By: Shahnaz

Leh, January 24, 2025: The Central Government has agreed to merge the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) quota with the reserved seats for Ladakh residents if no eligible candidates apply under the EWS category. This was announced by the Chief Executive Councillor (CEC) of LAHDC Kargil, Dr. Mohd Jaffar Akhone, during a media briefing in Leh today.

The CEC made the statement in the aftermath of recent discussions held between Ladakhi leaders and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in Delhi. According to Dr. Akhone, the MHA has assured that if no applications are received for the EWS quota after its initial advertisement, the quota will be discontinued and automatically incorporated into the 95% reservation for Ladakhi residents, while maintaining 5% for domicile candidates.

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On the matter of domicile certification, Dr. Akhone proposed extending the eligibility period from 15 to 25 years for individuals seeking domicile status in the region. However, the MHA clarified that the domicile requirement will remain at 15 years and cannot be extended further.

Addressing the ongoing language debate, the CEC emphasized the need for equal recognition of all languages spoken in Ladakh as official languages. “The majority of the population speaks Purgi, while only 38% speak Bhoti. I am not against any specific language, but I firmly believe that all languages should be given equal recognition as official languages,” said Dr. Akhone.