NEW DELHI: The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) recommended ‘tribal area’ status for Ladakh under the 6th Schedule on Wednesday.
The NCST has written to the ministries of home Affairs and tribal affairs on this. This paper had earlier reported that Ladakh was likely to be granted this status.
The decision comes as the NCST felt granting this status would help in democratic devolution of powers, preserving and promoting distinct culture of the region, protecting agrarian rights including rights on land and enhancing transfer of funds for development of Ladakh region.
During Wednesday’s meeting, the panel noted that the ST population is 66.8% in Leh, 73.35% in Nubra, 97.05% in Khalsti, 83.49% in Kargil, 89.96% in Sanku and 99.16% in Zanskar areas of Ladakh.