UT Ladakh Administration bids farewell to Chief Secretary Dr. Pawan Kotwal Welcomes new CS Shri Ashish Kundra LG Ladakh lauds Dr. Pawan Kotwal as a visionary, people-centric administrator.

UT Ladakh Administration bids farewell to Chief Secretary Dr. Pawan Kotwal Welcomes new CS Shri Ashish Kundra LG Ladakh lauds Dr. Pawan Kotwal as a visionary, people-centric administrator.
Leh, December 31: The UT Ladakh Administration led by the Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, Shri Kavinder Gupta, bid adieu to the outgoing Chief Secretary of UT Ladakh, Dr. Pawan Kotwal, IAS, on the eve of his superannuation. The new Chief Secretary, Shri Ashish Kundra, IAS, was also formally welcomed on the occasion.
Dr Pawan Kotwal, a 1994-batch IAS officer, is the first Chief Secretary of UT Ladakh. He also served as the Advisor and Principal Secretary in UT Ladakh.
Addressing the gathering, Shri Kavinder Gupta described the occasion as emotional yet filled with pride—emotional for bidding farewell to a highly capable, experienced, and committed administrator, and proud for Dr. Kotwal’s visionary skills elevating Ladakh’s administration to new benchmarks in transparency, efficiency, and responsive governance.
The Lt Governor called Dr. Pawan Kotwal a visionary, result-oriented, people-centric administrator who always understood ground realities and ensured effective, timely policy implementation. He emphasised that in Ladakh’s remote, strategic, environmentally sensitive context—balancing development, environment protection, border concerns, and public aspirations, Dr. Kotwal handled challenges with maturity, sensitivity, and responsibility, translating schemes into real, time-bound changes.
The Lt Governor asked officers serving in Ladakh to embrace integrity over convenience, innovation over inertia, service over status, positioning them as architects of Viksit Bharat through effective, transparent, people-centric governance.
Extending best wishes to Shri Ashish Kundra, the Lt Governor expressed confidence that his distinguished career’s rich experience would ensure administrative continuity, foster innovation, and enhance people-first governance in UT Ladakh.
In his concluding remarks, Shri Kavinder Gupta lauded Dr. Pawan Kotwal for his outstanding services, wishing him health, happiness, and peace post-retirement, and affirmed his continued nation-building contributions.
Shri Kavinder Gupta presented traditional Khataks, memento, and gifts to Dr. Kotwal in the presence of his wife Smt. Deepa Kotwal, daughter Ojasvini Kotwal, brother, and other family members.
In his address, Dr. Pawan Kotwal thanked organisers, recalling challenges upon joining as Principal Secretary in April 2021, including utilising the Government of India’s funds for infrastructure development, framing recruitment rules for gazetted/non-gazetted posts, and establishing seamless governance. He applauded dedication of staff serving in UT Administration and Ladakhis’ patriotism, calling Ladakh eternally close to his heart.
GOC 14 Corps Lt Gen Hitesh Bhalla highlighted his 18-month association with Dr Kotwal, commending Dr. Kotwal’s deep knowledge as Ladakh’s senior-most bureaucrat, and thanked him on behalf of serving/ex-servicemen.
Dr. SD Singh Jamwal, DGP Ladakh, shared service memories, calling him a great personality.
Administrative Secretary GAD Michael D’Souza’s message commended Dr. Kotwal’s contributions while Dr Kotwal’s OSD Shabbir Hussain shared working experiences.
Among those present during the farewell ceremony were Principal District and Sessions Judge Leh Spalzes Angmo, Administrative Secretaries, Directors/Head of Departments, senior officials of UT Administration, Ladakh Police and Defence forces.