Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Act north: On the needs of Ladakh

Act north: On the needs of Ladakh

India must attend to (ध्यान देना) the grievances (शिकायत, दुख) of the people of Ladakh

The measures (उपाय, कदम) notified by the Centre on June 3, 2025 seek (aim, try, attempt) to address (tackle, deal with, attend to, try to sort out) the several concerns that have been raised by the people of Ladakh regarding (के संबंध में) their language, culture and land. These issues came to the fore after the special status of the former State of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), under Article 370, was withdrawn (remove, cancel, abolish, terminate) in 2019 and it was bifurcated (विभाजित करना, बांटना) into Union Territories (UT). New policies on reservation (आरक्षण), languages, domicile (अधिवास, निवास स्थान) and composition (संरचना, गठन) of hill councils for the UT of Ladakh include a provision (प्रावधान, शर्त) for up to 85% reservation for indigenous (स्वदेशी, स्थानीय) people in government jobs. Further clarity is expected when the rules are framed (formulate, lay down, stipulate, prescribe, promulgate). Several States in the Northeast have reservation above 80% for indigenous people in various sectors — for instance (उदाहरण के लिए), Mizoram has 92%, and Arunachal Pradesh has 80% in jobs. To be counted as a domicile of Ladakh, a person must have a continuous 15-year stay from 2019 in Ladakh. This means that migrants (प्रवासी) in Ladakh, after it lost its special status in 2019, will be considered for domicile only after 2034. The comparable (तुलनीय, समान) provision in the UT of J&K considers anyone who has completed 15 years as a registered (पंजीकृत) migrant eligible for domicile. In hill councils, one-third of the seats will be reserved (आरक्षित करना, सुरक्षित रखना) for women, as per the policy. English, Hindi, Urdu, Bhoti and Purgi languages will be the official languages.

These measures fall short of (fail to meet/reach; be deficient/inadequate/insufficient) the demands that civil society organisations (non-governmental organizaiton (NGO); any non-profit, voluntary citizens’ group which is organized on a local, national or international level) in Ladakh have been raising. They want full Statehood (the condition of being an independent state), inclusion in the Sixth Schedule (Article 244 (2) provides - “The provisions of the Sixth Schedule shall apply to the administration of the tribal areas in the State of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram”. Sixth Schedule allows constitution (formation) of Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) in the Northeastern states of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram (three Councils each), and Tripura (one Council) to safeguard the rights of tribal population) of the Constitution (body of law; system of rules; regulations, fundamental principles, charter) which provides for special protection for tribespeople (people who belong to a tribe) in several parts of the country, a second seat in the Lok Sabha and the constitution (composition, formation, organization, arrangement, structure, framework) of a public service commission. While Ladakh, with a population of 2.74 lakh (2011 Census) has been demanding constitutional (legal, lawful, legitimate, rightful) safeguards to protect its identity (a social category, a set of persons marked by a label and distinguished by rules deciding membership and (alleged) characteristic features or attributes; individuality, character, originality), culture and land, the lack of (absence, deficiency, shortfall, non-existence, scarcity, unavailability) jobs and employment opportunities for the youth were at the heart of (be the most important part of something; at the centre of) protests witnessed by the Union Territory in the past five years. A parliamentary panel was informed by the Union Home Ministry earlier this year that none of the 1,275 gazetted posts (A senior governmental post/position/appointment that is published in the Gazette of India or any State Government Gazette) in Ladakh has been filled since the region became a centrally administered (lead, head, control, direct, manage) territory in 2019. The sustained (continuous, continual, constant, steady) campaign (movement, crusade, drive, push) by the Ladakhis, both in Kargil and Leh, forced the government to form a high-powered committee (advisory council panel, commission, advisory group) in 2023, headed (lead, manage, direct, administer) by Minister of State Nityanand Rai, to look into (examine, analyse, inquire about, take stock of, find out about, check up on) their demands. Ladakh is strategically (in a way that is designed/planned to serve a particular purpose) located at the junction (intersection) of India, Pakistan and China, where both neighbours (a country that is next to another country; (bordering) country) have border disputes with India. Recent developments (turn of events, incident, situation, circumstance, occurrence, happening) have demonstrated that both these countries often act in tandem (alongside each other). It is imperative (vitally important, crucial, essential, necessary) that New Delhi pays close attention to the sentiments (feeling, emotion, point of view) of the region.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.attend to (verb)

Hindi Meaning - ध्यान देना
English Meaning - address, deal with, handle, take care of, tackle.

2.grievance (noun)

Hindi Meaning - शिकायत, दुख
English Meaning - complaint, protestation, protest, criticism, problem, objection.

3.measure (noun)

Hindi Meaning - उपाय, कदम
English Meaning - action, step, procedure, course of action, act, move

4.regarding (preposition)

Hindi Meaning - के संबंध में
English Meaning - concerning, with reference to, with respect to, with regard to, relating to.

5.bifurcate (verb)

Hindi Meaning - विभाजित करना, बांटना
English Meaning - split, divide, separate.

6.reservation (noun)

Hindi Meaning - आरक्षण
English Meaning - a system of affirmative action in India that provides historically disadvantaged groups representation in education, employment, and politics.

7.domicile (noun)

Hindi Meaning - अधिवास, निवास स्थान
English Meaning - a person’s permanent residence. In law, domicile is the status of being a lawful permanent resident in a particular jurisdiction (territory/region).

8.composition (noun)

Hindi Meaning - संरचना, गठन
English Meaning - constitution, organization, arrangement, configuration, structure, framework.

9.provision (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रावधान, शर्त
English Meaning - clause, condition, stipulation, requirement, term.

10.indigenous (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - स्वदेशी, स्थानीय
English Meaning - native, original, aboriginal, ancient, primeval.

11.for instance (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - उदाहरण के लिए
English Meaning - as an example, for example.

12.migrant (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रवासी
English Meaning - a person who moves from one region to another - either within a country or across national borders in order to find work or better living conditions.

13.comparable (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - तुलनीय, समान
English Meaning - relative, comparative, corresponding, connected, equivalent, similar.

14.registered (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - पंजीकृत
English Meaning - officially or legally listed.

15.reserve (verb)

Hindi Meaning - आरक्षित करना, सुरक्षित रखना
English Meaning - retain, hold, secure, keep (a right or entitlement).

16.up to (phrase)

English Meaning - indicating a maximum amount.

17.seek (verb)

English Meaning - aim, try, attempt.

18.address (verb)

English Meaning - tackle, deal with, attend to, try to sort out.

19.come to the fore (phrase)

English Meaning - to become obvious, to become visible, to become noticeable (to public attention); come in a position of importance; (come) to a prominent position.

20.Article 370 of the Constitution of India (noun)

English Meaning - It had “temporary provisions with respect to the State of Jammu and Kashmir” which gave special powers to the state. The article allowed the state a certain amount of autonomy - its own constitution, a separate flag and freedom to make laws. Foreign affairs, defence and communications remained the preserve (domain) of the central government. It also allowed Jammu and Kashmir to make its own rules relating to permanent residency, ownership of property and fundamental rights. It did also bar Indians from outside the state from purchasing property or settling there.

21.withdraw (verb)

English Meaning - remove, cancel, abolish, terminate.

22.Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (noun)

English Meaning - In October 1993, the central Government of India and the state Government of Jammu and Kashmir agreed to grant each district of Ladakh the status of Autonomous Hill Council. This agreement was given effect by the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council Act, 1995. A hill council for Leh district was formed in 1995 and the council for Kargil district was formed in 2003. The democratic constitution of the Councils has heralded democratic decentralization of planning process with the involvement of people at the grass root level.

23.frame (verb)

English Meaning - formulate, lay down, stipulate, prescribe, promulgate.

24.fall short of (phrase)

English Meaning - fail to meet/reach; be deficient/inadequate/insufficient.

25.civil society (noun)

English Meaning - civil society refers to space for collective action around shared interests, purposes, and values, generally distinct from government and commercial for-profit actors. It refers to a wide array of organizations: community groups, non-governmental organizations [NGOs], labour unions, indigenous groups, charitable organizations, faith-based organizations, professional associations, and foundations. Civil society - sometimes called the “third sector” (after government and commerce) - has the power to influence the actions of elected policy-makers and businesses.

26.civil society organization (CSO) (noun)

English Meaning - non-governmental organizaiton (NGO); any non-profit, voluntary citizens’ group which is organized on a local, national or international level.

27.statehood (noun)

English Meaning - the condition of being an independent state.

28.Sixth Schedule (noun)

English Meaning - Article 244 (2) provides - “The provisions of the Sixth Schedule shall apply to the administration of the tribal areas in the State of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram”. Sixth Schedule allows constitution (formation) of Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) in the Northeastern states of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram (three Councils each), and Tripura (one Council) to safeguard the rights of tribal population.

29.constitution (noun)

English Meaning - body of law; system of rules; regulations, fundamental principles, charter.

30.The Constitution of India (noun)

English Meaning - India, also known as Bharat, is a Union of States. It is a Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic with a parliamentary system of government. The Republic is governed in terms of the Constitution of India which was adopted by the Constituent Assembly on 26th November, 1949 and came into force on 26th January, 1950.

31.tribespeople (noun)

English Meaning - people who belong to a tribe.

32.constitution (noun)

English Meaning - composition, formation, organization, arrangement, structure, framework.

33.census (noun)

English Meaning - an official survey, particularly of a population.

34.constitutional (adjective)

English Meaning - legal, lawful, legitimate, rightful.

35.safeguard (noun)

English Meaning - protection, defence.

36.identity (noun)

English Meaning - a social category, a set of persons marked by a label and distinguished by rules deciding membership and (alleged) characteristic features or attributes; individuality, character, originality.

37.lack of (noun)

English Meaning - absence, deficiency, shortfall, non-existence, scarcity, unavailability.

38.at the heart of (phrase)

English Meaning - be the most important part of something; at the centre of.

39.House committees (noun)

English Meaning - The parliamentary (standing & select) committees; They do close examination and investigation of government policies, actions and spending.

40.Parliamentary Standing Committee/Parliamentary panel (noun)

English Meaning - it is a committee (consisting of Members of Parliament) constituted usually on an annual basis to enable detailed consideration/discussion on all bills (all proposed laws).

41.Parliamentary select committee (noun)

English Meaning - ‘parliamentary select committee’ can be formed for a specific purpose, for instance, to deliberate on a particular bill. Once the Bill is disposed of, that select committee ceases to exist.

42.Gazetted post (noun)

English Meaning - A senior governmental post/position/appointment that is published in the Gazette of India or any State Government Gazette.

43.administer (verb)

English Meaning - lead, head, control, direct, manage.

44.sustained (adjective)

English Meaning - continuous, continual, constant, steady.

45.campaign (noun)

English Meaning - movement, crusade, drive, push.

46.committee (noun)

English Meaning - advisory council panel, commission, advisory group.

47.head (verb)

English Meaning - lead, manage, direct, administer.