From two to seven; instant increase in number of Ladakh districts
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Leh: Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena on Monday approved the creation of five new districts in the Union Territory, marking what he described as a “historic day” and fulfilling a long-pending demand of the region’s residents.
Announcing the decision in a post on X, Saxena said the move aims to meet the aspirations of the people of Ladakh. The newly created districts are Nubra, Sham, Changthang, Zanskar and Drass, taking the total number of districts in the Union Territory to seven.
Until now, Ladakh had only two districts — Leh and Kargil — despite being the largest Union Territory in terms of area and the second least populous. Spanning 86,904 square kilometres and bordering China and Pakistan, Ladakh has a population of 2.74 lakh, according to the 2011 Census.
Saxena stated that the decision aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a developed and prosperous Ladakh. He added that the move, which had already received approval from the Ministry of Home Affairs in August 2024 under Home Minister Amit Shah, would strengthen grassroots governance, decentralise administration, and ensure faster delivery of public services, particularly in remote and far-flung areas.
“The creation of new districts will not only bring governance closer to citizens but also open up new avenues for growth, employment and entrepreneurship,” the LG said, reaffirming his commitment to ensuring that all residents benefit from the decision.
Ladakh became a separate Union Territory under the direct administrative control of the Union Home Ministry following the bifurcation of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir on August 5, 2019, alongside the abrogation of Article 370, which had granted special status to the region.
With PTI inputs