← 19 September 2026's Current Affairs · Polity GS-2 Prelims ★★★★☆ Mains ★★★★★
Ladakh extends Autonomous Hill Development Councils to all seven districts
Why in News?
Ladakh now has seven districts, not two — the LAHDC provision GS2 candidates must know
Ladakh extended its Autonomous Hill Development Councils to cover all seven districts of the Union Territory.
Why it matters: GS-2 core; factual, Prelims-type
What you need to know
2 min read
Ladakh extended its Autonomous Hill Development Councils (LAHDCs) to all seven districts of the Union Territory, with Sham, Nubra, Changthang, Zanskar and Drass added as new districts.
LAHDCs are elected bodies that exercise administrative and financial powers over local development in the hill areas.
Sources: Topper IAS editorial (PIB / The Hindu / Indian Express)
Key facts
Remember these
- Ladakh's Autonomous Hill Development Councils (LAHDCs) now cover all seven districts of the Union Territory
- Sham, Nubra, Changthang, Zanskar and Drass have been added as new districts
- LAHDCs are elected bodies exercising administrative and financial powers over local development in hill areas
- Ladakh has been a Union Territory since 2019, after the reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir
Prelims · Mains
How the exam will ask it
Prelims
- The Autonomous Hill Development Councils (LAHDCs) now cover all seven districts of Ladakh.
- Sham, Nubra, Changthang, Zanskar and Drass are among the newly added districts under LAHDC coverage.
- LAHDCs are elected bodies that exercise administrative and financial powers over local development in hill areas.
Mains
GS Paper 2 - Polity, local self-government in hill and tribal areas. The extension of LAHDCs to all seven districts of Ladakh strengthens institutional representation and decentralised governance in a strategically sensitive Union Territory. The way forward lies in ensuring adequate devolution of funds, functions and functionaries to the newly added councils so that expanded jurisdiction translates into effective local governance.
Quick recall
Answer before you reveal
Following the recent extension of Autonomous Hill Development Councils (LAHDCs) to new districts, how many districts does the Union Territory of Ladakh now have?
- Five
- Six
- Eight
- Seven
Show answer
Answer: D — With Sham, Nubra, Changthang, Zanskar and Drass added, Ladakh now has seven districts, each covered by an LAHDC.
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