Locals to get 95% of jobs in Ladakh, women 1/3rd
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has proposed a major initiative for Ladakh; 95% reservation in government jobs for locals. This proposal also includes a one-third reservation for women in hill councils to address land-related concerns. The Centre also has plans to draft constitutional safeguards to protect the region's land and cultural heritage. Local languages, Urdu and Bhoti, will be declared official languages of the region.
Proposal follows protests over Article 370 removal
The proposal comes five years after protests over the abrogation of Article 370. Thupstan Chhewang, former BJP MP and chairman of the Leh Apex Body, said recruitment for gazetted posts such as doctors and engineers will start immediately. He stressed that these recruitments should be done through the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC) and not DANICS.
Unfilled gazetted posts leave educated youth unemployed
Chhewang emphasized that since Ladakh became a union territory, no gazetted posts have been filled, leaving many educated youth unemployed. Most appointments, he asserted, have been contractual. The next meeting on January 15 will discuss the implementation of the Sixth Schedule. In August 2019, Jammu and Kashmir was bifurcated into two union territories—Jammu and Kashmir with a legislature and Ladakh without one. This came after the abrogation of J&K's special status under Article 370.
Ladakh's demands for statehood and tribal status
Since then, Ladakh has sought statehood, Sixth Schedule inclusion for tribal status, job reservations for locals, and separate parliamentary seats for Leh and Kargil. The High-Powered Committee (HPC), headed by Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai, met leaders of the Leh Apex Body and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA). The talks had stalled earlier in March this year. Activist Sonam Wangchuk has staged hunger strikes in Ladakh and Delhi to escalate the issue.
