Centre Notifies New Job & Domicile Rules for Ladakh Residents

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Ladakh Domicile Regulations Latest News

The Centre has introduced new regulations for Ladakh to address long-standing concerns of its civil society. The key measures include:
- Domicile-based job reservation to safeguard employment opportunities for locals.
- Recognition of local languages to preserve Ladakh’s cultural identity.
- Clear procedures for civil service recruitment, ensuring transparency and fairness.
These steps aim to protect Ladakh’s land, jobs, and cultural heritage.

Earlier, Ladakh was governed by adapted J&K laws, such as the J&K Reservation Act, 2004 and Civil Services Decentralization and Recruitment Act, 2010.
The 2025 regulations mark a clear departure, creating a legal framework tailored specifically for Ladakh.

Regulation: Ladakh Civil Services Decentralization and Recruitment (Amendment) Regulation, 2025
Introduces domicile requirement for government jobs in Ladakh.
A domicile is defined as:
- Resident of Ladakh for 15 years; or
- Studied for 7 years and appeared in Class 10 or 12 in Ladakh; or
- Children of Central Government employees serving in Ladakh for 10 years; or
- Spouses and children of Ladakh domiciles.

Regulation: Ladakh Civil Services Domicile Certificate Rules, 2025
Specifies application process and documents for obtaining domicile certificates.
Tehsildar will issue the certificate; Deputy Commissioner is the appellate authority.
Applications can be submitted online or offline.

Regulation: Union Territory of Ladakh Reservation (Amendment) Regulation, 2025
Total reservation for SC, ST, OBC, and other backward groups capped at 85%, excluding 10% EWS quota.
Reservation extended to professional institutions (e.g., engineering and medical colleges).
Earlier quota in education was capped at 50%, now raised to 85%.

Regulation: Ladakh Official Languages Regulation, 2025
Recognizes English, Hindi, Urdu, Bhoti, and Purgi as official languages.
Mandates support for Shina, Brokskat, Balti, and Ladakhi for cultural preservation.

Regulation: Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (Amendment) Regulation, 2025
Reserves one-third of seats for women in the Leh and Kargil Hill Development Councils, through rotation.

First Tailored Governance Framework Post-Bifurcation
- These regulations represent the Centre’s first comprehensive legal and administrative effort specifically designed for Ladakh since its separation from Jammu & Kashmir in 2019.
Alternative to Sixth Schedule Autonomy
- Instead of granting Sixth Schedule status, which offers constitutional autonomy, the Centre has chosen to address Ladakh’s demands through executive regulations.
- This approach allows targeted administrative reforms without amending the Constitution.
Legal Safeguards for Local Jobs
- By defining domicile criteria and regulating recruitment, the government has institutionalized job reservation for locals, fulfilling a core demand of Ladakhi civil society and protest movements.
Recognition of Linguistic Identity
- Official recognition of Bhoti and Purgi validates the cultural identity of large population groups.
- Support for Ladakhi, Balti, Shina, and Brokskat signals inclusive cultural preservation beyond dominant languages.
Cultural Sensitivity in Governance
- The regulations reflect a sensitive and strategic response to the region’s ethnic, cultural, and political aspirations—acknowledging that governance in Ladakh must be rooted in local identity and inclusion.

Loss of Legislative Autonomy After 2019
- Post-abrogation of Article 370 and implementation of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, Ladakh was made a Union Territory without a legislature, unlike Jammu & Kashmir.
- This shift placed Ladakh under direct central control, raising concerns about self-governance.
Fear of Cultural and Ecological Erosion
- Residents feared that, without constitutional safeguards, Ladakh’s tribal identity, fragile environment, and limited resources could be exploited by external economic and demographic forces.
Demand for Sixth Schedule Status
- Ladakhi groups strongly demanded inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, which grants tribal-majority regions legislative and financial autonomy via autonomous district councils.
- The demand is justified by the fact that over 90% of Ladakh’s population belongs to Scheduled Tribes.

Lack of Constitutional Safeguards
- The regulations are issued under Article 240, meaning they are executive decisions, not constitutional provisions.
- Unlike the Sixth Schedule, they do not guarantee permanence and can be amended or revoked unilaterally by the Centre.
No Protection for Land Ownership
- There are no restrictions on land purchase by non-domiciles.
- This omission is critical given Ladakh’s ecological sensitivity and the risks posed by unchecked tourism and infrastructure development.
Absence of a Legislative Body
- The Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (LAHDCs) remain administrative entities, lacking legislative powers.
- In contrast, the Sixth Schedule provides Autonomous District Councils with authority over land, forests, education, and local customs.
Cultural Recognition Lacks Implementation Plan
- Though local languages are officially recognized, there is no roadmap for their use in education, governance, or the judiciary.
- The move remains symbolic, without tangible cultural or institutional integration.