52 Villages Along LAC and LoC in Ladakh to Get Reservation Benefits

The Union Territory of Ladakh has proclaimed 52 villages across the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and Line of Control (LoC) a reserved area. Such a step will enable the people in these villages to enjoy reservation during recruitment and other areas. The move covers 18 villages in Leh and 34 in Kargil districts after a commission headed by Justice Bansi Lal Bhat made a report.

Context

• On the LAC and LoC, Ladakh administration has declared 52 villages as reserved areas as per the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act, 2004. This will provide the people in these villages with reservation in many sectors.

• Declaration of Reserved Areas: 52 villages in Ladakh, 18 in Leh and 34 in Kargil will now benefit under the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act, 2004 with respect to being located within the LAC and LoC.

Key Details

• Amendment of Law; The declaration was made through Legal Amendment of the Ladakh Reservation (Amendment) Regulation, 2025 which sets up that the areas qualify to receive benefits under the Reservation.

• Commission and Process: The villages to which the benefits of the reservation were to be given, were found out by a one-member commission, which was chaired by Justice Bansi Lal Bhat. A final report of the commission was filed in December 2024 and subsequently okayed by the Ladakh administration.

• Objective: This is meant to give the inhabitants of these regions of strategic importance better advantages in their recruitment and other sectoral activities.

• Implementation: Such areas have been recognized as reservations by the Ladakh administration by its notification under the amended Act. 

About Ladakh’s new reservation policy

• New Regulations Notified: Four important rules were notified on June 3, 2025, in Ladakh, such as that of reservation, languages as well as the composition of hill councils.

• Reservation in Employment: Under the Ladakh Civil Services Decentralisation and Recruitment (Amendment) Regulation, 2025, reservations based on residence (85%) to the females or males of Ladakh doing a government job are allowed.

• Domicile Criteria: The non-local residents must have one continuous 15-year stay in Ladakh period that is October 31, 2019, to be able to receive a 5% job quota.

• Total Reservation: The total reservation in government jobs has increased to 95% now which is with 10% quota to Economically Weaker Sections (EWS).

Domicile and Reservation standards

• 85% Reservation of the Ladakhi: The new policy grants 85 percent of the government workforce to the resident Ladakhi.

• Domicile Criteria: Non- Locals should have stayed in Ladakh at least 15 years to be eligible to a job quota of 5 percent.

• EWS Quota: A further quota of 10 percent is also given to Economically Weaker Sections making it total quota of 95 percent.

Demographic Context

• As per the 2011 Census, the population of Ladakh stands at 2,74,289 and it appears that the percentage of tribals living in this region is 80%. Most people in Leh are Buddhists; Kargil is a strong Muslim community.

After 2019 Developments and Requirements

• After Ladakh became a Union Territory in 2019, a number of civil society formations have been agitating on the rights to land, resources and employment.

• The major demands cleave along the line that states the need to be covered under the Sixth Schedule to recognize tribal status, statehood, allocation of separate seats in the Lok Sabha to Leh and Kargil, and fulfillment of the available government vacancies.

What is Government and Civil Society Negotiations?

• The Union Ministry of Home Affairs created a high-powered committee (HPC) to interact with the civil society and negotiations had multiple failures.

• These tensions were responded to by the indefinite fast by climate activist Sonam Wangchuk in October 2024 which also resulted in the relaunch of negotiations.

Conclusion

Declaration of 52 villages as reserved areas in Ladakh is another great initiative that will mean the residents along the LAC and LoC will be in a better position of getting reservation in most sectors, and this will uplift the condition of these people socio economically. The relocation is to highlight the interests of communities in the border areas which are sensitive.