Ladakh – Ladakh is a region administered by India as a union territory, and constitutes a part of the larger Kashmir region, which has been the subject of dispute between India, Pakistan, and China since 1947.It was established on 31 October 2019, following the passage of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act. Ladakh is bordered by the Tibet Autonomous Region to the east, the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh to the south, both the Indian-administered union territory of Jammu and Kashmir and the Pakistan-administered Gilgit-Baltistan to the west, and the southwest corner of Xinjiang across the Karakoram Pass in the far north. It extends from the Siachen Glacier in the Karakoram range to the north to the main Great Himalayas to the south. The eastern end, consisting of the uninhabited Aksai Chin plains, is claimed by the Indian Government as part of Ladakh, and has been under Chinese control since 1962.

The largest town in Ladakh is Leh, followed by Kargil, each of which headquarters a district.

State to UT

In February 2019, Ladakh became a separate Revenue and Administrative Division within Jammu and Kashmir, having previously been part of the Kashmir Division. As a division, Ladakh was granted its own Divisional Commissioner and Inspector General of Police.

Leh was initially chosen to be the headquarters of the new division however, following protests, it was announced that Leh and Kargil will jointly serve as the divisional headquarters, each hosting an Additional Divisional Commissioner to assist the Divisional Commissioner and Inspector General of Police who will spend half their time in each town.

In August 2019, the Government of India barred all broadband as well as mobile internet services in the region to prevent the deliberately fabricated falsehood on social media. In January 2020, 2G internet was resumed with no access to social media.

The lockdown started on 5 August 2019 following Revocation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir via scrapping of the Article 370 of the Constitution of India, Article 35A of the Constitution of India and the introduction of Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019. Since 5 August, no foreign journalists have been granted permission from the Indian government to report in Kashmir.

According to a September 6 report of the Indian government, nearly 4,000 people have been illegally arrested and detained in the disputed region. Among those arrested were more than 200 politicians, including two former chief ministers of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), along with more than 100 leaders and activists from All Parties Hurriyat Conference.

The lockdown ended with the resumption of all communication services, allowing 4G and 3G Internet services, in early February 2021.

Central UNI

The Union Cabinet has given its approval of the formation of a Central University in Ladakh. This project cost for the formation of this university will be Rs 750 crore.

• In four years the first phase of the university will be completed.
• To facilitate the formation of Central University in Ladakh the bill for amending Central Universities Act, 2009 will be introduced.
• Establishing this university will aid the propagation of higher education in this region.
• The jurisdiction of this Central University will cover the entire region of Ladakh including Kargil and Leh

Other important announcements

• The formation of an integrated multipurpose corporation was also announced by the cabinet. This corporation will shoulder development projects in Ladakh.
• This corporation will also look after the development of tourism, industries, and various transport services in Ladakh as well as marketing of the regions handicrafts and local products.
• This corporation will also aid in the development of infrastructure in this region and will as Ladakh’s the primary infrastructure construction agency.
• This corporation will be formed under the Companies Act and will have an authorised share capital of Rs 25 crore with an annual outlay of Rs 2.42 crore.
• This corporation will also create job opportunities in this region.