UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Ladakh seeks belonging through representation
Q1. The Union Territory of Ladakh was constituted as a Union Territory without a legislature under which one of the following?
- A. The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019
- B. The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Act, 2023
- C. The Constitution (Application to Jammu and Kashmir) Order, 2019
- D. The States Reorganisation Act, 1956
Q2. In the context of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, a 'Union Territory without legislature' such as Ladakh is best described as one that:
- A. is administered by the President acting through a Lieutenant Governor and has no elected legislative assembly
- B. has an elected legislative assembly but is headed by a Governor instead of a Lieutenant Governor
- C. is governed directly by the Ministry of Home Affairs with no administrator appointed for it
- D. is administered by a Chief Minister assisted by an elected council of ministers
Q3. The Sixth Schedule of the Constitution provides for the administration of tribal areas through Autonomous District Councils. With reference to the States to whose tribal areas the Sixth Schedule currently applies, consider the following:
1. Assam
2. Meghalaya
3. Mizoram
4. Nagaland
Which of the above is/are correctly identified?
- Assam
- Meghalaya
- Mizoram
- Nagaland
- A. 1, 2 and 3
- B. 1 and 4 only
- C. 2, 3 and 4
- D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Q4. With reference to the Fifth Schedule and the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, consider the following statements:
1. The Sixth Schedule applies to the tribal areas of the four north-eastern States, whereas the Fifth Schedule applies to Scheduled Areas in other States.
2. The Sixth Schedule provides for elected Autonomous District Councils, a feature absent from the Fifth Schedule framework.
3. The Sixth Schedule is drawn from Article 244(1) while the Fifth Schedule is drawn from Article 244(2).
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- The Sixth Schedule applies to the tribal areas of the four north-eastern States, whereas the Fifth Schedule applies to Scheduled Areas in other States.
- The Sixth Schedule provides for elected Autonomous District Councils, a feature absent from the Fifth Schedule framework.
- The Sixth Schedule is drawn from Article 244(1) while the Fifth Schedule is drawn from Article 244(2).
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 2 and 3 only
- C. 1 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q5. With reference to the High-Powered Committee (HPC) on Ladakh and the dialogue on Ladakh's demands, consider the following:
1. The Committee was constituted by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
2. The Leh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance are the two civil-society coalitions engaged in the talks.
3. The Committee's mandate is confined solely to the demand for statehood and to no other issue.
4. The Committee's remit includes protecting land and employment and empowering the Autonomous Hill Development Councils of Leh and Kargil.
Which of the above is/are correctly identified?
- The Committee was constituted by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
- The Leh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance are the two civil-society coalitions engaged in the talks.
- The Committee's mandate is confined solely to the demand for statehood and to no other issue.
- The Committee's remit includes protecting land and employment and empowering the Autonomous Hill Development Councils of Leh and Kargil.
- A. 1, 2 and 4
- B. 1, 3 and 4
- C. 2, 3 and 4
- D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Q6. With reference to the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), consider the following statements:
1. The Leh Apex Body draws mainly from the Buddhist-majority Leh district, while the Kargil Democratic Alliance is centred in the Muslim-majority Kargil district.
2. Both bodies have jointly pressed for statehood and inclusion of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule.
3. The two bodies negotiate wholly separately with the Centre and have never articulated a common set of demands.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- The Leh Apex Body draws mainly from the Buddhist-majority Leh district, while the Kargil Democratic Alliance is centred in the Muslim-majority Kargil district.
- Both bodies have jointly pressed for statehood and inclusion of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule.
- The two bodies negotiate wholly separately with the Centre and have never articulated a common set of demands.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 2 and 3 only
- C. 1 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q7. With reference to the five new districts notified in the Union Territory of Ladakh, consider the following:
1. Nubra, Sham and Changthang were carved out of the erstwhile Leh district.
2. Zanskar and Drass were carved out of the erstwhile Kargil district.
3. The reorganisation raised Ladakh's total number of districts from two to seven.
4. Zanskar was carved out of the erstwhile Leh district.
Which of the above is/are correctly identified?
- Nubra, Sham and Changthang were carved out of the erstwhile Leh district.
- Zanskar and Drass were carved out of the erstwhile Kargil district.
- The reorganisation raised Ladakh's total number of districts from two to seven.
- Zanskar was carved out of the erstwhile Leh district.
- A. 1, 2 and 3
- B. 1, 2 and 4
- C. 2, 3 and 4
- D. 1, 3 and 4
Q8. Following the notification of new districts in the Union Territory of Ladakh, how many districts does Ladakh now comprise in total?
- A. Five
- B. Six
- C. Seven
- D. Nine
Q9. With reference to the Article 371-series special provisions and the Sixth Schedule, consider the following statements:
1. Articles 371 to 371-J contain special provisions for certain States such as Maharashtra, Gujarat, Nagaland and Sikkim.
2. Unlike the Sixth Schedule, the Article 371-series provisions do not, by themselves, establish Autonomous District Councils.
3. Every State of the Indian Union is covered by some special provision under the Article 371 series.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- Articles 371 to 371-J contain special provisions for certain States such as Maharashtra, Gujarat, Nagaland and Sikkim.
- Unlike the Sixth Schedule, the Article 371-series provisions do not, by themselves, establish Autonomous District Councils.
- Every State of the Indian Union is covered by some special provision under the Article 371 series.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 2 and 3 only
- C. 1 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q10. The hunger strike begun by Sonam Wangchuk in September 2025 was undertaken primarily to press which one of the following demands?
- A. Inclusion of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule and the grant of statehood
- B. Creation of five additional administrative districts in Ladakh
- C. Restoration of Article 370 to the Ladakh region
- D. Merger of Ladakh with the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir
Q11. The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes, which recommended bringing the Union Territory of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule, is a constitutional body established under which one of the following Articles?
- A. Article 338
- B. Article 338A
- C. Article 338B
- D. Article 340
Q12. With how many neighbouring countries does the Union Territory of Ladakh share disputed frontiers?
- A. One
- B. Two
- C. Three
- D. Four