointment to the posts under the Union Territory of Ladakh.' Following a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah last week, a High-Powered Committee (HPC) comprising representatives from both Leh and Kargil had reached a consensus to define a timeline for domicile certificates for Ladakh. At the meeting, a consensus was reached that anyone living in Ladakh for 15 years from 2019 onwards could be considered a domicile of the region. This was a climbdown from the earlier demand that domicile certification require a period of stay of 30 years. However, since the starting point is 2019, the first domicile certificates would take effect in Ladakh only in 2034. Incidentally, in the case of J&K, there is no cut-off year from when the 15-year stay in the UT is to be calculated for the purpose of domicile. The Union Territory of Ladakh Reservation (Amendment) Regulation, 2025, updates the earlier Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act, 2004, capping overall reservations at 85% for SCs and STs, excluding the EWS quota. It's seen as a way to streamline existing quotas without creating new categories specific to Ladakh's tribal demography. Over 90% of Ladakh's population is ST, with Buddhist and Muslim tribal communities dominating Leh and Kargil, respectively. The 85% reservation allows near-complete representation for tribal and socially backward groups, aligning with Ladakh's demography. This is substantively different from other UTs or states where STs are a minority compared to the rest of the population. By explicitly excluding EWS from the 85% limit, the regulation safeguards tribal and backward class quotas from being eroded by newer economic reservations. This addresses Ladakh's concerns regarding identity-based protections. Besides, through the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (Amendment) Regulation, 2025, 'one-third reservation for women' is now mandated in these councils through rotation of constituencies. However, while LAHDCs in Leh and Kargil have played a key role in local governance, their powers remain limited, especially in the absence of Sixth Schedule protection. To address concerns about cultural erosion, the government has notified The Ladakh Official Languages Regulation, 2025, which recognises English, Hindi, Urdu, Bhoti and Purgi as official languages of the Union Territory. In addition, Section 4 of the regulation empowers the Administrator to set up institutional mechanisms and an 'Academy of Art, Culture and Languages' to promote native dialects such as Shina, Brokskat, Balti and Ladakhi. However, this may not entirely satisfy the demand for protections in Ladakh as the regulation lacks enforceable mandates for the use of these languages in official functions or education. Since the special status of J&K was scrapped and Ladakh was carved out as a separate UT, residents have been seeking inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, which provides greater legislative and financial autonomy to tribal areas. In December 2023, a four-member committee formed by the Ministry of Home Affairs to examine these demands held multiple consultations but stopped short of recommending Sixth Schedule status. The Centre is believed to be reluctant to include Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule, and has repeatedly told delegations that have had meetings with Amit Shah and other senior Home Ministry officials that the Centre will nevertheless provide safeguards to jobs, land, culture and language through legislation. Unemployment has been a big concern for Ladakh since once it was carved out of J&K, it was disconnected from the employment policy of J&K, which retained its Public Service Commission. 'Over the last six years, no gazetted posts have been notified in Ladakh and nearly all recruitment is being done on contract basis,' Kargili had told The Indian Express earlier. On Tuesday, he said that the Ladakh civil society will continue to push for inclusion of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule. 'Our demand is that the domicile condition should be 30 years and not 15 years. Also, the new provisions do not address our concerns over land and environment… One of our key demands has been representative politics through the creation of an Assembly. So, these regulations are welcome, but they are only baby steps,' he said. Sources said the Ladakh delegations will meet Union Home Ministry representatives next month to discuss the pending issues. 'In our past meetings with Amit Shah, we have been assured that all issues will be discussed,' Kargili said.
Scroll.in
17 hours ago
- Politics
- Scroll.in
Centre notifies new rules for reservation and domicile in Ladakh
The Ministry of Home Affairs on Tuesday notified rules of a new reservation and domicile policy in the Union Territory of Ladakh in response to protests by political, religious and social groups since 2019. According to the ministry's notification, only those who have stayed in Ladakh continuously for 15 years, beginning in 2019, will qualify as domiciles in the Union Territory. This means that non-native persons living in Ladakh will be considered domiciled only after 2034. In August 2019, the residents of Ladakh lost exclusive rights to own immovable property and get government jobs in the region. This was an outcome of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Union government's decision to rescind the special status of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 of the Constitution and divide the state into the Union territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. Along with the lack of a legislature in Ladakh, this led to increasing insecurities among the residents of Ladakh about their land, nature, resources and livelihoods and stoked fears that the region's cultural identity and fragile ecosystem may be in jeopardy. Due to this, the Union Territory has seen several protests over jobs and a lack of employment opportunities in the last five years. The Union government on Tuesday also announced an 85% reservation for Scheduled Tribes in government jobs in Ladakh, addressing the fear that non-natives would corner employment opportunities. More than 97% of the population in the Union Territory belongs to Scheduled Tribes. Earlier, only 80% of government jobs were reserved for them. Political, social and religious outfits in Ladakh have also been demanding the Union Territory's inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution since 2020 to tackle the insecurities of residents after the abrogation of Article 370. The Sixth Schedule under Article 244 (Administration of Scheduled Areas and Tribal Areas) of the Constitution guarantees certain protections for land and a nominal autonomy for citizens in designated tribal areas. Following several protests, the Union government in January 2023 formed a high-powered committee, led by Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai, to address the concerns of Ladakh residents. However, the talks between the Centre and leaders from Ladakh broke down in March 2024. In October, climate activist Sonam Wangchuk started an indefinite fast, demanding statehood for Ladakh, its inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, job reservation for locals and two Lok Sabha and one Rajya Sabha seats for the region. He ended his fast after the Union Ministry of Home Affairs assured him that talks would be resumed with representatives from Ladakh in December on a set of demands to protect the Union territory under constitutional provisions. The Ministry of Home Affairs' notification on Tuesday marks the culmination of the talks. It remains unclear if the leaders from Ladakh will continue to pursue their demand for the grant of Sixth Schedule status. On Tuesday, the Centre also notified English, Hindi, Urdu, Bhoti and Purgi to be the official languages of the Union Territory. For the first time ever, the Union government also reserved one-third of seats for women in the two autonomous hill councils of Ladakh. The government of the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state had established two autonomous hill councils in Ladakh in the mid-1990s and early 2000s for greater independence in the region's development. The members of these hill councils are elected through direct vote.
Indian Express
7 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Consensus on who qualifies as domicile of Ladakh after stakeholders meet in Delhi
The High Powered Committee (HPC), constituted by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs in January 2023 to address the issues and concerns of the people of Ladakh, convened in New Delhi on Tuesday. The key concern raised during the meeting was taking forward discussions on the issue of 'domicile certificates' to Ladakh residents with a view to safeguarding job rights for locals. Sajjad Kargili, who is part of the HPC, said the committee has 'reached consensus' that 'to qualify as a domicile of Ladakh, a citizen must show continuous residence from 2019 with a 15-year prospective.' However, the decision, as per those present in the meeting, will be sent for a legal review before taking shape as policy. This is the HPC's third meeting this year. Representatives of the Ladakh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) that form part of the 15-member committee led by Minister of State, Home, Nityanand Rai, met on February 19, and a sub-committee was convened on February 24. The demand for a domicile provision, like for J&K, was first discussed in February this year. 'Ladakh Apex Body and KDA pushed for a 30-year domicile — MHA agreed to review its legal aspect,' Kargili said. Meanwhile, the next meeting of the HPC to discuss the Public Service Commission (PSC) is scheduled for next month. Representatives from Ladakh had earlier told the Centre that on the lines of the High Court for J&K and Ladakh, the PSC should also have been joint; or alternatively, the Union Territory of Ladakh should be given a separate PSC. Underlining the 'no one in Ladakh has been appointed to a single gazetted post over the last six years, since Ladakh was carved out as a UT from the former state of J&K, KDA's Kargili said, 'There's an immense sense of disappointment across Ladakh, because of a lack of a Public Service Commission. The needle has not moved on implementing any safeguards on the ground.' The LAB and KDA have been working with the MHA, raising four main demands — statehood for Ladakh, safeguards under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, reservation in jobs for the youth of Ladakh, and creation of separate parliamentary constituencies for the two parts of the region. In March last year, the talks between the Centre and the Ladakh groups had reached an impasse, with members of the committee claiming that the ministry was refusing to engage on core matters of statehood and protections under the Sixth Schedule for Ladakh
The Print
02-05-2025
- Politics
- The Print
Over 8 per cent voter turnout in first two hours of Assam panchayat polls
Polling in the first phase is being held in the districts of Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Charaideo, Sivasagar, Majuli, Jorhat, Golaghat, Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Sonitpur, Biswanath, Cachar, Hailakandi and Sribhumi. Voting began at 7:30 am and will continue till 4.30 pm in 14 districts of the state, and there was no report of any untoward incident so far, they said. Guwahati, May 2 (PTI) An estimated 8.47 per cent electorate exercised their franchise in the first phase of panchayat polls in Assam during the initial two hours of polling on Friday, officials said. Lakhimpur reported the highest polling at 14 per cent, while Dibrugarh recorded the lowest of 7 per cent. Reports from Majuli and Hailakandi were yet to come in, the officials said. In the first phase, over 89.59 lakh people, including 44.66 lakh males and 44.93 females, are eligible to cast their votes at 12,916 polling booths. There are 216 zilla parishads, 94 anchalik panchayats and 1,139 gaon panchayats in the first phase of the polls. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma urged voters to exercise their franchise to strengthen democracy at the grassroots. 'I urge every eligible voter to cast their votes in Phase 1 of the #AssamPanchayatPolls today. Your vote matters and will go a long way in strengthening democracy in the grassroots,' Sarma said in a post on X. The second phase of the panchayat elections will be held on May 7 in the districts of Dhubri, South Salmara, Mankachar, Goalpara, Bongaigaon, Barpeta, Bajali, Nalbari, Kamrup, Kamrup(Metro), Hojai, Nagaon, Morigaon and Darrang. Repoll, if any, for the first phase will be held on May 4 and for the second phase on May 9. The counting of votes for both phases will take place on May 11. A total of 348 zila parishad and anchalik parishad candidates have been already elected uncontested, as the ruling NDA established a lead with 325 seats, according to the Assam State Election Commission. The NDA has secured 37 zila parishads (35 BJP and 2 AGP) and 288 anchalik panchayats (259 BJP and 29 AGP) seats unopposed, it said. Independents have won 15 anchalik parishad seats, the Congress nine and the AIUDF one seat uncontested. Panchayat polls are being held for the first time after the delimitation of constituencies in Assam. Seven districts of the state are under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, where autonomous council polls are held. PTI DG RBT This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
