Kargil, May 14, 2025 – The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has called a meeting of the High-Power Committee (HPC) on May 27 in New Delhi to discuss key matters related to Ladakh. The meeting, which had been pending for four months, was initially scheduled for May 20 but was postponed at the request of the Leh Apex Body (LAB).

Invitations have been formally extended to Ladakh’s leaders for the meeting, which will be chaired by Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai. The ministry has designated it as a one-day session, though the Leh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) have demanded a two-day extension to allow detailed discussions on all critical issues.

According to LAB co-chairman Thupstan Chhewang, the two organizations will soon decide whether to attend the meeting. He stated that a single day is insufficient to address all complex matters. Earlier, the LAB had recommended postponing the May 20 meeting due to celebrations for a Buddhist religious leader’s birthday, proposing May 23 instead. However, the MHA ultimately finalized May 27.

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The LAB and KDA have suggested holding the meeting over two days—either on May 26-27 or May 27-28—as the last meeting took place on January 15, with no subsequent discussions since. Chhewang has written to the ministry requesting a two-day format, with the first day dedicated to domicile, employment, and recruitment issues, and the second day focused on statehood and constitutional safeguards, particularly the Sixth Schedule.

He also proposed that if Nityanand Rai is unavailable, a sub-committee-level meeting could be held, even though Rai is not a member of the sub-committee.

The LAB and KDA’s priority is resolving domicile and reservation issues for the EWS (Economically Weaker Sections) category to ensure smooth recruitment in government jobs, especially in the gazetted cadre. The organizations have proposed 1989 as the cutoff year for domicile and recommended reserving 95% of jobs for locals, with 80% for STs, 10% for EWS, 4% for ALC (Actual Line of Control residents), 1% for SCs, and 5% for others—provided all candidates are permanent residents of Ladakh.

Although it was decided in December that recruitment would be based on Ladakh Resident Certificates, no official order has been issued yet. There has also been no progress on major demands like statehood and the Sixth Schedule.

The central government has clarified that the demand for two parliamentary seats for Ladakh can only be considered after the delimitation exercise in 2026.

Now, the question remains whether the central government will accommodate the LAB and KDA’s demands or limit discussions to a one-day meeting with restricted negotiations.