SRINAGAR: In a significant policy shift aimed at addressing long-standing demands of Ladakh’s youth and tribal communities, the Union Territory administration has officially notified the Ladakh Reservation (Amendment) Rules, 2025, restructuring reservation quotas and formalising recruitment procedures in alignment with central laws. The new rules, which came into effect with their publication in the official gazette, were issued under the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act, 2004, as amended for Ladakh.
The rules were framed by the Social and Tribal Welfare Department, along with the General Administration Department, and mark a key development in Ladakh’s post-UT governance landscape. Chief Secretary Dr Pawan Kotwal said the reforms update legal definitions, streamline rosters, and reconfigure reservation categories in line with the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016.
As per the amended Rule 4, Scheduled Tribes (STs)—who make up the majority in Ladakh—now receive 80 per cent reservation in direct recruitment, while Scheduled Castes (SCs) receive 1 per cent, residents of Areas Adjoining the Line of Control (ALC) 4 per cent, and Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) 10 per cent. Horizontal reservations have been fixed at 6 per cent for ex-servicemen and 4 per cent for persons with benchmark disabilities, the latter further divided as per the 2016 disabilities law.
Further reforms have been introduced to recruitment procedures. Michael D’Souza, Secretary of the General Administration Department, said the revised selection process now includes a three-list approach to ensure transparency, accommodate horizontal reservations, maintain merit-based seniority, and convert unfilled EWS slots to unreserved seats while preserving backlogs for other reserved categories. A 100-point running roster will now be maintained across services, cadres and grades.
The rules also restructure the reservation in promotions. Under amended Rule 9, STs will receive 84 per cent reservation and SCs 1 per cent in promotions.
As part of the broader reservation overhaul, the Ladakh administration has also issued a notification defining specific areas as Areas Adjoining the Actual Line of Control (ALC)—a critical demand of communities living near the LoC and LAC. Based on the recommendations of a One-Member Commission led by Justice (Retired) Bansi Lal Bhat, the administration has officially declared 18 revenue villages in Leh and 34 villages in Kargil as ALC areas. Residents of these areas are now eligible for the 4 per cent ALC reservation quota.
The Commission submitted its final report in December 2024. An internal committee later reviewed and accepted the listed villages and hamlets, which have now been published in the official gazette.
The amendments are being widely seen as a response to growing public pressure in Ladakh. For more than four years, youth in the region have protested, demanding reservation for locals, statehood, and inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. With tribal communities forming the majority of the UT’s population, the new rules are expected to cool tempers and offer a degree of reassurance regarding local representation in public employment.
