Ladakh’s Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena notified the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (Amendment) Regulation, 2026, extending the autonomous framework to all eight districts of the Union Territory. The regulation, promulgated by President Droupadi Murmu, aligns the council structure with the expanded district map, which now includes Sankoo alongside Sham, Nubra, Changthang, Zanskar, and Drass.

The notification follows the administration’s April decision to increase the number of districts from two to seven, and later to eight. The amended framework aims to strengthen grassroots democracy by providing for local representation and addressing development priorities across the region.

First Medical College Set to Open

In a separate move, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare gave the green light to launch Ladakh’s inaugural medical college in Leh starting the 2027-28 academic session. The new college aims to provide residents of the Union Territory with nearer medical training options, filling a longstanding shortage of local professional-education opportunities.

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The ministry granted a one-time relaxation, allowing the recruitment of faculty and support staff before the completion of 80 per cent of the infrastructure. Shri Saxena credited Union Health Minister J. P. Nadda for the approval, describing the college as a long-standing aspiration of the people of Ladakh.

The amendment also alters the count of seats in the hill councils so that the electoral map and representation line up with the freshly drawn district borders. Shri Saxena expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah, noting that the change will bolster grassroots democracy, enhance local representation, and support inclusivity in the Union Territory’s governance.