News– The Central Government has notified five regulations for the Union Territory of Ladakh, aimed at addressing demands related to land rights, local employment, and cultural protection. Centre’s New Regulations For Ladakh.
About New Regulations
1. Ladakh Civil Services Decentralization and Recruitment (Amendment) Regulation, 2025
- Introduces domicile-based recruitment for government posts in Ladakh.
- Domicile criteria include:
- 15 years of residence in Ladakh, or
- 7 years of education including appearance in Class 10 or 12 in Ladakh, or
- Children of Central Government employees serving 10+ years in Ladakh, or
- Spouses/children of domiciles.
2. Ladakh Civil Services Domicile Certificate Rules, 2025
- Defines the procedure for obtaining domicile certificates.
- Issuing Authority: Tehsildar
- Appellate Authority: Deputy Commissioner
- Applications allowed both online and offline.
3. Union Territory of Ladakh Reservation (Amendment) Regulation, 2025
- Sets reservation ceiling at 85% for SC, ST, OBC, and other backward groups (excluding 10% EWS quota).
- Extends reservations to professional institutions (engineering/medical colleges).
- Earlier reservation in these institutes was capped at 50%.
4. Ladakh Official Languages Regulation, 2025
- Recognises English, Hindi, Urdu, Bhoti, and Purgi as official languages.
- Promotes Shina, Brokskat, Balti, and Ladakhi through institutional support.
5. Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (Amendment) Regulation, 2025
- Reserves one-third of seats for women in LAHDCs of Leh and Kargil, on a rotational basis.
Significance of the Regulations:
- First region-specific legal framework post bifurcation from Jammu & Kashmir.
- Attempts to safeguard local identity, address the lack of domicile/job protection, and recognize linguistic diversity.
- A response to growing local demands for constitutional safeguards, such as inclusion under the Sixth Schedule (currently not granted).
