The union territory of Ladakh in India consists of two notified and operationalised districts, with the 5 new districts announced on 26th August 2024 are being progressively made infrastructure-ready while awaiting the formal Gazetted notification by the Government of India.^[1]

Ladakh has no unition territory level legislative, but it has one member of parliament, and each of the notified two districts of Ladakh has an elected autonomous district council for Kargil and Leh.

Until 31 October 2019, the districts of Kargil and Leh in Ladakh were part of the former state of Jammu and Kashmir state of India, when Jammu and Kashmir state was denotified as state and split into two new Union territories, namely the Jammu and Kashmir union territory and the Ladakh union territory of India.

^* Indicates area under the actual control of India.

Five new districts

In August 2024, the Central Government proposed to create 5 additional districts in the union territory of Ladakh namely:^[2][3] In December 2025, the government of Ladakh confirmed that the financial approval from the Union Finance Ministry and official approval from the Union Home Ministry is awaited for the following five new districts, the new district headquarters and 33 new proposed administrative units have been identified including 6 new tehsils, 9 niabats (sub-tehsils), and 18 Patwar circles.^[4] All are Buddhist dominated except Zanskar is Shia majority. More than 97% of the population in these new districts belongs to Scheduled Tribes, including the Balti Shia, Boto, Brokpa, and Changpa communities.

Infrastructure building and shadow recruitment

No new districts, tehsils or administrative units can be notified while the 2027 census of India is being undertaken from 1st January 2026 to 31 March 2027. However, Ladakh administration is constructing the physical infrastructure (buildings, etc) and making shadow recruitments via UPSC and UT recruitment for the lower cadres while also delegating powers to the officials who will likely be promoted to manage the new districts. In early 2026, the UT administration is has identifying land in Khaltsi (Sham), Diskit (Nubra), Nyoma (Changthang), Padum (Zanskar), and Drass for future District Collectorate complexes. A drive for 359 gazetted posts via UPSC and nearly 4,000 non-gazetted posts via the Ladakh Subordinate Services Staff Selection Board is underway in 2026 to provide the "human resource backbone" for these new offices.

New districts list

clockwise from the India-administered northwest Ladakh:

• Nubra (from northwestern Leh district) with Diskit as likely HQ: Demands have been raised and the BJP also supported the creation of Nubra as new district.^[5] Turtuk or Panamik likely as new tehsil or Niabats to manage the border areas.

• Changthang (Durbuk and Nyoma subdivisions in eastern and southern Leh district) with Nyoma as likely HQ: The people of Durbuk and Nyoma subdivisions of Leh district also demanded district status for the historical and cultural Changthang region in the southern Leh district comprising Durbuk and Nyoma subdivisions. With Chushul likely as new tehsil.

• Zanskar (from the southeastern part of Kargil district) with Padum as likely HQ: Demanding for Zanskar as new district is more seven decades old.^[5][6] In 2020, the town's population was 20,000.^[6] It lies 250 km south of Kargil town. Lungnak or Zangla likely to be upgraded to tehsil for the reduced travel time for the administrative work.

• Sham Valley (from the western part of Leh district) with Khalatse as likely HQ: The Khalatse (Khalsi) is the existing sub-division and tehsil headquarters, with Saspol and Nimmu being other major towns. Potential for Nimmu or Basgo to be upgraded to Tehsil or Niabat status to support Khaltsi. Aryan Valley (villages like Dah and Hanu) are expected to be part of Sham district, and the local delegations have specifically requested the formation of a new sub-division at Hanu Thang to serve the Aryan valley once the new Sham valley district is notified.

• Drass (from the western part of Kargil district) with Drass town as likely HQ: People of have been demanding for more than past seven decades for a new district from the existing Kargil district.[4][5] In 2020, the town's population was 30,000.[5] It lies 60 km south of Kargil town.drass is inhabited second coldest place in the world.

Listed clockwise from northwest part of India-administered Ladakh:

• Turtuk from Leh district: Recommendations of the Member of Parliament of Ladakh to upgrade the tehsil of Turtuk to district comprising Turtuk and Siachen glacier.

• Sankoo or new Suru Valley district from Kargil district: In February 2020, organised by various youth, religious and several political parties, nearly 3,000 people protested for the creation of a new 14,000 square kilometres (5,400 sq mi) Muslim-majority district of Sankoo out of Kargil because it remains cut-off from Kargil and the rest of India during snowfall of winters.^[5] It had 40,000 or more than 25% population of Kargil district in 2011.^[5] It lies 42 km southwest of Kargil town.

• Aryan valley spread across Kargil and Leh districts: The people of Aryan valley of Ladakh are demanding either to grant them a subdivision or a district because to protect their culture which is different as compared to other part of the Ladakh.^[7]

• Ladakh
  • Geography of Ladakh
  • Tourism in Ladakh

• Jammu and Kashmir region
  • List of districts in Azad Kashmir, Pakistan-administered claimed-by-India
  • List of districts in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan-administered claimed-by-India
  • List of districts of Jammu and Kashmir, India-administered claimed-by-Pakistan

• India
  • List of districts in India