SRINAGAR: In a significant administrative development, the Union Territory of Ladakh has appointed its first Chief Secretary following the re-designation of the post of Advisor to the Lieutenant Governor. Dr Pawan Kotwal, an IAS officer of the 1994 batch (AGMUT cadre), will now assume the role of Chief Secretary of Ladakh, with no change in his existing duties and responsibilities.
The decision was formalised through an Office Memorandum issued by the General Administration Department of Ladakh, in line with a notification dated January 3, 2025, from the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), Government of India. The move has been approved by the Competent Authority in the Ministry of Home Affairs. All official correspondence that was previously addressed to the Advisor to the Lieutenant Governor will now be directed to the Chief Secretary of Ladakh.
Dr Kotwal, a highly experienced civil servant born in Jammu and Kashmir in 1965, holds a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree. Over his career, he has held several key administrative positions in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, including Divisional Commissioner of Jammu, Deputy Commissioner in multiple districts, and Principal Secretary in the Health and Medical Education, Revenue, and Planning Departments. He has also served as Financial Commissioner in the Revenue Department, Inspector General of Registration, and Secretary to the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir.
The re-designation of the post aligns Ladakh’s governance structure with that of other Union Territories, ensuring more streamlined administration and improved public service delivery. The Ladakh administration has stated that this step will further strengthen governance and enhance administrative effectiveness in the region.
