After a series of extensive consultations with the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) have cause to welcome key decisions announced by the Union government on Tuesday regarding domicile and reservation policies for Ladakh. However, not all local demands were met, leaving some leaders cautiously optimistic.
President Droupadi Murmu approved the Ladakh Reservation (Amendment) Regulation, 2025, which amends the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act, 2004, as applicable to the Union Territory of Ladakh. The new regulation provides for an 85 percent reservation quota for Ladakhi residents in government jobs, excluding reservations for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS).
One notable provision mandates that one-third of the seats in Ladakh’s Autonomous Hill Development Councils be reserved for women. The notification also recognizes Bhoti and Purgi as official regional languages alongside English, Hindi, and Urdu.
Sajad Kargili, senior leader of the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), welcomed the 85 percent job reservation quota but expressed dissatisfaction with the 15-year domicile requirement set by the government. “We had demanded 30 years,” he said. However, Kargili added that they accepted the 15-year clause after receiving assurances that it would be extended to 30 years in the future.
Kargili also highlighted that the 33 percent reservation for women in the Hill Councils was not part of LAB and KDA’s agenda. “We have not demanded any such reservation but statehood and legislature,” he clarified.
According to the notification, all others—including central government officials posted in Ladakh—must prove continuous residence in the Union Territory for 15 years from October 31, 2019, to qualify as domiciles.
Sustained peaceful agitation
The announcement comes in the backdrop of a sustained peaceful agitation by the people of Ladakh following the abrogation of Article 370 and the bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories. The agitation called for constitutional safeguards, including inclusion in the Sixth Schedule, statehood, a dedicated Public Service Commission, and two parliamentary seats for Ladakh.
In 2023, the Union Home Ministry formed a high-powered committee headed by Minister of State Nityanand Rai to address and safeguard Ladakh’s distinct cultural heritage. The LAB and KDA engaged in several rounds of talks with the government to put forth the region’s aspirations