Ladakh is about to take a major step toward democratic decentralisation. The Union Territory administration announced that it will set up an Autonomous Hill Development Council (AHDC) in each of Ladakh’s seven districts, extending elected local self-governance well beyond its current footprint in Leh and Kargil alone.
Chief Secretary Ashish Kundra, announcing the move, also revealed plans for something bigger still: a Union Territory-level body, built around a customised Article 371 framework, that would sit above all seven Hill Councils and hold legislative, executive, financial and administrative powers. If it comes together, it would be a governance model unlike anything else in the country, designed specifically for Ladakh.
From Two Districts to Seven
Ladakh expanded from two districts to seven back in April 2026, when Sham, Nubra, Changthang, Zanskar and Drass were formally notified as new districts. Until now, though, elected representation had stayed confined to the two original Councils in Leh and Kargil. That’s what’s changing.
“The Ladakh Administration has decided to constitute an Autonomous Hill Development Council in each of the seven districts. It is a major step towards democratic decentralisation and grassroots governance,” Kundra told reporters. On the legal side, he explained that Section 3(1) of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) Act already allows for a Council to be set up in any district simply through a government notification in the Official Gazette. What’s left before the new Councils can actually be constituted, he said, is a set of amendments to the Act where necessary, plus the delimitation of constituencies.
Same Powers as Leh and Kargil, Not a Watered-Down Version
Kundra was clear that the five new Councils won’t be operating with reduced authority. “The new districts get the same authority that Leh has held since 1995 and Kargil since 2003, not a reduced version of it,” he said. That includes control over land ownership and allotment within each district, authority that Sham, Nubra, Changthang, Zanskar and Drass will each exercise within their own boundaries.
The Councils will also handle recruitment and promotions for district-level government posts, meaning hiring decisions in the new districts will now sit with an elected body based locally, rather than somewhere else. Each AHDC gets its own Council Fund and the power to levy taxes, fees and other charges within the law, giving every district a genuinely independent revenue stream. Councils will draw up their own development plans too, so each district can set its own priorities instead of waiting on decisions made in Leh or Kargil. On top of that, they’ll oversee sectors like health, education, tourism, local infrastructure and social welfare at the district level, strengthening how governance and services actually reach people locally.
What Comes Next: A UT-Level Body Under Article 371
Beyond the seven district Councils, Kundra laid out the administration’s broader plan: a Union Territory-level institution sitting above them, structured around a customised Article 371 framework. This body would carry legislative, executive, financial and administrative powers, and Kundra described it as a first-of-its-kind model, one that would borrow the best elements from similar constitutional and administrative setups already in place elsewhere in India.
Exactly how this body would be structured, and what powers it would hold, is still to be worked out through consultations between Ladakh’s representatives and the central government. As that process unfolds, some powers currently held by the Hill Councils could end up shifting to the new institution instead. For now, though, Kundra was clear that setting up an AHDC in each of the seven districts is the first real, concrete move toward this larger governance framework.
He also confirmed that Panchayati Raj institutions will keep functioning alongside the Hill Councils, so Ladakh will continue to have elected representation running through the village, district and Union Territory levels all at once.
Key Takeaway: The decision to establish Autonomous Hill Development Councils (AHDCs) in all seven districts of Ladakh marks a significant expansion of grassroots democratic governance by extending elected local self-government, administrative authority and financial powers beyond Leh and Kargil.
Alongside plans for a Union Territory-level institution under a customised Article 371 framework, the initiative seeks to strengthen decentralised governance through greater local control over land, development planning, district-level administration and public services while preserving the role of Panchayati Raj institutions. If implemented, the proposed governance structure could become a unique model of multi-tiered administration tailored to Ladakh’s geographical, administrative and developmental needs.
M.C.Q.
Question 1: Article 371 of the Constitution of India primarily deals with:
- A. Emergency provisions
- B. Special provisions for certain States
- C. Union Territories and their administration
- D. Official language of the Union
Question 2: The Autonomous Hill Development Councils (AHDCs) in Ladakh are primarily intended to strengthen:
- A. Judicial administration
- B. Grassroots democratic decentralisation and local self-governance
- C. Election management
- D. Central taxation administration
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