Ladakh hill council rules amended: 7 to 24 elected members per council
Why in the news
The Centre has amended the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils law to bring the councils’ terms, structure and election rules in line with the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 (reported 17 October 2026).
Key facts
- Instrument: Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (Amendment) Regulation.
- Terminology: “State” becomes “Union territory of Ladakh” and “Governor” becomes “Administrator”.
- Elected seats: the Ladakh administration will fix the number for each council, with a minimum of 7 and a maximum of 24.
- Nominated members: up to 4, drawn from women and unrepresented communities, subject to a one-sixth population limit.
- Ex-officio member: the Lok Sabha MP from Ladakh sits on the council of each district.
- Term: five years from the date fixed for the first meeting, unless dissolved earlier; it can be extended if elections are found impracticable.
| Feature | Provision |
|---|---|
| Elected seats | 7 to 24 |
| Nominated seats | Up to 4 |
| Ex-officio | Ladakh Lok Sabha MP |
| Term | 5 years |
About the hill councils
Elected councils were set up under the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council Act, 1997, first in Leh and later in Kargil. In early September 2026, LG Vinai Kumar Saxena approved a notification creating councils for all seven districts: Leh, Kargil, Sham, Nubra, Changthang, Zanskar and Drass.
Exam angle
- The change of “State” to “Union territory of Ladakh” and “Governor” to “Administrator” follows the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019.
- Remember the numbers: 7-24 elected, up to 4 nominated, five-year term.
- Know the seven districts now covered by hill councils.