Administration of Ladakh

The Administration of Union Territory of Ladakh (sic) is the governing authority of the Indian union territory of Ladakh and its two districts. The Administration is led by a Lieutenant Governor appointed by the President of India who acts on behalf of the central Government of India. Ladakh does not have an elected legislative assembly.^[1] The two districts of Ladakh both elect their own autonomous district councils, the Leh Autonomous Hill development council and the Kargil Autonomous Hill development Council, which have competence over a range of domestic affairs.^[2]

Administration of Ladakh

Seat of Government	Leh, Kargil
Country	India
Executive branch
Lieutenant Governor	Kavinder Gupta
Chief Secretary	Dr Pawan Kotwal, IAS
Judiciary
High Court	High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh
Chief Justice	Arun Palli

History of Ladakh

Main article: Politics of Ladakh

Ladakh became part of the Dominion of India on 26 October 1947 as a region of the State of Jammu and Kashmir. The status of the region was upgraded to that of a Revenue and Administrative Division of Jammu and Kashmir in February 2019^[3] and Ladakh became a union territory in its own right a few months later on 31 October 2019.^[4]

Executive and legislative authority

Ladakh is administered as a union territory without a legislative assembly by virtue of Article 240 (2) of the Constitution of India and under the terms of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019. Union territory of Ladakh will be administered by the President acting through a Lieutenant Governor to be appointed by him under Article 239. The President may make regulations for the peace, progress and good government of the Union territory of Ladakh under article 240. The Lieutenant Governor shall be assisted by advisor(s) to be appointed by the Central Government.^[5]

Judiciary and law enforcement

Ladakh is under the jurisdiction of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court which sits in Jammu and Srinagar.^[6] Law enforcement is the responsibility of the Ladakh Police which is under the authority of the Ministry of Home Affairs of the Government of India.^[7]

Office holders

• Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh - Kavinder Gupta
  • Advisor to the Lieutenant Governor - Umang Narula^[8]
  • Principal Secretary - Dr. Pawan Kotwal, IAS
  • Commissioner Secretary - Ajeet Kumar Sahu, IAS
  • Divisional Commissioner - Saugat Biswas, IAS
  • Inspector General of Police - S. S. Khandare,^[8] IPS
  • Secretary - Ravinder Kumar, IAS
  • Secretary - Padma Angmo, IIS
  • Secretary - K. Mehboob Ali Khan, IRS
    • Deputy Commissioner Kargil District - Rakesh Kumar
      • Chairman/Chief Executive Councillor, LAHDC Kargil - Mohammad Jaffer Akhone
    • Deputy Commissioner Leh District - Romil Singh Donk
      • Chairman/Chief Executive Councillor, LAHDC Leh - Tashi Gyalson

See also

• Geography of Ladakh
• List of districts of Ladakh
• Tourism in Ladakh