Ladakh Groups Reject the Home Ministry's Draft on a New Governance Model
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) gave a 32-page draft proposal to the leaders of Ladakh during talks in Leh in mid-October 2026. The draft describes a new system of governance for the Union Territory (UT) of Ladakh.
The draft suggests a two-step route: first a constitutional amendment, then a regulation made under Article 240. It proposes a new special provision for Ladakh, called Article 371-K, and a directly elected UT-level body with safeguards for land, natural resources and culture.
The two groups representing Ladakh, the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), rejected the draft. They called it a "significant departure" from the assurances given in earlier meetings and asked the MHA to accept their own draft Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) instead.
Their main objection is that the proposed body would not have real legislative (law-making), executive (running the administration) and financial powers. They also say it would end up below the existing hill councils rather than being a strong, empowered body.
The Ladakh administration said the draft was only a basis for discussion and open to changes. The next round of talks is set for 22 October 2026 in New Delhi.
Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (LAHDC) Act, 1997
The Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (LAHDC) Act, 1997 is the law that set up elected local councils to run development work in the districts of Ladakh. Each council is called a Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, or "Hill Council" for short. It is made up mostly of members elected by the people of the district. It looks after local matters like land use, education, health, tourism and the district's development plan. Think of it as a district-level "mini-government" for development, though it cannot make laws.
The Home Ministry's draft proposes a new UT-level elected body, and its relationship with the Hill Councils is one of the open questions. The LAB and KDA objected that the new body would end up below the existing council system instead of having real law-making and financial powers that the Hill Councils have never had.
Article 371: Special Provisions for Certain States
Article 371 and the related Articles 371A to 371J are special provisions in Part XXI of the Constitution for particular states or regions. They give extra protection or special arrangements, such as protecting tribal customs and land, or setting up development boards for backward regions. Unlike the Sixth Schedule, they do not create autonomous councils. Each is tailored to the needs of one state, and a new one can be added only by a constitutional amendment under Article 368.
In earlier talks, the Centre and Ladakh's representatives had discussed safeguards on the lines of Articles 371A, 371F and 371G. The MHA's draft now proposes an Article 371-K for Ladakh, but the LAB and KDA say it does not give the specific subjects and powers they asked for.
Sixth Schedule: Autonomous District Councils
The Sixth Schedule of the Constitution gives self-rule to tribal areas in four north-eastern states: Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram. It works through Articles 244(2) and 275(1). It creates Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) that can make laws on land, forests, customs, marriage and inheritance, and can collect some taxes. This gives tribal communities strong control over their land and way of life.
The Sixth Schedule and statehood were the original demands of the LAB and KDA. The Centre has instead offered a sui generis (one-of-a-kind) model based on Article 371 and a UT-level elected body, which is why the scope of law-making powers has become the central point of disagreement.
- Draft proposal: 32 pages, given by the MHA in Leh in mid-October 2026; proposes a constitutional amendment plus a regulation under Article 240
- Proposed new provision: Article 371-K for Ladakh; a directly elected UT-level body
- Groups involved: Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA)
- Next round of talks: 22 October 2026, New Delhi
- Ladakh became a UT without a legislature on 31 October 2019 (J&K Reorganisation Act, 2019)
- LAHDC Act, 1997: 26 elected + up to 4 nominated members per council; 7 councils after the 2026 extension
- June 2025: 85% reservation for local residents in government jobs; official languages English, Hindi, Urdu, Bhoti and Purgi
- Ladakh's ST reservation rose from 10% in 2019 to 84% for local people, as stated by the administration