Syllabus
GS-2: Functions and Responsibilities of the Union and the States, Issues and Challenges Pertaining to the Federal Structure, Devolution of Powers and Finances up to Local Levels and Challenges Therein.
Context:
Recently, the Centre has notified a series of regulations for Ladakh’s land, jobs, and cultural preservation.
More on the News
- These regulations are 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.
- Article 240 of the Constitution empowers the President to frame regulations for Union Territories without legislatures.
Background
- Since the 2019 abrogation of Article 370 and Ladakh’s shift to Union Territory (UT) status without a legislature, concerns have grown over its lack of constitutional safeguards.
- With over 90% of Ladakh’s population being Scheduled Tribes, locals have sought Sixth Schedule status to protect their tribal identity and fragile ecology.
- Earlier, Ladakh followed adapted J&K laws, which lacked domicile criteria, local job protection, defined reservation caps, EWS exclusions, and official recognition of Ladakhi languages.
- In that sense, the 2025 regulations represent a departure from borrowed laws and a move towards region-specific governance.
Regulations Issued by Government
- Ladakh Civil Services Decentralization and Recruitment (Amendment) Regulation, 2025: Ladakh has introduced a domicile requirement for government jobs, covering those who have lived there for 15 years, or studied for 7 years and appeared in Class 10 or 12 exams, or children of Central government employees with 10 years of service in Ladakh, or children or spouses of domiciles.
- Ladakh Civil Services Domicile Certificate Rules, 2025: These rules lay out the procedure and documentation required to obtain a domicile certificate. The tehsildar is designated as the issuing authority, while the Deputy Commissioner is the appellate authority. Applications can be submitted both physically and electronically.
- Union Territory of Ladakh Reservation (Amendment) Regulation, 2025: The regulation raises the reservation cap for SC, ST, OBC, and other backward groups to 85%, excluding the 10% EWS quota. This expanded quota now also applies to professional institutions like engineering and medical colleges in Ladakh, up from the earlier 50% limit.
- Ladakh Official Languages Regulation, 2025: This law recognizes English, Hindi, Urdu, Bhoti, and Purgi as the official languages of Ladakh. It also mandates institutional support for the promotion of Shina, Brokskat, Balti, and Ladakhi, for preserving Ladakh’s linguistic and cultural diversity.
- Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (Amendment) Regulation, 2025: This amends the LAHDC Act of 1997 to reserve one-third of the seats for women in the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils of Leh and Kargil, through rotation.
Significance of the Regulations
- Signifies Centre’s first major effort to shape governance in Ladakh post-2019.
- Reserving jobs for locals addresses the concerns of locals over economic security and local governance.
- Linguistic recognition ensures protection of the cultural identities of Ladakhis.
Limitations of the regulations
- Lack of constitutional protection: The new rules are executive decisions that the Centre can change at any time, unlike the Constitution-backed Sixth Schedule, which provides guaranteed protections.
- No land safeguards: The most critical omission is the absence of any restriction on land ownership by non-domiciles. This is a key issue in Ladakh, given concerns over large-scale tourism, infrastructure projects, and climate vulnerability.
- No legislative devolution: The Sixth Schedule, a major demand by Ladakhis, provides legislative powers to Autonomous District Councils, while LAHDCs, despite new women’s reservations, remain administrative bodies without such authority.
- Symbolic cultural protection: While local languages have been recognised, there is no roadmap for their official use in education, governance, or the judiciary.