Centre Proposes Unique Legislative Safeguards for Ladakh; Sixth Schedule and Statehood Demands Remain Unmet
मुख्य बातें
- •The Union Home Ministry on May 22, 2026, proposed new legislative, financial, and administrative safeguards for Ladakh within the existing UT framework, in a meeting with LAB and KDA.
- •Ladakh’s demand for statehood and inclusion under the Sixth Schedule remains unmet, as the Centre insists such inclusion is not feasible and has instead offered protections under Article 371.
- •Chering Dorjay Lakruk of LAB clarified that while negotiations are ongoing, the demands for statehood and Sixth Schedule status have not been abandoned.
- •The September 24, 2025 violence in Leh, resulting in four deaths due to police firing, was discussed, with assurances that compensation and case withdrawals would be considered post-agreement.
In a significant development following years of persistent civil society agitation, the Union Home Ministry on May 22, 2026, proposed a new mechanism to enhance Ladakh’s legislative, financial, and administrative autonomy within the existing Union Territory (UT) framework. The proposal was presented during a meeting with representatives of the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), the two dominant civil society organizations from Ladakh. Both LAB and KDA have long demanded constitutional safeguards, including full statehood and the inclusion of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution. Such inclusion would grant Ladakh tribal status and greater autonomy over land, employment, and cultural policies.
