Centre rejects Sixth Schedule, statehood for Ladakh, offers council

Locals stage a protest demanding statehood and protections under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution for the Union Territory, in Ladakh. (Source: PTI)

• Centre rejects Ladakh's statehood and Sixth Schedule demands
• Centre offers territorial council model instead
• Leaders demand release of activist Sonam Wangchuk

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The Centre has rejected two key demands -- of statehood and granting Sixth Schedule status to Ladakh, according to a report by TOI. These two demands were sought by Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil democratic Alliance (KDA), the region's two major political organisations, according to a report by TOI.

The leaders  were in Delhi last week to discuss issues regarding statehood and Sixth Schedule status. However, the Centre had made its stance clear during the meeting, the report claimed citing them. The leaders said that the Centre had instead offered a 'territorial council' model.

Under this proposal, chief executive councillor of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) will be designated as CM and the deputy chief executive councillor as deputy CM.

The October 22, 2025, draft proposal submitted by the group regarding Statehood and inclusion of Ladakh under the sixth schedule of the Constitution, thus giving it a tribal status, was discussed at the meeting.

The leaders also demanded the unconditional release of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and others who were detained after the September 24, 2025, violence in Leh city, where four persons were killed, and several were injured. Mr. Wangchuk is presently detained under the National Security Act at the Jodhpur prison in Rajasthan.

The Sixth Schedule aims to protect tribal populations and their interests through autonomous governance. It is applicable to Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram. The Sixth Schedule establishes autonomous institutional mechanisms which have legislative, judicial and executive powers for governance. The councils derive all their powers and functions directly from the Constitution.

Ladakh’s demand for inclusion in the Sixth Schedule is for autonomy to make and have say in the laws of the union territory, with the intention of sustainable development and protecting its unique environment and the culture of the tribal people. About 97% of Ladakh’s population is estimated to be tribal.

Before 2019, as part of Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh enjoyed constitutional safeguards under Article 370 and 35A. However, their revocation left the Ladakh people without legislation to protect their land, culture, and jobs, and their statehood was reduced to a Union Territory without a legislature. Seeking alternatives, Ladakh sought safeguards and legislative powers. Article 244A, under the Sixth Schedule, was identified as offering both.