Till Article 371-like safeguards, make Ladakh Resident Certificate mandatory for tourism registration: Ladakh hoteliers
Ladakh hoteliers are demanding that the Ladakh Resident Certificate be made mandatory for tourism business registration. They argue this is a necessary interim measure to protect local livelihoods from external competition until constitutional safeguards like the Sixth Schedule are implemented.
Why it matters
This highlights the tension between economic development, tourism growth, and the protection of indigenous rights in ecologically sensitive regions.
Fearing a fallout on family-run guest houses and homestays of locals if outside players enter into Ladakh tourism sector, there is a growing demand to make the Ladakh Resident Certificate (LRC) a mandatory document for tourism business registration in the ecologically-sensitive region.
“The government has committed to providing constitutional and legislative safeguards, including the long-awaited Sixth Schedule/ Article 371-related protections for Ladakh. Until these safeguards are concretely implemented, the LRC is an essential and practical interim mechanism to protect local participation in the tourism sector,” Rigzin Wangmo Lachic, president of the All Ladakh Hotel and Guest House Association (ALHAGHA), told The Hindu .
The growing concern among locals engaged in the tourism sector stems from record footfall of 3.30 lakh tourists visiting the region between January and July 2026, already touching the 2025 figures of 3.35 lakh, and the Ladakh administration plans to expand tourism infrastructure in the region.
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