Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council
Also called: LAHDC · Topic: Special Provisions, Scheduled and Tribal Areas · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (LAHDC) are elected councils for Leh (from 1995) and Kargil (from 2003). They have powers over local development and land use. Since 2019, Ladakh has been a Union territory (UT) without a legislature, so these councils are the people's main elected bodies there. In 2019, the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes recommended Sixth Schedule status, because over 97% of Ladakh's people are tribal. The Sixth Schedule would give tribal councils stronger powers that are protected by the Constitution.
Example
The Apex Body Leh and the Kargil Democratic Alliance demand statehood and the Sixth Schedule. Talks in 2025 produced 84% job reservation for STs and one-third of hill council seats for women. Violence broke out in Leh on 24 September 2025 (verify current).
Don't confuse with
- Sixth Schedule councils: Art. 244(2) covers only Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram. Giving Ladakh the Sixth Schedule would need a constitutional amendment.