Over 450 Recruits Including 209 Women Join Ladakh Police, Mark First Passing Parade Of UT

Leh : Over 450 recruits including 209 women on Saturday formally joined the Ladakh Police here after completing their training, marking the first passing-out parade of the force after the region was granted Union Territory status in 2019.
Addressing the parade at the Police Training Centre, Stong-Sar, Ladakh Lt Governor Kavinder Gupta termed the event a historic milestone in the journey of India’s youngest police force.
Gupta inspected the parade and took the salute of the marching contingents during the march past. He also felicitated the all-round best recruit constables of the Ladakh Police, recruit-constables Sonam Yangchan (all-round best and indoor best), Jigmet Palkit (outdoor best) and Mohd Sharif (best marksman).
“The day symbolises the growing strength, discipline and self-reliance of the Ladakh Police,” Gupta said, noting that since the formation of the Union Territory (UT), the Ladakh Police has faced numerous challenges — from modernising basic infrastructure to building a self-sufficient training ecosystem and ensuring security across strategically significant areas.
He said it was through these challenges that the resilience and determination of the Ladakh Police were forged.
Highlighting the administration’s commitment to strengthening the police force, the Lt Governor said his administration has undertaken major initiatives for modernisation, infrastructure upgradation, training, housing, welfare and digital transformation.
He mentioned that police presence and assistance have been enhanced in key tourist areas, and special focus is being placed on women’s participation, improved communication systems and welfare of police personnel and their families.
Gupta said the establishment of the Police Training Centre at Stong-Sar, which began in 2022, represents a new era of training self-reliance for Ladakh.
“This institution will not only train new police personnel locally to meet Ladakh’s unique challenges but will also serve the training needs of other UT departments in the future,” he said.
Reiterating the administration’s commitment to youth empowerment, he announced that 453 recruits, including 209 women constables, have successfully completed their training — a landmark achievement that reflects the government’s efforts to create more employment opportunities for Ladakhi youth.
The recruitment process for sub-inspectors, he said, will begin soon to further strengthen the force.
Congratulating the new constables, the Lt Governor urged them to uphold the values of trust, sacrifice and integrity that their uniform represents.
“Law enforcement is not just about authority, it is about compassion, service and earning the confidence of the people you protect,” he said, reminding the recruits to always act with courage and kindness.
Calling the induction of over 200 women constables a “powerful symbol of gender equality”, Gupta said it will make the Ladakh Police more inclusive, empathetic and effective.
He also paid homage to the brave personnel of the Ladakh Police who laid down their lives in the line of duty, saying their courage will continue to inspire future generations.
Earlier, DGP Ladakh S D Singh Jamwal, in his address, informed that earlier training of new police personnel from Ladakh, along with the passing out parade, was held in Jammu and Kashmir.
He shared his happiness over the conduct of the first passing out parade of the newly recruited constables of the Ladakh Police in Leh, calling it one of the highest training centres in the country.
He also highlighted the Ladakh Police’s plans to develop a winter sports centre to provide opportunities to the youth of Ladakh and enhance their sporting skills.