{"id":199244,"date":"2026-04-29T18:32:42","date_gmt":"2026-04-29T13:32:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/?p=199244"},"modified":"2026-04-29T20:58:35","modified_gmt":"2026-04-29T15:58:35","slug":"iiojk-five-new-districts-approved-in-ladakh-total-rises-to-seven","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/2026\/04\/29\/iiojk-five-new-districts-approved-in-ladakh-total-rises-to-seven.html","title":{"rendered":"IIOJK: Five new districts approved in Ladakh, total rises to seven"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Leh: The New Delhi-appointed administration in Ladakh region of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, led by Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena, has approved the issuance of a notification for the creation of five new districts, taking the total number of districts in Ladakh to seven.<\/p>\n

According to Kashmir Media Service, the newly notified districts are Nubra, Sham, and Changthang in Leh, and Zanskar and Drass in Kargil. Earlier, Ladakh comprised only two districts\u2014Leh and Kargil. LG Saxena also approved the immediate appointment of deputy commissioners (DCs) and superintendents of police (SPs) to head the newly formed administrative units. Notably, the BJP-led Indian government had earlier approved the formation of five new districts in Ladakh on 26 August 2024.<\/p>\n

While officials claim the move is aimed at decentralizing governance and improving the delivery of public services, critics argue that it is driven by underlying political motives. Observers say the restructuring is intended to alter demographic and political balance, particularly in terms of representation between the Muslim and Buddhist communities.<\/p>\n

They point out that out of the seven districts, five\u2014Leh, Nubra, Sham, Changthang, and Zanskar\u2014now have a Buddhist majority, while only two\u2014Kargil and Drass\u2014 remain Muslim-majority. Before the reorganization, Ladakh had two districts: Kargil with a Muslim majority and Leh with a Buddhist majority.<\/p>\n

Citing the 2011 Census, Ladakh has a population of 274,289, with Muslims making up 46.40% and Buddhists 39.65%. Critics argue that the redrawing of districts appears disproportionate to population distribution, raising questions over equitable representation.<\/p>\n

It is pertinent to mention that Ladakh was carved out of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir and made a Union Territory following the abrogation of IIOJK\u2019s special status in August 2019 by the BJP-led Indian government.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Leh: The New Delhi-appointed administration in Ladakh region of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, led by Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena, has approved the issuance of a notification for the creation of five new districts, taking the total number of districts in Ladakh to seven. According to Kashmir Media Service, the newly notified districts …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":185058,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[5],"class_list":["post-199244","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ladakh-indian-occupied-jammu-and-kashmir","tag-top-story"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t