Ladakh

In the news

• Centre and Ladakh fix standard names for 28 places on the Survey of India map 2 October 2026 · PIB

  Atisha, Milarepa, Kanishka, Zorawar: why a list of Ladakh's peaks reads like a history syllabus.

• Article 371 A to J, and what a new 371K could do for Ladakh 22 September 2026 · Indian Express

  Ladakh wants safeguards. Is Article 371 the answer, or the Sixth Schedule?

• Ladakh notifies autonomous hill development councils for all seven districts 4 September 2026 · Indian Express

  Will five new hill councils answer Ladakh's demand for a real say in how it is governed?

Key facts

• On 2 October 2026 the Centre, with the UT of Ladakh, identified 28 places and features in Ladakh by standard names on the Survey of India map. (2 October 2026)
• Peaks named include Atisha Giri, Rinchen Zangpo, Marpa Lotsava Ri, Milarepa Kangri, Kanishka Peak and Zorawar Peak; a lake is named Guru Rinpoche. (2 October 2026)
• Article 371 contains special provisions for Maharashtra and Gujarat; Articles 371A to 371J cover Nagaland, Assam, Manipur, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Sikkim, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Goa and Karnataka. (22 September 2026)
• Article 371J, added by the 98th Amendment (2012), provides for the Hyderabad-Karnataka region. (22 September 2026)
• On 3 September 2026, Ladakh's Lieutenant Governor approved notification of hill development councils for all seven districts under the LAHDC Act, 1997. (4 September 2026)
• The five new councils are for Sham, Nubra, Changthang, Zanskar and Drass; earlier only Leh and Kargil had elected councils. (4 September 2026)

Previous-year questions

1. 2026 · GS3 · 10 marks Ladakh is strategically located between China and Pakistan. As a measure to win hearts and minds of locals, discuss the Border Area Development Programmes (BADP) by the Central Government and civic actions by the Army…
2. 2026 · GS2 · 15 marks How far has the Indian federal framework been successful in accommodating regional and cultural diversities? Highlight the role of asymmetric federalism and suggest measures to make dispute resolution mechanisms more…
3. 2024 · GS3 · 15 marks India has a long and troubled border with China and Pakistan fraught with contentious issues. Examine the conflicting issues and security challenges along the border. Also give out the development being undertaken in…
4. 2022 · GS2 · 10 marks To what extent, in your opinion, has the decentralisation of power in India changed the governance landscape at the grassroots?
5. 2013 · GS2 · 10 marks Recent directives from Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas are perceived by the 'Nagas' as a threat to override the exceptional status enjoyed by the State. Discuss in light of Article 371A of the Indian Constitution.
6. 2015 · Prelims The provisions in Fifth Schedule and Sixth Schedule in the Constitution of India are made in order to (a) protect the interests of Scheduled Tribes (b) determine the boundaries between States (c) determine the powers…