A year of unrest and uncertainty brought Ladakh into the national spotlight, with rare violent protests in Leh over statehood and constitutional safeguards, the postponement of hill council elections, and tourism losses after the Pahalgam terror attack. As 2025 closes, communities look to 2026 with cautious hope for dialogue, inclusivity, and a revival of economic and cultural life under the leadership of Lt Governor Kavinder Gupta who took over in July, replacing Brigadier B D Mishra (retd). The residents of Ladakh described 2025 as a challenging year for the region, also marked by the detention of renowned climate activist Sonam Wangchuk under the National Security Act, now under review in the Supreme Court. Six years after the abrogation of special status to J&K under Article 370 which led to the creation of separate Union Territory for Ladakh in 2019, the defining political story of 2025 was the intensification of a mass movement jointly led by the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the .