Ladakh Issues Orders For Defining Permanent Residents

The government of the Union Territory of Ladakh issued an order Saturday, September 4 that will define 'resident of the UT of Ladakh." This is unlike neighbouring Jammu and Kashmir where new domicile laws allow outsiders as well to apply for jobs, land etc.

While outsiders can apply for any government job in Jammu and Kashmir if they have lived there for a certain period, only those who were permanent residents before August 5, 2019 (revocation of article 370), and living in Leh and Kargil districts are now eligible for non-gazetted jobs in the Ladakh UT.

According to the Ladakh Resident Certificate Order, 2021, "any person who possesses a Permanent Resident Certificate (PRC) issued by the competent authority in the districts of Leh and Kargil or belongs to a category of persons who would have been eligible to be issued PRC shall be eligible to receive the 'Resident Certificate'.

Also, the children of persons possessing a permanent resident certificate or children of persons who belonged to a category of persons who would have been eligible to be issued a permanent resident certificate by the competent authority in the districts of Leh and Kargil will also be eligible to receive the resident certificate.

The order also states that no person shall be eligible for appointment to a post unless he is a resident of the Union Territory of Ladakh. It also adds that those in possession of a domicile certificate or resident certificate by whatever name called by any state or any other UT shall not be eligible to be a resident of Ladakh.

UT Enhances Upper Age Limit

The UT administration also enhanced the upper age limit for entry into government services against all posts. For reserved category candidates, the age limit has been enhanced from 43 years to 45 years, while for the general category candidates it has been enhanced from 40 to 42 years and for the physically challenged candidates from 42 to 44 years.

Since the abrogation of Article 370, the government has extended 890 central laws to Jammu and Kashmir and 130 state laws of the erstwhile state of J&K have applied to J&K after modifications. However, no central law has been extended to Ladakh.

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