Kargil, March 07, 2025 – The Union Cabinet on Wednesday deliberated on various draft legislations concerning Ladakh, which include provisions for local reservation in government jobs, a quota for women in hill councils, and the recognition of Bhoti and other languages as official languages in the region, according to a report by the Economic Times citing sources.

Last December, during a meeting with Ladakh leaders, the Central government proposed a 95% reservation for locals in government jobs, a one-third quota for women in hill councils, and agreed to grant state language status to several native languages. A high-powered committee from the Union Home Ministry engaged in discussions with representatives from the Leh and Kargil district, who were part of the Leh Apex Body and Kargil Democratic Alliance, respectively.

As per the proposals discussed, 80% of jobs would be reserved for tribal communities from Ladakh, 4% for residents near the Line of Actual Control, 1% for Scheduled Castes (SCs), and 10% for the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS). Notably, Scheduled Tribes (STs) make up over 90% of Ladakh’s population. Additionally, the meeting explored granting state language status to Bhoti and Urdu.

* Click to Follow Voice of Ladakh on WhatsApp *

Sources indicate that the Centre may introduce bills to implement these changes during the second part of the budget session. Ladakh has seen protests following the loss of protections previously guaranteed under Article 370 of the Constitution. The region’s residents have also been advocating for inclusion in the Sixth Schedule, which would grant it tribal status, along with the allocation of two parliamentary seats.