Ladakh Chief Secretary Reviews IT Infrastructure and Digital Governance Initiatives

LEH, January 06, 2026: Chief Secretary of the Union Territory of Ladakh, Ashish Kundra, chaired a high-level departmental review meeting today to evaluate the progress of digital infrastructure, e-governance initiatives, and upcoming technological reforms across the region.

During the session, IT Secretary Shashanka Ala presented a comprehensive overview of Ladakh’s IT ecosystem, detailing the operations of the State Data Centre (LSDC), the Network Operations Centre (NOC), and the Ladakh SWAN network. The review also covered critical areas such as the 4G Saturation Project, the implementation of Cyber Security initiatives for 2026, and the transition toward a more integrated e-Office and e-Sign environment.

Highlighting the importance of data integrity, Chief Secretary Kundra called for the establishment of a cloud-based data centre with a primary focus on disaster recovery and cybersecurity. He mandated regular penetration testing and the enforcement of rigid security protocols to protect sensitive government data. Regarding the 4G Saturation Project, he directed officials to compile a precise master list of uncovered villages and border hamlets, emphasizing that universal internet access is a priority.

He urged the department to explore diverse connectivity solutions, including tower installations and alternative technologies, to ensure no habitation is left behind.In a move to streamline citizen services, the Chief Secretary instructed that all Government-to-Citizen (G2C) services be integrated into a single unified portal featuring a common identifier and single sign-on system.

This initiative aims to simplify public access to government resources through Aadhaar-based authentication and auto-filled data processes, particularly in essential sectors like healthcare and education. To foster future growth, Kundra also proposed a UT-level IT conference to map out the digital roadmap for Ladakh and directed the department to enhance youth employability by introducing Google-certified AI courses and other specialized technical programs.

The meeting was attended by IT Secretary Shashanka Ala, State Informatics Officer Sunil Kaul, and other senior officials from the NIC and Finance Department.