Home Ministry Proposes New 'Chapter K' Under Article 371 for Elected Governing Body in Ladakh

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has proposed introducing a new constitutional provision, Chapter K under Article 371, to create an elected governing body with legislative powers for the Union Territory of Ladakh. The proposal was presented during a high-level sub-committee meeting in New Delhi attended by senior government officials and representatives from the Leh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance. Under the proposed Article 371(K), the Union Territory would receive a directly elected UT-level body vested with legislative, executive, and financial authority over key subjects including land, culture, language, forests, environment, and natural resources. This sui generis (unique) governance model aims to fulfill the political aspirations of the local population while maintaining constitutional safeguards without granting full statehood or a traditional assembly status. Following the reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir in 2019, Ladakh was designated as a Union Territory without a legislature, leading to widespread local demands for democratic representation, tribal rights protection, and ecological preservation. While civil society leaders expressed cautious optimism regarding the democratic empowerment, they requested detailed written draft texts to evaluate the proposed powers and the distribution of administrative responsibilities between the existing Hill Councils and the new governing structure before final consensus is reached.