Following months long protests, Ladakh gets 85% job quota, new rules for domiciles

June 3, 2025 by News Desk

The President of India has promulgated the Union Territory of Ladakh Reservation (Amendment) Regulation, 2025, a significant step that reserves 85 percent of government jobs in Ladakh for local communities.

This move, announced by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), marks a critical shift in the region’s governance framework following the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, which stripped Jammu Kashmir — and by extension Ladakh — of its special constitutional status.

According to the amended rules, the Jammu Kashmir Reservation Act, 2004 has now been adapted for Ladakh, capping the total reservation in government employment at 85 percent, excluding the quota for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS). Under a negotiated agreement between the Union Government, the Leh Apex Body (LAB), and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), 80 percent of jobs will now be reserved for Scheduled Tribes, four percent for residents living along the Actual Line of Control (ALC), and one percent for Scheduled Castes.

However, this announcement comes against the backdrop of sustained public protests in Ladakh, where civil society groups, student bodies, and political leaders have been demanding full constitutional safeguards under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution.

These protests intensified after the bifurcation of the former state of Jammu Kashmir and the creation of the Union Territory of Ladakh in 2019. While the government claims the new reservation framework addresses employment concerns, activists argue that it falls short of addressing the larger demands related to land rights, political autonomy, and cultural preservation.

Among the most prominent voices in the ongoing movement is environmentalist and education reformer Sonam Wangchuk, who has staged multiple hunger strikes in Leh to draw attention to the region’s demands.

In early 2024, Wangchuk launched a symbolic fast at sub-zero temperatures, rallying public support and urging the government to grant constitutional protections to Ladakh’s fragile ecology and indigenous populations. His protests, supported by both the LAB and KDA, reflect widespread frustration over the perceived erosion of identity, environment, and democratic representation in the region.

In a parallel move, the President also issued The Ladakh Civil Services Decentralisation and Recruitment Regulations, 2025, which outlines eligibility criteria for domicile status. These regulations apply to all gazetted and non-gazetted posts under the UT administration or local authorities, excluding cantonment boards. According to the MHA notification, individuals who have lived in Ladakh for at least 15 years, or studied there for seven years and appeared in Class 10 or 12 exams, will be considered domiciles. Children of central government officials, PSU employees, and other eligible personnel who have served in Ladakh for a decade since October 31, 2019, also qualify.

The new regulations also include The Ladakh Civil Services Decentralisation and Recruitment—Grant of Domicile Certificate (Procedure) Rules, 2025, which lay out five eligible domicile categories. These include holders of a Ladakh Resident Certificate (LRC), their children, individuals who’ve lived in Ladakh for 15 years post-2019, students who studied and appeared for key examinations in the region since that date, and children of eligible central government employees.

Despite the government’s push to formalize recruitment and reservation structures, protestors continue to stress that economic safeguards alone are insufficient.

They argue that without constitutional protections and a legislature of their own, Ladakh’s people remain politically disenfranchised. The region has not seen legislative elections since its union territory status was carved out, and the demand for Sixth Schedule inclusion — which provides special autonomy to tribal areas — remains central to the people’s struggle.