Leh, 18 December 2025; A delegation of the College Teacher Association (CTA), Union Territory of Ladakh, led by Dr Sonam Wangmo, Assistant Professor and President, CTA Ladakh, and accompanied by Shri Jamyang Tsering Namgyal, Former Member of Parliament (17th Lok Sabha), today called on Shri Kavinder Gupta Ji, Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, at Lok Niwas, Leh. The delegation submitted a comprehensive and detailed representation highlighting long-standing and unresolved issues affecting college teaching faculties in UT Ladakh.
The meeting witnessed in-depth, constructive and solution-oriented deliberations on critical matters such as the absence of cadre clarity, prolonged stagnation in placements and promotions, and non-grant of legitimate financial benefits to Higher Education teaching faculties since the formation of UT Ladakh. The delegation underscored that the continued uncertainty has severely impacted faculty morale, financial security, career progression and academic productivity, ultimately affecting the quality and growth of higher education in the Union Territory.
In its representation, the CTA clearly brought to the notice of the Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor that:
• College teaching faculties should be governed by the service rules and cadre of the Higher Education Department, UT Ladakh. As before the bifurcation they were recruited by JKPSC and were working under the Higher Education Department erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir State.
• An overwhelming majority of faculty members had formally opted to remain with the Higher Education Department as their administrative authority, which were never acknowledged
• Even superannuation and retirement cases of college teachers have been processed through the Higher Education Department, UT Ladakh reaffirming its administrative control;
• Despite this clarity in practice, promotions and Career Advancement Scheme (CAS) placements have remained stalled for several years, causing serious hardship to faculty members serving in the difficult geographical and climatic conditions of Ladakh.
The delegation strongly and unequivocally demanded that all faculty members whose promotions were due on or before 31 December 2024 be granted their rightful promotions along with all consequential financial benefits and arrears from the actual due dates. The CTA maintained that the prolonged delay is unjust, demoralising and detrimental to academic stability, institutional continuity and faculty motivation across government colleges in Ladakh.
While apprising the Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor of the prolonged struggle and legitimate aspirations of the teaching community, Shri Jamyang Tsering Namgyal earnestly sought the personal and immediate intervention of the Lt Governor for a fair, favourable and time-bound resolution of the matter. He emphasised that safeguarding the rights of educators is fundamental to strengthening the higher education ecosystem, ensuring justice to academic professionals, and building a strong and future-ready human resource base for UT Ladakh.
The Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor, Shri Kavinder Gupta Ji, gave a patient and attentive hearing to the concerns raised by the delegation. He assured that the issues would be examined with due seriousness and sensitivity, reiterating his commitment to the overall development and strengthening of higher education in Ladakh. The Hon’ble Lt Governor further indicated that relevant authorities would be directed to examine the matter expeditiously.
The CTA delegation expressed its deep gratitude to the Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor for his positive, empathetic and receptive approach, and also placed on record its appreciation for the consistent support and proactive role of Shri Jamyang Tsering Namgyal in facilitating the meeting and advocating for the rights and welfare of the teaching fraternity in Ladakh.
The meeting was also attended by Dr Syed Ali Shah, Assistant Professor and Vice President, CTA Ladakh, and Dr Tashi Dorjay, Assistant Professor and Treasurer, CTA Ladakh, representing the collective voice of around 130 Assistant Professors from various disciplines serving under the Department of Higher Education, Administration of UT Ladakh.
