Job Quota Not Enough: Sonam Wangchuk Reiterates Ladakh’s Core Demands Of Statehood, Sixth Schedule Protections

Climate activist and education reformer Sonam Wangchuk has warned the central government against treating the recent job reservation notification for Ladakh as a final solution to the region’s political and constitutional demands. Calling the move a “partial resolution,” Wangchuk said that the core issues of statehood and inclusion under the Sixth Schedule have yet to even enter the discussion, the Print reported.

Earlier this week, the Centre notified a set of policy measures for Ladakh, including reserving 85% of all government jobs for local residents and allotting one-third of seats in hill councils to women on a rotational basis. The notification also established strict domicile criteria and declared five official languages for the Union Territory: English, Hindi, Urdu, Bhoti, and Purgi.

While the move was welcomed by some as a step forward, Wangchuk emphasized that the policy addresses only the “least important” of the region’s long-standing demands, the Print reported.

“This is not a resolution of Ladakhi issues. It is only a partial resolution of the third and least important of our demands—youth employment,” Wangchuk told The Print. “The core demands of statehood and Sixth Schedule protections have not even come up for discussions yet. If the Centre stops here, it will be a serious breach of trust.”

He expressed concern that the Centre might project the job quota as the final word on Ladakh’s political future, saying that doing so would leave the people of the region feeling “cheated.”

“There is growing confusion and anxiety,” he added. “The Centre had earlier promised that this would be just the first step toward addressing Ladakh’s urgent concerns. If this is the only step, then it fundamentally fails to meet the expectations of the people.”

Cherring Dorjay Lakruk, president of the Ladakh Buddhist Association and co-convener of the Leh Apex Body, echoed a more measured sentiment, calling the notification “the best we could negotiate with the Centre for now.”

“It met one of our key demands—85% job reservation for Ladakhis,” Dorjay said. “But confusion remains among the public. Some mistakenly believe that Scheduled Tribes from outside the region may be eligible for these benefits. We will soon hold a press conference to clarify.”

Hill council representatives broadly welcomed the policy as a positive development, while also acknowledging that discussions on the more critical demands—statehood and constitutional safeguards under the Sixth Schedule—remain pending.

The newly announced domicile rules also exclude children of central government employees from claiming Ladakhi domicile status unless they can prove continuous residence in the region for 15 years since October 31, 2019, when Ladakh officially became a Union Territory.

While the Centre's notification marks a shift in policy approach toward addressing local concerns, for many Ladakhis, the key issues of identity, autonomy, and constitutional protection are still waiting to be addressed at the negotiating table.