Excelsior Correspondent
LEH, Jun 3: In a landmark decision, the Government of India has amended the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (LAHDC) Act, 1997, to provide 33% reservation for women in the LAHDC elections. This is being hailed as a major breakthrough in the political history of Ladakh, aiming to ensure greater gender representation in grassroots governance.
According to the gazette notification issued by the Ministry of Law and Justice:
“In section 4 of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils Act, 1997, after sub-section (1), the following sub-sections shall be inserted:
(1A) Not less than one-third of the total number of seats in the Council shall be reserved for women, and such seats may be allotted by rotation to different territorial constituencies.
(1B) The rotation of constituencies reserved for women referred to in sub-section (1A) shall be made on the basis of the serial number allotted to each constituency by notification in the Official Gazette.”
The decision has been widely welcomed across the region. Women leaders from various religious organizations have lauded the move, calling it a long-pending demand and expressing deep satisfaction that women will finally be represented in the LAHDC.
They also expressed gratitude to Chief Executive Councillor, LAHDC, Leh Tashi Gyalson and other leaders who have pursued it with the Government of India.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Ladakh has also applauded the development, terming it a historic milestone. The party thanked the Narendra Modi-led government for taking a decisive step toward the political empowerment of women in Ladakh.
Political analysts and civil society members view the amendment as a progressive reform that will pave the way for greater inclusivity and participation of women in local governance.
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