Features 100-point roster, multiple select lists & revised quotas
Yash Khajuria
Leh, Jun 29: In a major administrative development ahead of Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan’s high-profile visit to Ladakh, the Union Territory Administration has notified amendments to the Ladakh Reservation Rules, 2025, and finalized an official list of villages and hamlets near the Actual Line of Control (ALC) that are now eligible for reservation benefits.
The revised rules overhaul recruitment quotas to enhance representation for Scheduled Tribes, Economically Weaker Sections, and border residents, aligning local policy with national frameworks. In an official notification published in the Official Gazette of Ladakh, the UT Administration announced the Ladakh Reservation (Amendment) Rules, 2025, marking a new phase in recruitment and reservation policies tailored to the region’s unique demographics. The updated rules aim to improve representation for local communities, especially tribal groups and youth.
The amendments have been enacted under Section 23 of the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act, 2004, as modified by the UT of Ladakh Reservation (Amendment) Regulation, 2025. They took effect upon their publication in the Official Gazette. The Social and Tribal Welfare Department, in coordination with the General Administration Department (GAD), prepared the revised framework.
The amendment comes just a day before the high-profile visit of Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, who is scheduled to arrive in Ladakh on June 30. His agenda includes discussions on administrative matters such as the formal creation of five new districts, which were initially announced in August last year.
Sources indicate that the Government of India has directed the UT Administration to fast-track recruitment processes, which had remained largely stagnant over the past five years due to the lack of a clear policy on reservations, domicile certification, and the Ladakh Resident Certificate (LRC). The Home Secretary is expected to closely monitor the process of recommending gazetted posts to the Union Public Service Commission to accelerate recruitment.
Dr. Pawan Kotwal, Chief Secretary of Ladakh, stated that the new rules update terminology, revise reservation percentages, and align procedures with national legislation such as the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016.
According to the revised Rule 4, direct recruitment quotas now allocate 80% to Scheduled Tribes (ST), 1% to Scheduled Castes (SC), 4% to residents living near the Actual Line of Control (ALC), and 10% to the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS). Horizontal reservations provide 6% for ex-servicemen and 4% for persons with benchmark disabilities, as defined by the Disabilities Act.
Michael D’Souza, Secretary of GAD, said the changes bring greater structure to the recruitment process. A new system featuring three separate select lists will improve transparency, balance reserved and unreserved categories, and ensure merit-based seniority. Any unfilled EWS posts will revert to general category, and a mechanism has been created for addressing backlog vacancies.
Roster management has also been restructured. A 100-point running roster will now apply uniformly across all services, grades, and cadres for both recruitment and promotion. Promotion-related reservation now includes 84% for ST and 1% for SC.
Additional administrative revisions include updated department nomenclature and the replacement of terms like “physically challenged persons” with “persons with benchmark disabilities.” Designated Liaison Officers responsible for roster maintenance are now held accountable under Central Civil Services rules and may face disciplinary action for non-compliance.
Further updates include standardized verification forms for ALC residents, refined guidelines for interlocking reservations, and revised promotion eligibility criteria aligned with Deputy Secretary-level pay structures.
Additionally, The Union Territory Administration has officially notified a comprehensive list of villages and hamlets that fall within areas adjoining the Actual Line of Control (ALC), making them eligible for reservation benefits under the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act, 2004, as amended for Ladakh in 2025.
The declaration comes after a methodical process initiated by the administration through the appointment of a One Member Commission in October 2023, chaired by Justice Bansi Lal Bhat, former Judge of the J&K and Ladakh High Court. The Commission was tasked with identifying the settlements located near the ALC, an exercise that concluded with the submission of a final report in December 2024.
An internal committee, formed in January 2025, reviewed the report and endorsed its findings. The administration subsequently accepted these recommendations, culminating in Friday’s notification issued by the Social & Tribal Welfare Department.
The newly notified list encompasses a wide geographical spread across both Leh and Kargil districts. In Leh, areas such as Dha, Hanu Thang, Demjok, Chushul, Pangong, Turtuk, and Warshi are included. Kargil district sees villages from Kaksar, Karkit, Drelung, and Chuliskamboo, extending through regions like Batalik, Darchiks, Mushkoo, Drass, and Jasgund.
This development ensures that the residents of these border settlements will now be eligible for reservation benefits in education, employment, and other welfare schemes provided under the revised legal framework applicable in Ladakh. The official recognition not only affirms the strategic importance of these settlements but also aims to uplift populations that have long lived under challenging conditions in proximity to the border.
The notification was signed by Shashanka Ala, Secretary of the Social & Tribal Welfare Department. Copies were circulated to key administrative and law enforcement offices, LAHDC leadership, and university and departmental heads across the territory.
