New Delhi: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Tuesday unveiled new policy measures concerning reservations, official languages, domicile status, and the composition of hill councils in the Union Territory (UT) of Ladakh.
These policies include a significant provision — 85% of government jobs will now be reserved for members of Scheduled Tribes (ST), The Hinu reported.
As part of the domicile policy, only individuals who have continuously lived in Ladakh for 15 years, starting from 2019, will be eligible for domicile status.
This was agreed upon during a high-powered committee (HPC) meeting between Ladakhi civil society representatives and MHA officials on May 27, 2025.
Those who moved to Ladakh after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019 — which ended the special status of Jammu and Kashmir — will only be eligible for domicile status in 2034.
The J&K domicile rules issued in 2020 had removed the “permanent resident” classification and instead allowed individuals who had resided in the UT for 15 years, studied for seven years, or appeared in Class 10 or 12 exams in local schools, or were registered migrants, to be considered domiciles.
The latest MHA notification also reserves one-third of the seats in Ladakh’s hill councils for women — a first. Additionally, English, Hindi, Urdu, Bhoti, and Purgi will now serve as the official languages of the UT.
Under the current reservation scheme, about 80% of government job vacancies are earmarked for STs, 4% for those residing along the Line of Actual Control or Line of Control, 1% for Scheduled Castes, and 10% for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS). During the December 3 dialogue, the MHA had floated a proposal to reserve 95% of government jobs for Ladakhis and set aside one-third of hill council seats for women.
The High-Powered Committee, led by Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai, was established in January 2023 to address local concerns in Ladakh. However, discussions stalled in March 2024.
In October 2024, environmentalist Sonam Wangchuk launched an indefinite hunger strike in Delhi to press for Ladakhi demands, prompting the MHA to resume dialogue with local civil society leaders on December 3, 2024. The second meeting took place on January 15, followed by the third round on May 27, 2025.
Since the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status in 2019, Ladakh has consistently demanded constitutional safeguards to protect its unique language, culture, and land.
