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Wangchuk is among activists in Ladakh who have raised concerns about upcoming regional elections, which they say are designed to diminish voter participation as they will be held in the harsh winter period. DW has more.

Wangchuk is among activists in Ladakh who have raised concerns over upcoming local elections. They say the elections would see a diminished voter participation as they will be held in a harsh winter period. DW has more.

It opposes holding of hill council elections at the peak of winter; climate activist Sonam Wangchuk put under house arrest and disallowed to join the protest

Mr. Wangchuk is protesting the holding of hill council elections on December 4, citing harsh winter conditions and large-scale seasonal migration

The order came a day after Ladakh’s civil society groups announced that agitations to push a slew of demands would resume on November 12

LAB and KDA are demanding postponement of hill council elections to April-May next year, citing unfavourable winter timing and lack of consultation

Hill council seats increased to 100, with 36 reserved for women for the first time; civil society groups oppose unilateral decision to hold polls now despite concerns about delimitation, voting in winter

“We suspect that this government is up to some mischief. We saw ‘vote chori’ in West Bengal, Bihar, Haryana, Maharashtra etc. In entire India 13 crore voters were dropped from the voter list. Ladakh is a small region and fraud is easy,” said Ladakh Buddhist Association (LBA) chairman Tsering Dorjey Lakrook

The Defence Ministry has been focusing on enhancing infrastructure at almost all airfields along the LAC including the Advanced Landing Grounds (ALGs) as per operational requirements

Ladakh administration said the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives, Ladakh’s (HIAL) Desert Flower School commenced functioning “without necessary approvals from the competent authority”

On September 22, Gitanjali Angmo, wife of Mr. Wangchuk, requested the Deputy Commissioner, Leh, for the issuance of a No Objection Certificate and clearance for the proposed members of the Managing Committee of the school

According to the notice, the administration received information that classes and other activities at Desert Flower School Phyang, Leh, had started without obtaining the requisite consent, clearances or approvals from competent authorities

Ladakh was made a Union Territory under the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, prompting concerns from local groups about preservation of Ladakh’s culture and demands for Sixth Schedule status; the Centre has proposed to insert Article 371-K into the Constitution to provide for a directly elected legislative body instead

Women-led protests began last week in Ladakh, driven by a newly introduced liquor policy, demanding a complete rollback of the policy and for Ladakh to be declared a dry Union territory

Stenzin Tankyong’s debut feature “Kakthet” (Idiot), set in the remote high-altitude region of Ladakh, has been selected as the winner of the inaugural INR40 lakh ($42,000) feature film co-production fund run by Humans of Cinema and Safarnaama Pictures. The Ladakhi-language project was selected from nearly 400 entries after an extensive screening and evaluati

Polling will be held for 193 panchayats, with the process to conclude by November 30; Municipal elections will be held in Leh and Kargil.

Officials disclosed that this year, only one retail vendor was functional and the number of functional bars attached to restaurants offering retail sale of liquor had increased by 17 newly issued licences, taking the total to 40

If the MHA does not return to the May 22 agenda, we will be forced to hit the streets, agitate and prepare to go to jail for our legitimate demands within the Constitution, says co-chairperson Asgar Karbalai

Civil society groups differ over Centre’s 32-draft proposal for the Union Territory

Sonam Wangchuk asked why Ladakh cannot be given greater political autonomy when Arunachal was granted statehood despite its strategic location; advocate Vikram Hegde, who has been advising the LAB and KDA during negotiations with the Home Ministry, says the gap between the government’s proposal and the aspirations of Ladakh residents remains substantial

The administration of Ladakh has notified 100 elected constituencies for the eight districts of the region; nominations will close on November 2 while the Model Code of Conduct has come into force with immediate effect