The Centre has amended Ladakh's hill council rules governing composition, tenure and elections. The changes align local bodies with the Union territory's post-2019 administrative framework.
The Centre has amended Ladakh's hill council rules.
New Delhi,Oct 17, 2026 17:59 IST
The Centre has amended the rules governing the Autonomous Hill Development Councils in Ladakh, bringing their legal terminology, administrative structure and electoral provisions in line with the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, news agency Press Trust of India reported.
The amendments specify the composition and tenure of the councils, the authority responsible for conducting elections, and the process for resolving electoral disputes. The 2019 Act led to the creation of the Union territory of Ladakh.
Under the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (Amendment) Regulation, the Ladakh administration will determine the number of elected seats in each council. A council must have at least seven and no more than 24 elected seats.
The administration can nominate up to four members from among women and communities without representation, subject to a limit of one-sixth of the population, according to PTI. The sitting Lok Sabha MP representing Ladakh will be an ex-officio member of the council constituted for each district.
Each council will have a five-year term from the date set for its first meeting unless it is dissolved earlier. The term can be extended if conducting elections is considered impracticable.
The regulation replaces references to the “state” and “governor” with the “Union territory of Ladakh” and “Administrator”, respectively.
The State Election Commission for the Union territory of Ladakh will supervise, direct and control council elections and the preparation of electoral rolls.
Election disputes can be raised by filing petitions directly before the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh within 45 days of the declaration of results.
The regulation defines district areas under the law as Leh, Sham, Nubra, Changthang, Kargil, Zanskar and Drass, along with any newly created districts.
The councils will exercise the powers of panchayats at the district level. They will be treated as district-level panchayats for exercising powers and carrying out functions under the Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act, 1989.
The amendments, therefore, revise the composition, tenure and election process of Ladakh’s hill councils while aligning their legal and administrative framework with the Union territory’s present structure.
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