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...

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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 ...

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From Climate Innovator to Political Prisoner: The Sonam Wangchuk Affair

The arrest and eventual release of Sonam Wangchuk has become a revealing
episode in India’s evolving relationship with dissent. What began as a campaign for
environmental protection and constitutional safeguards in Ladakh ended with a
globally recognized climate innovator spending nearly six months in jail under a
national security law.

For observers of South Asian politics, the affair offers a window into a broader
tension between centralized governance and regional demands for autonomy in
post-20...

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امن کے نام پر امریکی بالادستی

از قلم:مجتبیٰ علی شجاعی

دنیا ایک ایسے دوراہے پر کھڑی ہے جہاں الفاظ اور اعمال کے درمیان فاصلہ روز بروز بڑھتا جا رہا ہے۔ امن،انسانی حقوق اور عالمی ذمہ داری جیسے خوش نما نعروں کے پیچھے طاقت، مفادات اور بالادستی کی وہ سیاست کارفرما ہے جس نے مشرق وسطیٰ کو مسلسل آگ میں جھونک رکھا ہے۔ اسی پس منظر میں امریکی صدر ڈونلڈ ٹرمپ کی جانب سے غزہ بورڈ آف پیس کا تصور سامنے آتا ہے، جو اپنی ساخت، وقت اور مقاصد کے اعتبار سے کئی سنجیدہ اور بنیادی سوالات کو جنم دیتا ہے۔

ٹرمپ کا یہ نام نہاد منصوبہ اس وقت سامن...

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A Global Market in The Making: Can Ladakh’s GI Products Reach the World?

-Sonam Wangdus, Adu

Ladakh is often described as India’s coldest and most remote region, a high-altitude desert where
mountains dominate the horizon and life follows the rhythms of nature. Its cultural richness is
inseparable from its geography: pastoral and tribal communities, multi-religious traditions, and
ways of living shaped by long winters, fragile ecosystems, and difficult terrain. For centuries,
mountain passes and extreme weather kept Ladakh physically and economically isolated,
allo...

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Massive Rally in Kargil Voices Solidarity with Iran’s Supreme Leader & Condemns US-Israel Policies

In Kargil, the Imam Khomeini Memorial Trust (IKMT) organized a grand rally and gathering after noon prayers to express unwavering support for the Islamic Republic of Iran, the system of Wilayat-e-Faqih, and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Thousands of participants, including men, women, scholars, and representatives from various social and religious groups, marched from Jamia Masjid through the main market to the Old Taxi Stand. They carried portraits of Khamenei and placards declarin...

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ہر وار سہہ کر آگے بڑھتا انقلاب اسلامی ایران

تحریر:مجتبیٰ علی شجاعی

ایران کے حالیہ حالات کو محض وقتی بدامنی یا داخلی اضطراب کے طور پر دیکھنا حقیقت سے چشم پوشی کے مترادف ہوگا۔ یہ واقعات دراصل اس طویل کشمکش کی تازہ کڑی ہیں جو اسلامی جمہوریہ ایران اور عالمی استکباری قوتوں کے درمیان دہائیوں سے جاری ہے۔ اس بار بھی طریقۂ واردات وہی تھا۔عوامی مشکلات کو بنیاد بنا کر جذبات کو بھڑکانا، اختلافِ رائے کو تشدد میں بدلنا، اور پھر اس پورے عمل کو ’’عوامی تحریک‘‘ کا نام دے کر عالمی سطح پر پیش کرنا۔

 مگر تاریخ نے ایک بار پھر ثابت کر دیا کہ جمہوری ا...

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A Mockery of the LAHDC Act

On the 12th of November, the administration of the Union Territory of Ladakh issued a notification under Section 4(2) of the LAHDC Act nominating the BJP worker Advocate Reyaz Ahmad Khan as the fourth nominated member/councillor of the 5th Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council Kargil. He had unsuccessfully contested council elections on the BJP ticket for the Chuliskambo constituency in 2023. The government is empowered to nominate up to four members to the council under the said provis...

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Why Do Many People Prefer Going Outside Kargil for Medical Treatment?

In Kargil, a sentence is often heard when someone falls sick:

“Don’t depend only on the local hospital. Go to Kashmir.”

This advice is given by neighbors, relatives, and even well-wishers. But why has this thought become so common?

Many patients share similar experiences. They go to the hospital in Kargil, explain their health problem, and get some tests done. The doctors say the reports are normal and there is no serious issue.

But later, when the same patient goes to Kashmir fo...

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Wedding Season Peaks in Kargil – Fireworks, Loudspeakers & Traffic Chaos Trouble Administration

October 20, 2025: The wedding season in Kargil district is at its peak, filling streets and highways with vibrant celebrations. From narrow lanes to main roads, the atmosphere is festive — one wedding procession after another moves through the town, with convoys of vehicles carrying guests to different villages and localities.
As night falls, Kargil echoes with religious songs, qawwalis, and wedding melodies, blaring from loudspeakers as processions pass by. While these scenes reflect joy and...

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