Advisor Dr Pawan Kotwal Chairs Meeting on Information and Cyber Security Policy for UT Ladakh

Leh, July 31, 2024: Advisor to the Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor, UT Ladakh, Dr Pawan Kotwal, convened a crucial meeting to discuss the Information and Cyber Security Policy (ICSP) for the Union Territory of Ladakh, at the Civil Secretariat, Leh.

At the outset of the meeting, a comprehensive virtual PowerPoint presentation by the National Institute for Smart Government (NISG) team, outlining the drafting of the Cyber Security Policy. The presentation covered essential aspects, including Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) guidelines for departments, Model framework, and templates for SOP development, Capacity building and outreach roadmaps, and Implementation monitoring framework.

The Secretary of Information Technology, UT Ladakh Amit Sharma talked about the broad coverage of the Information and Cyber Security Policy which includes mechanisms, compliances, and control, Institutional arrangements for ICSP implementation, a Cyber Security Steering Committee, and Security Operation Centre, a Network Operation Centre, Help Desk.

The NISG team which made a presentation on Cyber Security Policy emphasized capacity building for a competent workforce and monitoring, while the Secretary briefed the Advisor on the backend system to protect critical information.

Dr Pawan Kotwal directed the officers to compile SOP guidelines on Capacity building, Precautions, Dos and Don’ts, Safety measures and mechanisms, and Software and hardware requirements. He also instructed the NISG team to submit a comprehensive action report within a stipulated timeframe.

The meeting marks a significant step towards strengthening the cyber security framework in UT Ladakh, ensuring the protection of critical information and safeguarding against cyber threats.

The meeting was attended by the Administrative Secretary of the Information Technology Department, UT Ladakh; the Deputy Secretary of the Information Department, Ladakh; the Director and OIC of the National Informatic Centre, UT Ladakh; the Director of NIELIT, UT Ladakh; the IT Consultant of IT Department, UT Ladakh; and the IT Managers of IT Department, UT Ladakh, while the NISG Team, New Delhi joined the meeting virtually.