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 (IAS:1994:AGMUT) will now assume the role of Chief Secretary of Ladakh, with no change in his existing duties and responsibilities.
The decision was formalized through an Office Memorandum issued by the General Administration Department of Ladakh, in accordance 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.
A highly respected civil servant, Kotwal was born in Jammu & Kashmir in 1965 and holds an MBBS degree. Over the course of his career, he has held several key positions across J&K and Ladakh, including Divisional Commissioner of Jammu, Deputy Commissioner in multiple districts of J&K, and Principal Secretary in several departments. He has also served as Financial Commissioner in the Revenue Department, Inspector General of Registration, and Secretary to the Chief Minister of J&K.
