Jigme Namgyal takes charge as Secretary of CTA’S Department of Religion And Culture

DHARAMSHALA: Senior Tibetan civil servant Jigme Namgyal has formally assumed charge as Secretary of the Department of Religion and Culture of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), succeeding Dhondul Dorjee following a ceremonial handover held at the department headquarters in Dharamshala.

The transfer of responsibilities was marked by an official handover ceremony attended by Secretary Karma Choeying of the Department of Education, who represented the Kashag as an official witness. During the proceedings, outgoing Secretary Dhondul Dorjee formally transferred departmental files, records, documents and inventories to his successor and conveyed his best wishes for a successful tenure.

Following the completion of the formalities, both the outgoing and incoming Secretaries, along with the official witness, met Kalon of the Department of Religion and Culture, Tsegyal Chukya Dranyi, for a brief interaction. Departmental staff later presented traditional ceremonial scarves to the two officials as a mark of respect and goodwill.

The appointment marks a new chapter in the administrative career of Jigme Namgyal, who previously served as Secretary of the Department of Education and has held several important positions within the Central Tibetan Administration over the past two decades.

Born on May 7, 1978, to Yudrung Tsering and Tsering Dolma, Jigme Namgyal completed his early education at CST Bir and senior secondary schooling at CST Dalhousie before pursuing higher studies at the Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies (CIHTS), Sarnath. He secured a Gold Medal in 2000 for attaining first position in the Shastri degree examination and later graduated with an Acharya degree in First Division in 2003.

He joined the Tibetan civil service in 2001 as an Under Secretary in the Department of Education before being transferred to the Kashag Secretariat, where he served as Private Secretary to the Kalon Tripa. During his tenure, he worked closely with Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche from 2001 to 2011 and Dr. Lobsang Sangay from 2011 to 2016, holding positions that included Under Secretary, Deputy Secretary and Joint Secretary.

In 2016, he was transferred to the Department of Information and International Relations (DIIR), where he was promoted as Additional Secretary the following year. He later returned to the Department of Education, serving as Head of Administration before being appointed Secretary of the Department on September 3, 2020.

With the constitution of the 17th Kashag, Jigme Namgyal was transferred to the Department of Religion and Culture, where he now assumes responsibility for overseeing the department’s administrative functions and programmes related to the preservation and promotion of Tibetan religious and cultural heritage.

The transition comes as the Central Tibetan Administration continues its efforts to strengthen institutional governance and ensure continuity in the functioning of its key departments.