Ladakh to get autonomous hill development councils and UT body
India
Big update for Ladakh: each of its seven districts will now have its own Autonomous Hill Development Council, plus a new union territory-level governing body.
Announced by Chief Secretary Ashish Kundra, this change follows Ladakh's split from two to seven districts earlier this year.
Councils use Article 371 protections
These councils aim to bring decision-making closer to the people.
Kundra called it a "major step toward democratic decentralization and grassroots governance" for grassroots governance and fair development.
The new setup uses a special Article 371 framework, giving Ladakh more say in protecting its culture and running local affairs.
This move follows years of local groups pushing for stronger protections after Article 370 was scrapped back in 2019.