After six years as a Union Territory without an elected legislature, Ladakhis have been demanding statehood and Sixth Schedule constitution...

After six years as a Union Territory without an elected legislature, Ladakhis have been demanding statehood and Sixth Schedule constitutional protections — the framework that would give tribal communities control over their land, forests, and culture. The Centre's response, notified on April 27, 2026, was to split Ladakh from 2 districts into 7. Citizens who once trekked hundreds of kilometres across treacherous mountain passes to reach a government office will now trek shorter distances to reach the same kind of office. Protests demanding a legislature turned violent in 2025, killing four people. The administration confirmed there will still not be a legislature. Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena noted the move "enhances decentralised governance," which is technically accurate if you define governance as the number of buildings with the word "Collectorate" on them.