President Droupadi Murmu Approves ‘Ladakh Official Languages Regulation, 2025’ to Formalize Regional Language Use.
National
In June 2025, the Ministry of Law and Justice (MoL&J), Government of India (GoI), announced that President Droupadi Murmu has promulgated ‘The Ladakh Official Languages Regulation, 2025’, officially designating English, Hindi, Urdu, Bhoti, and Purgi as the official languages of the Union Territory (UT) of Ladakh.
- The Regulation mandates that English will continue to be used for all official purposes, maintaining administrative continuity alongside native languages.
- The Administrator of Ladakh has been directed to establish institutional frameworks, including an Academy of Art, Culture, and Languages, to promote the preservation and development of regional languages such as Shina (Dardic), Brokskat (Dardic), Balti, and Ladakhi.
Main Point :- (i) This amendment provides 85% reservation in public employment for the residents of Ladakh, significantly prioritizing local representation. It also excludes the existing 10% reservation for the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS). As a result, the total reservation in public employment in Ladakh rises to 95%, ensuring enhanced opportunities for the local population.
(ii) This regulation mandates one-third (1/3rd) reservation for women in both the Leh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) and the Kargil Autonomous Hill Development Council (KAHDC).
(iii) The reserved constituencies for women members will be rotated periodically, based on serial numbers officially notified in the gazette, promoting equitable gender representation in local governance.
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