The High-Powered Committee (HPC) addressing Ladakhi concerns will reconvene on February 4, 2026, months after protests led to its suspension last year. The Ministry of Home Affairs sent an invitation on January 8, and socio-religious bodies from Kargil and Leh have agreed to participate.
The High-Powered Committee (HPC), formed in 2023, was established to discuss measures protecting Ladakh's unique culture and language, considering its geographical location and strategic importance. Chaired by Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai, the committee will meet on February 4 at 4 pm at Kartavya Bhawan in New Delhi.
A previous meeting was scheduled for October 6, but after four locals were killed in police firing during a September protest, constituent groups refused to engage with the Centre until demands, including a judicial inquiry, were met. Following the Ministry of Home Affairs' invitation, socio-religious bodies from Kargil and Leh welcomed the move and agreed to rejoin the talks.
Since its formation, the HPC has secured key protections for Ladakhis, including a 15-year prospective domicile clause requiring continuous residence from 2019, unlike Jammu and Kashmir's retrospective provision. In December last year, it also granted a 95% quota for locals in government recruitment.
Talks stalled in March after several rounds of deliberations, with Ladakh pushing for safeguards under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, which the Ministry of Home Affairs refused. Leaders of the movement for statehood and other protections met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi, but he stated it "would not be possible" to include the region in the Sixth Schedule. The Centre also rejected the request for a legislature, as Ladakh remains a Union Territory without one.
