Excelsior Correspondent
LEH, Oct 4: The Chief Secretary of Ladakh, Dr Pawan Kotwal, today provided updates on various issues concerning the Union Territory and informed that out of the 70-detained youth after recent unrest, 30 have already been released.
While addressing a press briefing, he assured that no innocent misguided youngster will face hardship and the remaining individuals, who are in judicial custody, will be released as per court orders.
The Chief Secretary emphasized that the investigation would clearly establish how some leaders acted in a destructive manner and played with the future of Ladakh.
He highlighted that the Government has been actively engaged with Ladakh leaders through formal and informal talks. Even before the scheduled meeting of the High-Powered Committee (HPC) on October 6, preparatory meetings were scheduled to be held on September 25 and 26, 2025, he added.
“It is well known that the Government of India has engaged in dialogue process extensively with the Apex Body Leh (ABL) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) through the HPC, its Sub-Committee, and through several informal meetings, the dialogue process which has been fruitful,” he said, adding that the mechanism of dialogue process has yielded significant results, including raising the Scheduled Tribe (ST) reservation for Ladakh from 45% to 84% (including 4% for LAC reservation who are STs).
He further informed that the rules have been amended to ensure that the unfilled 10% EWS quota goes to general ST candidates in the same recruitment exercise, Providing 1/3 reservation for women in the Councils, declaring Bhoti and Purgi as official languages of Ladakh and recruitment of 1385 Non-Gazetted Posts through District Recruitment Boards and the Ladakh Subordinate Services Staff Selection Board, in addition to 3179 Non-Gazetted Posts already filled between 2021 and 2024, he added.
The Chief Secretary informed that recruitment for Gazetted Posts has also been initiated by the UPSC and a total of 224 posts (125 Medical Officers, 67 Lecturers, and 32 Accounts Officers) have been advertised. Recruitment for the remaining 156 Gazetted vacancies will be notified in the recruitment year 2026 by the UPSC, he added.
“While constructive talks were progressing positively, certain sections attempted to derail the process, misled the public, and continued hunger strikes despite scheduled discussions. This led to the unfortunate law-and-order situation on September 24 and the tragic loss of four lives,” Dr Kotwal said and claimed that investigating agencies possess clear evidence regarding these events, and the truth about the firing incidents will also emerge during the investigation.
Dr Kotwal stressed that the entire episode could have been avoided, had some leaders put Ladakh’s interests above personal and political ambitions by calling off the hunger strike when dialogue dates had already been fixed.
He said that Ladakh is being developed as a carbon-neutral region and no mining or commercial exploitation of resources is being carried out. “All development will be based on community consultation and consent. Allegations of demographic flooding or cultural homogenization are misleading. Ladakh’s identity and cultural heritage remain fully protected,” he said and added that all land powers remain with the respective LAHDCs.
“The people of Ladakh are known for their peace-loving nature, strong patriotism, and immense contribution to nation-building and safeguarding India’s frontiers. The Government has always expressed its desire for open and constructive dialogue and have never avoided any meeting regarding the dialogue. The Government remains committed to addressing the aspirations of the people of Ladakh, particularly the younger generation, and will continue to work for the protection of their land, livelihoods, culture, and environment,” Dr. Kotwal concluded.
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