Leh, November 12: Chief Secretary of Ladakh, Dr. Pawan Kotwal, chaired the 5th Governing Council Meeting of the Ladakh Skill Development Mission (LSDM) at the Civil Secretariat, Leh. The meeting focused on key agenda points aimed at strengthening and expanding the skill development ecosystem in the Union Territory.
During the session, the council discussed and approved several important proposals including the finalization of the Annual Action Plan for FY 2025–26 and the upgradation and establishment of laboratories for skill courses in Government Degree Colleges.
The meeting also reviewed initiatives related to expert lectures in ITIs and polytechnics, the establishment of incubation centres in degree colleges to strengthen the Skilling Ecosystem in the UT of Ladakh. Emphasis was laid on ensuring quality infrastructure, advanced equipment, and effective teaching methods to enhance practical learning outcomes among students.
Highlighting the achievements of LSDM, the Chief Secretary appreciated the integration of industry-aligned skill courses under the NEP 2020 in collaboration with the Higher Education department and Sector Skill Councils, making it one of the pioneering initiatives in the country. The council noted that 16 well-equipped Skill Centres have been established across seven higher education institutions offering 11 skill courses, with over 400 college students successfully completing certification programs.
Smt. Bhanu Prabha, Administrative Secretary, School Education Department, informed that the Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII) has recently onboarded with LSDM, leading to the launch of 150 local products in the last four months. She also highlighted the recognition received by LSDM, which was awarded the “Centre for Innovations in Public Systems (CIPS) Award 2024” in the Education Sector on August 22, 2025.
Dr. Kotwal emphasized the need for high-quality training facilities and the use of modern machinery in skill centres, ensuring students gain hands-on exposure to the latest tools and technologies. He further directed that in the current scenario; skilling has to be the priority for the youth. This would not only strengthen them as individual but would also strengthen the UT towards a Viksit Ladakh and enable us to realize the dream of Viksit Bharat.
The meeting was attended by Smt. Bhanu Prabha, Administrative Secretary, Higher Education Department; Shri Bhupesh Chaudhary, Administrative Secretary, Transport Department; Shri Sanjeet Rodrigues, Administrative Secretary, Tourism and Culture Department; and other senior officials.
Director, Social Welfare; Deputy Commissioner, Kargil; Chief Planning Officer, Leh; representatives from RDSDE, and NSDC also joined the meeting virtually.
