Recent Current Affairs related to Ladakh

VK Saxena, the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, has notified 100 constituencies for the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (LAHDC), doubling the previous strength of 52 constituencies.

Under this new administrative structure, Leh will have the maximum number of constituencies, totaling 22.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has approved the first Government Medical College (GMC) in Ladakh at Stipuk Pharka in Leh. The institution is scheduled to begin operations from the academic year 2027-28.

Ladakh has been declared India’s first 100% organic Union Territory by Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena, following a ban on the sale, distribution, and use of chemical and synthetic fertilizers.

CJI Surya Kant has inaugurated the newly established Ladakh Bench of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh in Leh.

During the event, 4 major initiatives (including the Green Wall) were launched to promote environmental conservation, enhance digital judicial services, and ensure transparency in recruitment.

Vinai Kumar Saxena, the Lieutenant Governor (LG) of the UT of Ladakh, has announced Sankoo as the 8th district of the region, carved out of the Kargil district.

PM Narendra Modi has virtually inaugurated infrastructure projects worth ₹3,350 crore in Ladakh across roads, aviation, and renewable energy sectors. It includes the ₹650-crore Kushok Bakula Rinpoche Airport terminal in Leh.

The new terminal expands the annual passenger-handling capacity from 1 million to 3.5 million. It is the first airport terminal in India to feature geothermal heating alongside solar energy use to suit the harsh climate. He also dedicated 40 newly constructed reservoirs developed under Project Amrit Him Sarovar.

DRDO has successfully conducted the flight trial of an indigenous High-Altitude Platform (HAPS) aimed at creating a long-endurance stratospheric aerial surveillance platform.

The HAPS was developed by the Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment (ADRDE) in Agra, Uttar Pradesh. During the trial, the platform reached 21 km Above Mean Sea Level (AMSL) and maintained 20 km AMSL for over 30 minutes.

Additionally, DRDO has successfully conducted the maiden live jump trial of the indigenous Advanced High-Altitude Parachute (AHAP) at Nyoma (Mudh Drop Zone) in Ladakh, demonstrating its efficacy and tactical employability in extremely high-altitude terrain.

The central government, in collaboration with the Union Territory of Ladakh, has identified 28 geographical locations and features for name standardization on the official map of the Survey of India (SoI).

Vinai Kumar Saxena, the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, has designated Kumik village as the first Heritage Village of the region during the 11th Ladakh Zanskar Festival 2026 held in Zanskar Valley.

The heritage status was conferred in recognition of the historical and cultural assets of the village, including Buddhist manuscripts, traditional architecture, and preserved cultural practices.

Vinai Kumar Saxena, the Lt Gov of Ladakh, has been given the additional charge of Jammu & Kashmir by President Droupadi Murmu.

The DRDO has successfully tested the indigenous high-altitude Military Combat Parachute System (MCPS) at the Nyoma-Mudh Drop Zone in Leh, Ladakh. The test involved safe jumps from an altitude of 22,000 feet above sea level at a temperature of -15°C to validate special operations capabilities.

The MCPS was designed by the Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment (ADRDE) in Uttar Pradesh, while the integrated life-support systems were developed by the Defence Bioengineering and Electromedical Laboratory (DEBEL) in Bengaluru.

The Union Cabinet has approved the establishment of a permanent bench of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh in the Union Territory of Ladakh.

The initiative aims to enhance access to justice for people residing in the remote regions of the UT.

Union Minister Rajnath Singh has flagged off the All India Girls High Altitude Long Trek Aparajita - Parang La 2026, a flagship adventure activity of the National Cadet Corps (NCC), in New Delhi.

The trek will traverse the Parang La Pass, which connects the Spiti Valley of Himachal Pradesh with the Changthang region of Ladakh. The expedition team, comprising 28 Girl Cadets with an average age of 19 years, will be led by three women officers representing the three defence services.

Dr Padma Gurmet has been conferred the Ladakh State Award for the year 2025 in recognition of his contributions to the preservation, promotion, and development of the Sowa-Rigpa system of medicine.

The Government of India (GoI) is launching its first-ever high-altitude wildlife safari in the Union Territory of Ladakh. This initiative aims to promote sustainable eco-tourism, curb illegal off-roading, and safeguard the rare wildlife of the region, including the snow leopard.

The safari will cover multiple wildlife-rich sanctuary landscapes, specifically including the Hemis National Park (the largest national park in South Asia), the Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary, and the Karakoram Wildlife Sanctuary.

The administration of the Union Territory (UT) of Ladakh, with the approval of Lt Gov Vinai Kumar Saxena, has notified 23 heritage sites as Protected Monuments. The designated monuments are distributed across the regions of Leh, Sham, Nubra, Zanskar, and Kargil.

VK Saxena, the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, has commissioned India's first and deepest two 1,000-metre geothermal wells at Puga Valley, Ladakh. These wells, executed by the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd (ONGC) Energy Centre, are critical for the 1 Megawatt (MW) Pilot Geothermal Power Plant.

This project is India's first demonstration-scale geothermal power project situated at an altitude of over 14,000 feet. It is to be noted that the wells reached a maximum temperature of 135°C at a depth of 400m.

Vinai Kumar Saxena, the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, has approved the formation of the ‘Snow Leopard and High-Altitude Nature’ (SHAN) Conservation Society to protect the endangered snow leopard and its habitat. This is the first initiative of its kind in the region.

It is to be noted that according to the ‘2024 Snow Leopard Population Assessment in India’, there are 718 snow leopards in the country, with 477 of them located in Ladakh.

Vinod Saxena, the Lieutenant Governor (LG) of Ladakh, has approved a 5-year extension of the MoU with the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) for the development of the first geothermal power project in India.

Under the agreement, the ONGC will construct a 1 MWe pilot geothermal power plant in the Puga Valley of eastern Ladakh, at an altitude of over 14,000 ft.

The Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS) has signed reform-linked MoUs with Uttarakhand, Karnataka, Tripura, Mizoram, and Ladakh under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) 2.0.

The MoUs establish a framework for decentralized governance by empowering Gram Panchayats and Village Water & Sanitation Committees (VWSCs) to oversee the operation and management of in-village water supply systems.