Context
- Recently, the Ladakh administration announced the creation of 17 new tehsils to strengthen grassroots governance in the Union Territory.
- With this reorganisation, all districts of Ladakh are expected to be brought under the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) Act, amid ongoing discussions on constitutional safeguards and greater local autonomy.
Major Administrative Reforms
- District Expansion: Ladakh recently expanded from 2 districts (Leh and Kargil) to 7 districts. The five newly notified districts are Sham, Nubra, Changthang, Zanskar, and Drass.
- Creation of Tehsils: An additional 17 new tehsils have been approved, increasing the total number of tehsils in the Union Territory (UT) from 15 to 32.
- Alongside this, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has proposed a customized, “sui generis” (unique) model of governance under Article 371 of the Constitution to protect Ladakh’s land, jobs, and distinct cultural identity.
- New service-delivery divisions created:
- 4 divisions — Public Health Engineering (PHE) & Flood Control Department
- 5 divisions — Public Works Department (PWD) & PMGSY (Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana)
- Universalizing AHDCs: Earlier, only Leh and Kargil had Autonomous Hill Development Councils (AHDCs); now, all seven districts of Ladakh will have elected local self-governing bodies to strengthen governance, local administration, and the jurisdiction of the LAHDCs.
About the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC)
- Constituted under the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils Act, 1997; councils were established in Leh (1995) and Kargil (2003).
- Each council has 30 members—26 elected and 4 nominated members—with a tenure of five years.
- The council is headed by a Chief Executive Councillor (CEC), who enjoys the rank of a Cabinet Minister.
- LAHDCs are responsible for local planning, agriculture, health, education, rural development, infrastructure, tourism, and environmental protection.
Administrative Structure of Ladakh
- Ladakh became a Union Territory on 31 October 2019 under the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019.
- Executive Head: The Lieutenant Governor (LG) administers the UT on behalf of the President of India.
- Judicial Jurisdiction: Falls under the jurisdiction of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.
- Parliamentary Representation: Ladakh constitutes one single Lok Sabha constituency.
- Various groups in Ladakh have demanded Sixth Schedule status, statehood, a separate Public Service Commission, job reservations for locals, and constitutional safeguards for land and culture.
LAHDC vs Sixth Schedule
| Feature | LAHDC (Ladakh) | Sixth Schedule Councils (e.g., Assam, Meghalaya) |
| Legal basis | Statutory (state/UT Act) | Constitutional (Article 244(2) & 275(1)) |
| Legislative power | Very limited/advisory | Can make laws on land, forest, village admin, inheritance, marriage, social customs |
| Judicial power | None | Can set up village/district councils courts for tribal disputes |
| Financial autonomy | Limited | Greater — controls royalty, taxation on land/forest produce in some cases |
| Amendment protection | Can be altered by ordinary legislation | Requires constitutional amendment |
| About Article 371 Article 371 is part of Part XXI of the Constitution and provides special provisions for certain states to address their unique social, cultural, and administrative needs. It empowers the President to assign special responsibilities to Governors in matters such as regional development, law and order, and equitable distribution of resources. Articles 371A to 371J grant special provisions to states such as Maharashtra, Gujarat, Nagaland, Assam, Manipur, Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Karnataka, and Telangana. |
With reference to the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), consider the following statements:
1. The LAHDCs in Leh and Kargil were established under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
2. Ladakh became a Union Territory following the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019.
3. The Sixth Schedule currently applies to Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 2 and 3 only
(b) 1 and 2 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (a) 2 and 3 only
Explanation:
• Statement 1 is Incorrect: The LAHDCs are statutory bodies established under the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council Act, 1995, not under the Sixth Schedule.
• Statement 2 is Correct: Ladakh became a Union Territory in 2019 under the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019.
• Statement 3 is Correct: The Sixth Schedule applies to Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram.