RAS question
Sonam Wangchuk was demanding which constitutional protection for Ladakh along with statehood?
Correct answer: (D) Sixth Schedule protection.
Sonam Wangchuk was demanding Sixth Schedule protection for Ladakh, along with statehood.
Explanation
The demand linked to Sonam Wangchuk's protest was Sixth Schedule protection, along with full statehood for Ladakh. The PIB release on Ladakh states that Wangchuk began a hunger strike on 10 September 2025 with the demand for the Sixth Schedule and statehood, and says these issues were part of discussions with Ladakh representatives through the High-Powered Committee process. This matches the question because the constitutional protection being sought was for Ladakh's tribal communities under the Sixth Schedule. The later September 2025 protests, which preceded his detention, turned violent and four people died, but that incident is background; the constitutional demand asked in the MCQ is the Sixth Schedule.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Fifth Schedule protection was not part of the protest demand; it called for Sixth Schedule protection and statehood for Ladakh.
- (B) Article 370 was not the protection sought; the protest demand was Sixth Schedule protection and statehood for Ladakh.
- (C) Special Category Status is a fiscal or policy label, not the constitutional protection sought in Wangchuk's Ladakh demand. The demand was for Sixth Schedule protection and statehood.
Concept
This tests constitutional safeguards for tribal and special-area governance, especially the distinction between different schedules and status demands. It recurs in RAS because Ladakh-related protests connect current affairs with federalism and constitutional protection mechanisms.