Ladakh Approves 5 New Districts, Total Now 7

Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena approved the creation of five new districts on Monday, increasing the total from two to seven in the Union Territory and addressing long-standing public demands for improved administration in remote areas.

The new districts are Nubra, Sham, and Changthang, carved out of the existing Leh district, and Zanskar and Drass, formed from Kargil district. Their headquarters will be established at Diskit for Nubra, Khaltse for Sham, Nyoma for Changthang, Padum for Zanskar, and Drass-Ranbirpura for Drass. The notification defines revised territorial boundaries, distributing revenue villages as follows: Leh with 44, Nubra with 30, Changthang with 24, Kargil with 80, Sham with 27, Zanskar with 26, and Drass with 19.

Officials stated the move, cleared by the Ministry of Home Affairs in August 2024 following consultations and field assessments, aims to decentralize governance, shorten travel distances for services, and enhance delivery in Ladakh's vast, rugged terrain. Saxena described the decision as fulfilling aspirations of residents, particularly in far-flung regions. "This transformative decision... would strengthen grassroots governance,...