SO 247 these rules may be called the UT of Ladakh Outstanding Sportspersons Horizontal Reservation in Direct Recruitment to Group C Posts Rules 2026

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भारत सरकार

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

एस.जी.-एल.डी.-अ.-19082026-1806

SG-LD-E-19082026-1806

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असाधारण

EXTRAORDINARY

प्राधिकार से प्रकाशित

PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY

लद्दाख, 19 अगस्त, 2026

LADAKH, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST, 19, 2026

Part II - Section 3

के न्द्र-शासित प्रदेश लद्दाख प्रशासन ADMINISTRATION OF UNION TERRITORY OF LADAKH

NOTIFICATION

Leh, the 18th day of August, 2026.

S.O.247- In exercise of the powers conferred by the proviso to Article 309 of the Constitution of India, read with the notification of the Government of India in the Ministry of Home Affairs, Department of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh Affairs, published vide S.O. 282(E), dated the 21st January, 2020, and in pursuance of Clause 5.6 of the Ladakh Sports Policy, 2026, notified vide Government Order No.23-LA-YSS of 2026, dated the 17.08.2026, the Lieutenant Governor of the Union Territory of Ladakh hereby makes the following rules to regulate horizontal reservation in direct recruitment to Group 'C' posts (Non-Gazetted) under the Administration of the Union Territory of Ladakh in favour of Outstanding Sportspersons, namely:—

1. Short title and commencement

(1) These rules may be called the Union Territory of Ladakh Outstanding SportspersonsLADAKH GAZETTE : EXTRAORDINARY 2

(Horizontal Reservation in Direct Recruitment to Group 'C' Posts) Rules, 2026.

(2) They shall come into force on the date of their publication in the Official Gazette.

2. Application.

(1) These rules shall apply to direct recruitment to all Group 'C' posts (Non-Gazetted) under the Administration of the Union Territory of Ladakh, except such posts as may, by notification, be specifically excluded by the Administration, from time to time.

(2) Save as otherwise provided in these rules, the provisions of the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act, 2004 and the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Rules, 2005, as amended from time to time for its applicability to the Union territory of Ladakh, shall apply to matters relating to reservation under these rules.

3. Definitions.— In these rules, unless the context otherwise requires,—

(a) "Act" means the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act, 2004;

(b) "Administration" means the Administration of the Union territory of Ladakh;

(c) "horizontal reservation" means reservation cutting across vertical reservation categories ( what is called interlocking reservation and operating in the manner provided under the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Rules, 2005, as amended from time to time for its applicability to the Union territory of Ladakh;

(d) "Outstanding Sportsperson" means a sportsperson eligible for recruitment in Government service in accordance with the eligibility criteria, recognized competitions, order of preference, categories of sports, competent authorities and other conditions specified in the instructions issued by the Department of Personnel and Training, Government of India relating to recruitment of sportspersons, as amended from time to time, and includes,—

(i) sportspersons who have represented a State or the Country in National or International competitions; or medal winners in Senior or Junior National Championships; or medal winners in the Khelo India Youth Games (age category above 18 years); or the Khelo India Winter Games; or the Khelo India Para Games; or medal winners in the Khelo India University Games;

in any of the games/sports recognized under the said instructions:

Provided that, in the case of Chess, holders of the Grand Master (GM) title or the International Master (IM) title in the Open Category, participants in the Chess Olympiad, medal winners in the National Open Chess Championship, and medal winners in the National Team Chess Championship shall also be eligible for recruitment in accordance with the said instructions;

(ii) sportspersons who have represented their University in the Inter-University Tournaments conducted by the Inter-University Sports Boards in any of the sports/games recognized underLADAKH GAZETTE : EXTRAORDINARY 3 the said instructions;

Explanation.—For the purposes of this clause, the instructions issued by the Department of Personnel and Training, Government of India shall mean Office Memorandum No. 14034/1/2020-Pers.Policy (D) Pt. Vol. II, dated the 4th March, 2024, titled "Instructions on Recruitment/Promotion for Sportspersons in Government of India", including any amendment, clarification, modification or substitution made therein from time to time.

Provided that no appointment under these rules shall be made unless the candidate is, in all respects, eligible for appointment to the post applied for and, in particular, satisfies the age, educational and experience qualifications prescribed under the Recruitment Rules applicable to the post, except to the extent that any relaxation in such qualifications is admissible to the class or category of persons to which the candidate belongs.

(e) "recognized sports discipline" means the games/sports recognized by the Department of Personnel and Training, Government of India, for appointment or recruitment of meritorious sportspersons under the instructions issued by it from time to time and, as on the date of notification of these rules, means the games/sports specified in paragraph A.IV of Office Memorandum No. 14034/1/2020-Pers. Policy (D) Pt. Vol. II, dated the 4th March, 2024, titled "Instructions on Recruitment/Promotion for Sportspersons in Government of India", including any amendment, modification, clarification, addition, deletion or substitution made therein from time to time.

(f) "recruiting agency" means the authority, Board or Commission entrusted with recruitment to Group 'C' posts (Non-Gazetted) under the Administration of the Union territory of Ladakh in accordance with the applicable Recruitment Rules.

4. Reservation in direct recruitment. —

(1) Reservation to the extent of four (4%) per cent of the vacancies of Group "C" (non gazetted) to be filled by direct recruitment, as provided under clause 5.6 of the Ladakh Sports Policy, 2026, shall be provided for Outstanding Sportspersons.

(2) The reservation provided under these rules shall be horizontal reservation and shall operate across all categories of reservation provided under the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act, 2004, and the rules made thereunder.

(3) Candidates seeking the benefit of reservation shall be required to fulfil the requisite eligibility conditions prescribed under the applicable Recruitment Rules for the post(s) against which they have applied and shall, in addition, be required to qualify the recruitment test/screening procedure prescribed for the said recruitment process.

(4) A candidate selected against the reservation for Outstanding Sportspersons shall be adjusted against the vertical reservation category to which such candidate belongs.

(5) In the event of non-availability of eligible Outstanding Sportspersons to the extent of reservation prescribed under these rules, such vacancies shall be filled in accordance with the normal procedure prescribed for direct recruitment.

(6) The reservation provided under these rules shall be implemented in accordance with the principles governing horizontal reservation under the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Rules, 2005.

5. Authorities competent to issue certificates regarding eligibility of sportspersons. —

(1) The authorities competent to issue certificates regarding the eligibility of sportspersons for recruitment under these rules shall be the authorities specified in paragraph A.V of Office Memorandum No. 14034/1/2020-Pers. Policy (D) Pt. Vol. II, dated the 4th March, 2024, issued by the Department of Personnel and Training, Government of India, as amended or modified from time to time.

(2) The certificates referred to in sub-rule (1) shall be issued strictly in the forms prescribed by the Department of Personnel and Training, Government of India, from time to time, and shall, as on the date of commencement of these rules, be in Forms 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 appended to the said Office Memorandum.

(3) Any amendment, modification, clarification or substitution made by the Department of Personnel and Training, Government of India, relating to the authorities competent to issue such certificates or to the forms thereof shall apply mutatis mutandis for the purposes of these rules.

(4) No certificate other than a certificate issued by the competent authority in the prescribed form shall be accepted for the purpose of determining eligibility under these rules.

(5) The Department of Youth Services and Sports, Union territory of Ladakh, shall constitute a Committee consisting of three officers of the Department for the purpose of assisting the recruiting agency or the appointing authority, as the case may be, in the examination and verification of the certificates and sporting achievements produced by candidates under these rules.

(6) The Committee referred to in sub-rule (5) shall examine the genuineness, recognition status and validity of the certificates, competitions and sporting achievements claimed by the candidates and shall furnish its recommendations to the recruiting agency or the appointing authority, as the case may be.

(7) The recruiting agency or the appointing authority, as the case may be, shall take into consideration the recommendations of the Committee referred to in sub-rule (5) while determining the eligibility of a candidate under these rules.

(8) Where, at any stage, it is found that a candidate has furnished false information or produced a false, fabricated or invalid certificate for claiming the benefit of reservation under these rules, the candidature or appointment of such candidate shall be liable to cancellation, withoutLADAKH GAZETTE : EXTRAORDINARY 5 prejudice to any other action that may be taken against such candidate under any law for the time being in force.

6. Determination of merit and preparation of Sports Merit List.—

(1) The recruiting agency shall prepare a separate Sports Merit List of candidates found eligible under these rules for the purpose of implementing the reservation provided for Outstanding Sportspersons.

(2) The inter se merit of eligible Outstanding Sportspersons shall be determined in accordance with the eligibility criteria, order of preference and other relevant provisions specified in paragraphs A.I and A.VI of Office Memorandum No. 14034/1/2020-Pers. Policy

(D) Pt. Vol. II, dated the 4th March, 2024, issued by the Department of Personnel and Training, Government of India, titled "Instructions on Recruitment/Promotion for Sportspersons in Government of India", including any amendment, clarification, modification or substitution made therein from time to time.

(3) The comparative merit of eligible Outstanding Sportspersons shall be determined on the basis of the level of competition and the distinction achieved therein, in accordance with the scoring matrix specified below, which shall be based on the eligibility criteria and order of preference referred to in sub-rule (2):—

Provided that the aforesaid point-based system shall be applied in a manner consistent with the eligibility criteria and order of preference referred to in sub-rule (2).

Explanation 1.—For the purposes of this sub-rule, the expression "Representation without Medal/Position" means representation at the corresponding level of competition without securing any medal or position and supported by a certificate issued by the competent authority in the prescribed form.

Explanation 2.—Candidates securing medals or positions shall rank higher than candidates having mere representation without medal or position at the same level of competition.

Explanation 3.—Where candidates have participated in Senior and Junior National Championships/Games, candidates participating and securing medals or positions in Senior National Championships/Games shall rank higher.

(4) The Sports Merit List prepared under these rules shall be separate from the select list or merit list prepared by the recruiting agency and shall be based solely on the sporting achievements of eligible candidates, determined in accordance with the provisions of these rules.

(5) Where a candidate possesses more than one sporting achievement, only the highest achievement shall be taken into account for determining inter se merit under these rules, and no aggregation of achievements shall be permissible.

Explanation.—For the purposes of this sub-rule, the expression "highest achievement" shall be determined with reference to the level of competition and the distinction achieved therein, in accordance with the order of preference specified by the Department of Personnel and Training, Government of India.

Provided that no additional preference or weightage shall be granted merely on account of winning more than one medal or securing more than one position.

(6) Sporting achievements shall be considered only in respect of recognized competitions and recognized sports disciplines specified under these rules and supported by certificates issued by the competent authorities in the prescribed forms.

Provided that only such sporting achievements as have been attained on or before the last date prescribed for submission of applications shall be considered.

(7) In the event of a tie between two or more candidates, preference shall be determined in the following order, namely:—

(a) the candidate whose achievement pertains to a higher level of competition;

(b) where the level of competition is the same, the candidate securing a higher medal or position;

(c) where both the level of competition and the medal or position are the same, the candidate participating at the Senior level shall rank higher than the candidate participating at the Junior level;

(d) where the candidates still remain tied, the candidate securing higher marks in the recruitment process, wherever applicable, shall rank higher;

(e) where complete equality still persists, the older candidate shall rank higher in merit.

(8) The Sports Merit List so prepared shall form the basis for implementation of reservation under these rules, subject to verification of eligibility and genuineness of certificates by the recruiting agency or the appointing authority, as the case may be.

7. Preparation of select list and operation of horizontal reservation.—

(1) The select list shall be prepared by the recruiting agency in accordance with rule 7 of the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Rules, 2005, as amended from time to time and as applicable to the Union territory of Ladakh.

(2) The horizontal reservation for Outstanding Sportspersons provided under these rules shall be operated by way of interlocking reservation, as envisaged under Explanation (B) to rule 4 of the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Rules, 2005, as amended from time to time and as applicable to the Union Territory of Ladakh.

(3) Selection against the reservation provided under these rules shall be made strictly on the basis of the Sports Merit List prepared under rule 6.

(4) Where an eligible Outstanding Sportsperson is selected for appointment otherwise than against the reservation provided under these rules, such candidate shall not be adjusted against the vacancies reserved for Outstanding Sportspersons, and the resultant vacancy shall be filled by the next eligible candidate in the Sports Merit List in the order of merit.

Illustration.—Where four vacancies are reserved for Outstanding Sportspersons and a candidate figuring in the Sports Merit List is selected against any vacancy otherwise than under sports reservation, such candidate shall not be counted against the reservation for Outstanding Sportspersons, and the next eligible candidate in the Sports Merit List shall be considered against such vacancy.

(5) The resultant vacancy referred to in sub-rule (4) shall be filled by the next available candidate from the Sports Merit List in the order of merit.

(6) The adjustment of candidates selected against the reservation for OutstandingLADAKH GAZETTE : EXTRAORDINARY 8 Sportspersons shall be carried out in such a manner that the candidate is placed against the vertical category to which he or she belongs, consistent with the principle of horizontal reservation.

(7) Selection under these rules shall be subject to verification of eligibility and genuineness of certificates by the recruiting agency or the appointing authority, as the case may be.

(8) The inter se seniority of candidates appointed against the reservation provided for Outstanding Sportspersons under these rules shall be regulated in accordance with the instructions, orders and guidelines issued by the Department of Personnel and Training, Government of India, relating to determination of seniority of sportspersons appointed to Government service, as amended from time to time.

8. Interpretation.—

If any question arises regarding the interpretation of these rules or relating to the recognition or status of any competition, tournament, sports discipline or certificate, the matter shall be referred to the General Administration Department, whose decision, taken in consultation with the Department of Youth Services and Sports and, where necessary, in accordance with the instructions issued by the Department of Personnel and Training, Government of India, shall be final for administrative purposes.

9. Power to remove difficulties. —

If any difficulty arises in giving effect to the provisions of these rules, the Administration may, by order, make such provisions, not inconsistent with the provisions of these rules, as may appear to it to be necessary or expedient for removing the difficulty.

Sd/-

(P.T. Rudra Goud), IAS

Secretary

General Administration Department Copy to the :

1. All the Secretaries, Union Territory of Ladakh. 2. Director General of Police, Ladakh. 3. Joint Secretary (JKL), Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India.

4. Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor, Union Territory of Ladakh, for favour of kind information of the Hon'ble Lieutenant Governor.

5. Chairman, Leh Autonomous Hill Development Subordinate Services Recruitment Board.

6. Chairman, Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council Kargil Subordinate Services Recruitment Board.

7. Secretary, Ladakh Subordinate Services Staff Selection Board.

8. Director, National Informatics Centre (NIC), Ladakh, for uploading on the official website of the Union Territory of Ladakh.

9. OSD to the Chief Secretary, Union Territory of Ladakh, for favour of kind

information of the Chief Secretary.

10. In-charge, Archives, Archaeology and Museums. 11. Office Order File/e-file.

(Dorjay Gailson), JKAS Under Secretary

General Administration Department "No legal responsibility is accepted for the contents of publication of advertisements/publications in this part of The Ladakh Gazette. Persons notifying the advertisements/public notices will remain solely responsible for the legal consequences and also for any other misrepresentation etc."