A team from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) shared a draft with leaders of Ladakh’s civil society groups on Friday, 3 July 2026, stating that a customised sui generis model, seen as best suited to Ladakh, will be adopted under the provisions of Article 371 for the Union Territory. The MHA team also released the minutes of the fifth meeting of the Sub-committee of the High-Powered Committee (HPC) on Ladakh, held on 22 May this year, minutes that were agreed upon by the Centre and leaders from the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA).
The MHA note described the next logical step as further empowering the Union Territory through a democratic institutional framework that gives it a political voice. According to the draft, it was unanimously agreed that while Statehood remains the long-term goal, the immediate step forward would be an appropriate customised governance model built around a Union Territory-level elected body holding executive, financial, and legislative powers.
The meeting minutes also noted that the model of constitutional safeguards under Article 371 came up for discussion. “There have been instances of invoking Article 371(A to J) and it was agreed that a customised model which is most suitable for Ladakh would be adopted,” the minutes said.
The meeting also settled on preparing a draft proposal covering the powers and functions, executive, financial, and legislative, of this Union Territory-level elected body, one designed to work in harmony with the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs), for further discussion and refinement.
A Follow-Up Meeting in Leh
The MHA followed up with a meeting in Leh with regional leaders, and the resulting minutes were signed by Ladakh Chief Secretary Ashish Kundra, MHA Additional Secretary Prashant S. Lokhande, Ladakh Member of Parliament Haji Haneefa, BJP leader Thupstan Chhewang, LAB president Chering Dorjay Lakrook, Kargil Chief Executive Councillor Jaffar Akhoon, KDA co-chairman Asgar Ali Karbalai, and other prominent leaders from the region.
This marks the first time the MHA has made public a detailed presentation covering the progress made across five rounds of talks between the Centre and Ladakh’s representatives. “The presentation also outlined the probable structure of self-governance in Ladakh. The representatives from Ladakh reiterated the demand for Statehood and Sixth schedule for Ladakh. They also reiterated the demand regarding Ladakh Administrative and Police Service and regarding withdrawal of cases of 24, September 2025 incident,” the meeting minutes read.
Accountability and Government Support
Ladakh’s leaders also proposed that the bureaucracy be made accountable to the elected government. “It was agreed that in terms of functions and civil servants for the subjects under the purview of the Union Territory-level elected body, the control and supervision, including appraisal, will be exercised by the elected executive body,” the minutes added.
The MHA draft noted that further details “will be finalised in the future meetings as per the Transaction of Business Rules.” Participants also acknowledged the considerable support the government has extended to Ladakh in recent years, through dialogue initiatives, protective legislation covering domicile criteria and reservations, employment measures, development projects, infrastructure expansion, cultural recognition, and administrative reforms.
The Background to These Talks
Ladakh became a Union Territory in 2019, carved out of the Kashmir division of Jammu and Kashmir. Since then, demands for Statehood and Sixth Schedule status have grown steadily, with leaders raising concerns over jobs, land, language, environment, and local customs. Tensions boiled over in September last year, when rare violence tied to demands for Statehood and Sixth Schedule inclusion left four civilians dead and around 90 injured.
Key Takeaway: The Centre’s proposal for a customised governance model under Article 371 marks a significant step toward strengthening democratic self-governance in the Union Territory of Ladakh while keeping Statehood as a long-term objective.
The proposed elected body is expected to exercise executive, financial, and legislative powers alongside Panchayati Raj Institutions, though regional leaders continue to demand Sixth Schedule status, Statehood, and greater administrative autonomy. This development is important for understanding India’s asymmetric federalism, Article 371 provisions, Union Territory governance, and the evolving constitutional and administrative framework of Ladakh.
M.C.Q.
Question 1: The Centre has proposed a customised governance model for the Union Territory of Ladakh under which constitutional provision?
- A. Article 370
- B. Article 239AA
- C. Article 371
- D. Article 244
Question 2: Ladakh became a separate Union Territory of India in:
- A. 2014
- B. 2017
- C. 2019
- D. 2021
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