Public Awareness & General Administration
Ladakh gets new policies on quota, domicile status
The Government of India introduced new regulations for Ladakh to address longstanding
concerns from the local population regarding land, jobs, and cultural preservation.
The regulations are a response to demands for increased autonomy and protection for the unique identity of Ladakh following its separation from Jammu and Kashmir in 2019.
New Regulations
The government notified five key regulations on June 2 and 3, 2025.
The Ladakh Civil Services Decentralization and Recruitment (Amendment) Regulation, 2025
✓ This introduces domicile requirements for government job recruitment.
✓ The domicile is defined as residents who have lived in Ladakh for 15 years or those who
completed their education in Ladakh.
Domicile Certificate Rules
✓ The Ladakh Civil Services Domicile Certificate Rules, 2025, outline the process for obtaining a domicile certificate.
Reservation Regulations
✓ The Union Territory of Ladakh Reservation (Amendment) Regulation, 2025, caps job
reservations for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, and other
backward groups at 85%.
✓ This also extends to admissions in professional institutions, increasing the previous cap from
50% to 85%.
Official Languages Recognition
✓ The Ladakh Official Languages Regulation, 2025, officially recognises English, Hindi, Urdu,
Bhoti, and Purgi.
✓ It mandates support for the preservation of local languages such as Shina, Brokskat, Balti,
and Ladakhi, denoting the importance of cultural identity.
Women’s Representation in Councils
✓ The Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (Amendment) Regulation, 2025,
reserves one-third of council seats for women in the Leh and Kargil councils.
✓ This aims to enhance women’s participation in local governance.
Limitations of the Regulations
They lack constitutional protection, which means they can be amended at any time by the Centre.
There are no restrictions on land ownership by non-domiciles, raising concerns about external pressure on local resources
