By Dr. Gulzar Hussain, Ph.D History, Presidency University
VOL News Desk/ The reorganization of the administrative map of Ladakh has proceeded at a pace few residents could have anticipated. A Union Territory that for decades comprised two districts now has eight, and within this restructuring the Hill Council of the newly demarcated Kargil district has been expanded from twelve constituencies to twenty-one. In principle, more constituencies should bring representatives closer to the people. ...
Opinions
Justice Comes to the Mountains: What Ladakh’s High Court Bench Really Means
Sonam Wangdus AKA ADU
A High Court judgment from a small Himalayan valley ripples across the world. Lawyers in Geneva. Judges in New Delhi. Environmental scholars in London. All citing a case about a Ladakhi watershed, about how development in fragile mountains must answer to both law and nature. That’s not fantasy. It could be our future. For years, this was unimaginable. A Ladakhi facing a legal wrong, an arbitrary government order, an illegal land grab, an environmental violation faced a b...
Kargil Hill Council Political Crisis, Leadership & Major Questions Over the Sankoo District Demand
Kargil/ VOL News Desk/ Following recent changes in Ladakh’s administrative map, particularly the granting of district status to Zanskar and Drass and the notification regarding the formation of Hill Development Councils for these areas, debate has intensified over the political future of the Kargil Hill Development Council.
The resignation of four BJP councillors has raised serious questions regarding the present numerical strength of the Kargil Hill Council, the completion of its five-ye...
Suru Summer Festival 2026: A New Hope for Tourism, But Cultural Balance Is Essential
By Syed Hashim Rizvi
The Suru Summer Festival 2026, held on August 26 and 27 at the picturesque Damsna Spang in Kargil district, has emerged as an important initiative to promote tourism, culture and adventure sports in the Suru Valley. The two-day festival was inaugurated by Dr Mohammad Jaffer Akhoon, Chairman and Chief Executive Councillor of the LAHDC Kargil, and witnessed the participation of a large number of locals as well as domestic and foreign tourists.
The primary objective of the fe...
The Women Who Hold the Mountains Together
Adv Sonam Wangdus
VOL News Desk/ Anyone who has travelled the high-altitude highways of Ladakh has seen them, even if only in passing. I have spent years framing the austere beauty of the Himalayas through my camera lens. Again and again, my eye is drawn not to the mountains themselves, but to the figures working quietly in the foreground. Against the immensity of the landscape, they appear almost insignificant, small silhouettes bent over shovels, brooms and pickaxes. Yet it is their labour ...
Expanding Banking Infrastructure in Ladakh: A Need of the Hour
VOL News Desk/ The Union Territory of Ladakh is undergoing one of the most significant administrative transformations since its formation. The recent announcement of five new districts—Sham, Nubra, Changthang, Zanskar, and Drass—along with the expansion of administrative units through additional tehsils, reflects the government’s commitment to bringing governance closer to the people. Decentralized administration is expected to improve public service delivery, strengthen local governance, an...
Concern Over Industrial Smoke Near Damsna Tourist Spot in Suru Valley; Locals Demand Environmental Probe
Damsna, Taisuru/Kargil: Thick smoke allegedly emanating from an industrial unit near Damsna, a popular tourist and recreational spot in the Suru Valley, has caused concern among local residents, tourists, and environmental circles.
According to local sources, the industrial unit has been set up by a company named Top Line under a National Highway macadam laying project.
Reports indicate that some local tourists recorded images and videos of the smoke coming from the industrial unit and shared ...
New Districts in Ladakh: A Step Forward, But Questions Remain
The recent announcement of five new districts in Ladakh has marked a significant administrative development in the Union Territory. According to a report published by The Statesman, the Lieutenant Governor approved the appointment of Deputy Commissioners (DCs) and Superintendents of Police (SPs) for the newly created districts—Nubra, Sham, Changthang, Zanskar, and Drass—ensuring that administrative functioning begins without delay.
At the outset, it is important to acknowledge and congratulat...
AI and India’s Job Market: Transformation, Not Catastrophe
Biju Dharmapalan
The spectre of artificial intelligence destroying jobs has become one of the most persistent anxieties of our times. Boardrooms and classrooms alike buzz with the same dread- are machines on the verge of replacing us at a scale never seen before? There is little concrete proof so far that AI has significantly disrupted employment patterns. Instead, what we are witnessing is not a sudden collapse of jobs, but the early stages of a complex and uneven transformation.
The Indian ...
Farming on the Edge: Climate-Resilient Agriculture in India’s Fragile Himalayan Regions
Biju Dharmapalan
India’s agricultural landscape stands at a critical crossroads. Unpredictable and erratic
monsoons, prolonged droughts, unseasonal rainfall, and increasing pest outbreaks are no
longer anomalies—they are becoming the norm. Against this backdrop, farming that is
resilient to the impacts of climate is not a political option, but a national need in this changing
environment. Its effects are far more extensive than harvests and may define the future of
food security, the livelihoods o...