JK News Today: Centre announces new reservation, domicile rules
JK News Today: The Central Government today announced new reservation and domicile, policies reserving 85 percent jobs for locals and 33 percent quota for women in the Autonomous Hill Development Councils.
The Government has also made English, Hindi, Urdu, Bhoti and Purgi as the official languages of Ladakh, but said English shall continue to be used for all the official purposes of the UT for which it was being used before the date of commencement of this regulation.
All these issues had been settled in multiple meetings between representatives of Ladakh and the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and formal notifications were issued today.
While there is a Constitutional provision for 10 percent reservation to Economically Weaker Sections (EWS), five percent reservation will be given to domiciles.
The changes in the policies for reservation in jobs, Autonomous Councils, domicile and languages will come into effect from Tuesday, according to the notifications issued by the President of India.
The Leh Apex Body (LAB) which along with Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) was agitating for Statehood, Sixth Schedule status, reservation of jobs for locals and two Parliamentary seats has welcomed the Centre’s announcements which were made this morning as the President of India issued three separate orders to this effect.
LAB co-chairman Chering Dorjay Lakruk told the Excelsior that they will make a detailed statement at a press conference in Leh tomorrow but they are satisfied with the Central Government order on the issue of reservation and domicile, the issues which were finalized in May 27 High Powered Committee (HPC) meeting chaired by Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai in New Delhi.
Under the new rules, those who have resided for a period of 15 years in the UT or studied for a period of seven years and appeared in class 10 or 12 examination in an educational institution located in the UT shall be domicile of Ladakh for the purposes of appointment to any post under the UT or under a local or other authority other than Cantonment Board.
Children of Central Government officials, All India Services Officers, officials of Public Sector Undertaking and autonomous body of Central Government, Public Sector Banks, officials of statutory bodies, officials of Central Universities and recognized research institutes of Central Government who have served in the UT for a total period of 10 years are also eligible for domicile.
The notification stated that the spouse of a domicile of Ladakh shall also be deemed a domicile.
Domicile certificate will be valid only for the purpose of appointment to the posts under the UT of Ladakh as defined in the Ladakh Civil Services Decentralization and Recruitment (Amendment) Regulation, 2025.
Under the new rules, individuals holding a Ladakh Resident Certificate (LRC) or those eligible for it will qualify as domiciles, along with their children while children of Ladakh residents who live outside the region due to employment or business reasons will also be eligible.
Reservation for the Economically Weaker Sections continues to be 10 per cent.
As per understanding reached between MHA and twin Ladakh bodies-LAB and KDA, 80 percent posts would be reserved for Scheduled Tribes, four percent for residents living near ALC/LoC and one percent for scheduled castes.
The notification stated that Section 5 of Jammu & Kashmir Reservation Act shall not apply to Economically Weaker Sections and filling up of vacancies for such sections shall be in such manner as may be prescribed.” Section 5 in J&K Reservation Act deals with filling vacancies in reserved categories during recruitment.
According to the provision applicable to J&K, if a sufficient number of candidates are not available from any reserved category during a recruitment process, the posts shall remain vacant and shall be carried forward to the next recruitment process.
It provided that the reserved vacancies remaining unfilled for a period exceeding three years shall be treated as de-reserved.
The notification stated that it shall apply to all the gazetted and non-gazetted posts borne on the establishment of any department or service of the administration or a company under the control of administration.
The Government has also announced reservation of one-third seats In Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils for women.
“In the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils Act, 1997, not less than one-third of the total number of seats in the Councils shall be reserved for women and such seats may be allotted by rotation to different territorial constituencies. The rotation of constituencies reserved for women shall be made on the basis of serial number allotted to each constituencies by notification in the official gazette,” another notification issued by the Centre said.
Ladakh has two Councils – the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Leh and the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Kargil. They have 30 Councillors each including 26 elected and four nominated by the UT aministration.
However, the MHA has already announced five more new districts for Ladakh. It would be seen whether these districts get the Hill Councils or there will be two Regional Councils.
Meanwhile, the MHA through another notification has made English, Hindi, Urdu, Bhoti and Purgi as the official languages of Ladakh.
However, it said English shall continue to be used for all the official purposes of the UT of Ladakh for which it was being used before the date of commencement of this regulation.
The administrator of the UT will also take such necessary steps to strengthen the institutional mechanisms for the promotion and development of other languages in Ladakh and the establishment of the Academy of Art, Culture and Languages.
Special efforts will be made for the promotion and development of other native languages of Ladakh like Shina (Dardic), Brokskat (Dardic), Balti and Ladakhi, the notification said.
The Ministry of Home Affairs had formed a High Powered Committee (HPC) for Ladakh under Union Minister of State Nityanand Rai’s chairmanship to discuss measures needed to protect the region’s unique culture and language, taking into consideration its geographical location and strategic importance.
The HPC was given mandate to discuss ways for protection of land and employment, measures for inclusive development and employment generation in the region, measures related to the empowerment of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils of Leh and Kargil and Constitutional safeguards that could be provided.
Several organizations of Ladakh were demanding a separate UT for the region for decades especially Leh-based groups and some parts in Kargil and the demand was fulfilled on August 5, 2019. However, many people of Ladakh were not happy after losing the rights to elect their representatives to the legislative assembly.
In August 2024, the Centre created five new districts in the UT of Ladakh. The new districts were Zanskar, Drass, Sham, Nubra and Changthang.
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