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The Centre has amended the legal terminology, administrative structure and electoral provisions governing the Autonomous Hill Development Councils in Ladakh to align them with the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, which led to the creation of the Union territory of Ladakh. Under the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (Amendment) Regulation, the number of elected seats in each Council will be determined by the Ladakh administration, with a minimum of seven and a maximum of 24 seats. The administration can nominate up to four members from among women and "unrepresented communities", subject to the one-sixth limit of the population, the regulation states. The sitting Lok Sabha MP representing Ladakh will be an ex-officio member of the Councils constituted for each district. Each Council will have a term of five years from the date appointed for its first meeting, unless dissolved earlier. The term can be extended if holding elections is considered impracticable. Th
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday virtually inaugurated five development projects covering airport infrastructure and strategic road connectivity in Ladakh worth around Rs 3,350 crore. The projects include a new passenger terminal at the Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport in Leh, built for Rs 640 crore. Spread over 23,800 square metres, the modern terminal is designed to handle 35 lakh passengers annually, officials said. It incorporates geothermal energy to enhance energy efficiency and reduce its carbon footprint, reflecting the importance of sustainable infrastructure in Ladakh's ecologically sensitive environment. Blending modern passenger amenities with elements of Ladakh's rich cultural heritage, the terminal will improve passenger convenience and strengthen air connectivity with the rest of the country, the officials said. Modi also dedicated to the nation the 298-km-long Nimmu-Padum-Darcha Road, constructed by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO). Connecting Nimmu in Le
India on Tuesday rejected Beijing's objection to New Delhi announcing standard names of 28 places and features in Ladakh, asserting that the Union territory is an "integral and inalienable" part of the country. Last week, the Union home ministry assigned the standard names to the places and geographical features in Ladakh, including certain key border friction points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) such as Gogra and Hot Spring. India's reaction came hours after China strongly opposed New Delhi assigning the standardised names. "It is reiterated that the UT (Union Territory) of Ladakh is an integral and inalienable part of India. No amount of denial by the Chinese side can change this established fact," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. He said the press release by the Ministry of Home Affairs dated October 2 that China referred to, is "self-explanatory". "The announcement mentions that the 28 places/features located in the UT of Ladakh have been .
China on Tuesday strongly opposed India's decision to assign standardised names to 28 strategic locations and geographical features in Ladakh, claiming that the areas belonged to it. "China has never recognised the so-called 'Union Territory of Ladakh' unilaterally and illegally established by India," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a media briefing here. Beijing, she said, "firmly opposes India's announcement of so-called standard names". Mao was responding to a question on India's Ministry of Home Affairs announcing standardised names for 28 places and geographical features in Ladakh. "The move is illegal and invalid and cannot change the fact that the relevant areas in the western sector of the China-India boundary have always belonged to China," she said. On October 2, India formally identified 28 strategic locations and geographical features in Ladakh, including key border friction points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) such as Gogra and Hot Spring, on the
The Centre has formally identified 28 strategic places and geographical features in Ladakh, including key border friction points along the LAC like Gogra and Hot Spring, on the official Indian map on Friday. The step, taken by the Government in consultation with the Ladakh Union Territory administration, aims to streamline official cartography, facilitate precise identification, and foster better public awareness regarding the sensitive border region. "Government of India, in consultation with the Union Territory of Ladakh, has identified a total of twenty-eight (28) places/features, located in the UT of Ladakh, by standard place and feature names on the official map of Survey of India (SoI)," a government statement said. It said formally identifying them on the Survey of India map of the UT of Ladakh aims to facilitate accurate recognition and greater public awareness. Gogra and Hot Spring are among the major strategic locations and were friction points during the 2020 standoff ..
NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Ashok K Lahiri has emphasised that Ladakh's development strategy should build on its unique strengths, including its natural resources, cultural heritage and renewable-energy potential. He stressed that these advantages must be harnessed in a manner that ensures environmental sustainability and generates livelihood opportunities for the people of the Union territory. Lahiri was chairing a meeting with senior administrative officers, including chief secretary Ashish Kundra, here to review the ongoing projects and key challenges in infrastructure, connectivity, education, tourism, energy, water and employment, an official spokesperson said on Sunday. In the meeting on Saturday, Kundra briefed everyone about Ladakh's finances and highlighted major economic challenges facing the the Union territory. , along with sector-wise GSDP (Gross State Domestic Product), GSVA (Gross State Value Addition) and employment trends. Responding to the chief secretary's request f
President Droupadi Murmu has issued a regulation that establishes a bench of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh in the Union Territory of Ladakh, paving the way for bringing higher judicial services closer to the people of the region. The regulation, titled 'The Union Territory of Ladakh (Sitting of the Bench of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh in Ladakh) Regulation, 2026,' was promulgated by President Murmu on August 27 and published in the Gazette of India Extraordinary on the same day. Issued by the Ministry of Law and Justice, the regulation seeks to establish a high court bench in Ladakh and address related matters, fulfilling a long-standing demand from the people of Ladakh for improved access to higher judicial remedies in the geographically remote area. Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena welcomed the promulgation, stating that the notification was issued within seven days of the Union Cabinet's decision. He emphasised that this quick action ...
Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena on Thursday announced a significant reduction in value-added tax (VAT) on natural gas, including CNG and PNG, from 21 per cent to 5 per cent to promote affordable clean energy and improve ease of living for people in the Union Territory. Saxena said the move would give a major boost to the Centre's larger plan to roll out the city gas distribution (CGD) network to provide affordable piped gas to households across Ladakh. "Glad to share that the UT of Ladakh has significantly reduced VAT on Natural Gas (CNG & PNG) from 21 per cent to just 5 per cent, a major step towards promoting affordable clean energy and improving the ease of living for the people of Ladakh," LG said on X. The VAT reduction would also help offset the high cost of transporting energy due to Ladakh's difficult terrain and extreme climatic conditions, besides encouraging consumers to adopt cleaner fuels, he said. "This brings Ladakh at par with states like Gujarat, ...
Activist Sonam Wangchuk said he decided to end his 26-day hunger strike after receiving the Centre's written assurances because he feared an imminent crackdown on protesters and wanted to prevent violence, recalling the September 24, 2025 firing on youth in Ladakh. In a YouTube video posted late Friday night, Wangchuk dismissed allegations that he had reached a deal with the government. He emphasised that his primary goal was to ensure that students involved in the protests would not face violence or legal consequences. He explained that he did not demand the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan during negotiations because his priority was to prevent any legal actions against protesters. Wangchuk expressed confidence that Pradhan would resign eventually. "Last night around midnight, I was told the ministers had agreed to give the assurance in writing. I was in a hurry because the situation in Delhi was such; there was apprehension that a major crackdown could happen.
The Union Territory Administration will constitute an Autonomous Hill Development Council (AHDC) in each of Ladakh's seven districts, Chief Secretary Ashish Kundra announced on Monday. The official described the move as a major step towards strengthening grassroots governance and balanced development across the region. Ladakh moved from two districts to seven in April 2026, when Sham, Nubra, Changthang, Zanskar, and Drass were notified as new districts. Elected representation until now has remained with the two existing councils, one each in Leh and Kargil. "Ladakh Administration has decided to constitute Autonomous Hill Development Council in each of the seven districts. It is a major step towards democratic decentralisation and grassroots governance," Kundra told reporters here. He said Section 3(1) of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) Act already provides for a council for every district, to be constituted from a date the government notifies in the ...
State-run Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has completed drilling its second geothermal well in Ladakh's Puga Valley, marking another step towards developing India's first pilot geothermal power plant. The company's research and development arm, ONGC Energy Centre, drilled the well to a depth of 1,000 metres at an altitude of more than 14,000 feet in about a month, improving on the timeline and cost of its first geothermal drilling campaign, ONGC said in a social media post. The latest well builds on the success of ONGC's first geothermal well in Puga, which produced steam at temperatures above the boiling point of water, demonstrating the area's geothermal resource potential, the company said. ONGC said the second well would support the development of India's first 1-megawatt electric (MWe) pilot geothermal power plant and could pave the way for commercial exploitation of geothermal energy in the country. The project's next phase includes plans to set up a 1-megawatt electri
Zojila Tunnel saw the light of the day on Tuesday after a breakthrough was achieved through a blast as one of the most ambitious infrastructure projects in the country, the world's longest single-tube bi-directional bypass at a record height, nears completion. "Breakthrough in the 2.5 metre distance in the tunnel has been successfully achieved," officials said. The breakthrough has brought the decades-old dream of all-weather connectivity between the Kashmir Valley and Ladakh closer to reality. Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari pressed the remote button, blasting the breakthrough site near the East Portal of the tunnel at Minimarg in Ladakh Union Territory. Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah were also present. Officials of the National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) said the breakthrough is six months ahead of schedule. The officials said the tunnel is likely to be throw
Ladakh has witnessed a historic surge in tourist arrivals this year, recording a growth of more than 43 per cent during the first five months of 2026, a development that authorities attributed to improved infrastructure, better connectivity and sustained efforts to promote the Union Territory as a premier tourism destination. Known as the "cold desert", Ladakh remains one of India's most sought-after tourist destinations, famed for its dramatic landscapes, pristine lakes, ancient monasteries and adventure tourism. The region is often cut off from the rest of the country during the winter months due to heavy snowfall that blocks the Srinagar-Leh and Manali-Leh highways. Sharing the figures on the social media platform X, Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh V K Saxena said the region registered a remarkable increase in visitor numbers, reflecting the success of initiatives aimed at boosting tourism in the high-altitude Himalayan destination. "Delighted to share that Ladakh has witnessed a .
India and China held "constructive" and "forward-looking" talks on the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, noting that maintaining border peace and tranquillity enabled progress in the normalisation of overall relations. The two sides discussed various aspects of the border situation during a meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) in Beijing on Wednesday. "The discussions were constructive and forward looking," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said, a day after the talks. India and China rolled out a series of measures in the last over one year to rebuild their relationship after it came under severe strain following the deadly Galwan Valley clashes in 2020 and the subsequent military face-off that lasted for over four years, "The two sides reviewed the situation in the India-China border areas. They expressed satisfaction with the progress made in maintaining peace and tranquillity in the border areas, which
Ladakh is set to take a significant step towards clean energy generation with Lt Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena approving the setting up of India's first geothermal power project by the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation at Puga valley in Ladakh, at an altitude of over 14,000 feet. LG approved a five-year extension of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation for the construction of the country's first geothermal power project, officials said. The project, to be developed at an altitude of over 14,000 feet in eastern Ladakh, aims to commercially harness geothermal energy as a sustainable alternative source of power, they said. The earlier tripartite MoU signed on February 6, 2021, between the Ladakh administration, the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Leh, and the ONGC energy centre expired on February 5, 2026. ONGC had sought an extension, citing delays caused by harsh weather conditions and difficult terrain, they said. Consideri