Centre’s new regulations for jobs and domicile in Ladakh

The Government of India has notified a series of regulations for Ladakh’s land, jobs, and cultural preservation, aimed at addressing concerns raised by the civil society in Ladakh over the past five years. The new legal framework introduces a domicile-based job reservation system, recognition of local languages, and procedural clarity in civil service recruitment.

New Legal Framework (Regulations):

• Ladakh Civil Services Decentralization and Recruitment (Amendment) Regulation, 2025:
  • Introduces a domicile requirement for recruitment in government posts under the Union Territory of Ladakh for the first time.
• Union Territory of Ladakh Reservation (Amendment) Regulation, 2025:
  • Caps total reservation for SC, ST, OBC, and other socially and educationally backward groups at 85%.
  • This excludes the 10% reservation for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS).
• Ladakh Official Languages Regulation, 2025:
  • Recognizes English, Hindi, Urdu, Bhoti, and Purgi as official languages.
  • Mandates institutional support for promoting Shina, Brokskat, Balti, and Ladakhi to preserve linguistic and cultural diversity.
• Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (Amendment) Regulation, 2025:
  • Amends the LAHDC Act of 1997.
  • Reserves one-third of the seats for women in the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils of Leh and Kargil through rotation.

Addressing Concerns:

• The regulations aim to address concerns raised by Ladakh’s civil society over the past five years regarding land, jobs, and cultural preservation.

Approach: These are executive orders, not constitutional guarantees, as the government is reluctant to grant Sixth Schedule status to Ladakh. Background (August 5, 2019):

• Ladakh became a Union Territory without a Legislative Assembly.
• This occurred after the revocation of Article 370 for Jammu and Kashmir and the bifurcation of the erstwhile state into the UTs of Ladakh and J&K.

Key Demands by Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA):

• Statehood for Ladakh.
• Inclusion of Ladakh in the Sixth Schedule (tribal status).
• Job reservations for local residents.
• One parliamentary seat each for Leh and Kargil.

(Source: IE)