MHA proposes new Chapter K under Article 371 for Ladakh
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has proposed creating an elected body for Ladakh under a new Chapter K of Article 371 of the Constitution. While the government frames this as a step toward deepening democracy, local civil society groups remain cautious and are demanding more detailed draft proposals.
Why it matters
This proposal represents a significant constitutional development for the governance and autonomy of the Union Territory of Ladakh.
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has proposed an elected body for the Union Territory (UT) of Ladakh by introducing a new constitutional provision under Article 371 of the Constitution in a proposed Chapter K, civil society members who attended a meeting with MHA officials in Delhi on Wednesday (September 9, 2026) said.
Cherring Dorjay Lakruk of the Leh Apex Body (LAB), who attended the meeting, told The Hindu, however, that he was “disappointed” as this was a reiteration of the May 22 meeting and that even though they were shown a PowerPoint presentation mentioning Chapter K, they were not yet provided a detailed “draft proposal” by the MHA.
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