Ladakh Creates Sankoo District and Five New Tehsils

Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena announced the creation of Sankoo as the eighth district of the Union Territory of Ladakh on October 16, 2026. The move fulfills a long-standing demand from residents of the Kargil district and follows requests from the Jamiat Ul Ulama Isna Asharia. This expansion follows the earlier creation of five other districts this year—Sham, Nubra, Changthang, Zanskar, and Drass—increasing the total from the original two districts of Leh and Kargil to eight.

On the same day, the administration further restructured local governance by redefining five new tehsils and 31 revenue villages. The new tehsils include Aryan Valley in Sham, Sodh in Kargil, Phey in Zanskar, Thasgam in Drass, and Himya in Changthang, bringing the total number of tehsils in the territory to 37. Additionally, the Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Durbuk was granted the powers of the Additional Deputy Commissioner to improve local administrative access.

These administrative changes occur as the central government continues discussions with civil society groups regarding demands for statehood and the Sixth Schedule. Following talks on October 15, another session is scheduled for October 22 in New Delhi.