Leh: In a significant administrative reshuffle, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has appointed senior IAS officer Ashish Kundra as the new Chief Secretary of the Union Territory of Ladakh.
His appointment will take effect from 1 January 2026, or from the date he assumes charge.
According to an order issued by the Ministry’s Union Territory Division, Kundra—an officer of the 1996 IAS batch—is currently serving as the Principal Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi.
Over the past two decades, he has held key administrative positions across Delhi, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Daman & Diu, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, and even in the Ministry of External Affairs, giving him a diverse and extensive governance background.
Kundra is widely known for his dynamic approach in public administration. During his tenure as Transport Commissioner in Delhi, he made headlines for travelling on buses to interact directly with commuters and gather on-ground feedback—an approach that earned praise for its hands-on style.
Beyond his administrative career, Kundra is also an author. His book, “A Resurgent Northeast: Narratives of Change,”is regarded as an important work capturing the evolving socio-administrative landscape of India’s northeastern region.
As he prepares to take over Ladakh’s top bureaucratic position, Kundra is expected to focus on administrative reforms, faster project monitoring, and giving fresh momentum to the developmental model of the Union Territory.
With Ladakh undergoing major infrastructural and governance transitions, his leadership is likely to have a significant impact in the months ahead.
