Dharamshala: The leadership and staff of the Central Tibetan Administration held a prayer service this afternoon to mourn the passing of former Secretary Samdup Lhatse, who passed away at the age of 74 in Minnesota.

Over the course of more than 28 years, he rendered dedicated service to the Central Tibetan Administration in various capacities, including as Secretary of the Office of the Auditor General and the Department of Security. He also served as the Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama at the Office of Tibet in Kathmandu.

The Central Tibetan Administration extends its heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family members of the late Secretary Samdup Lhatse.

During the prayer service, Cabinet Secretariat Tsegyal Chukya Dranyi read out a brief biographical note on the late former Secretary before the gathering.

Brief Bio:

Samdup Lhatse was born on 1 July 1951 to Tsering Dorjee and Metok in a farming family in Lhatse (Ch: Lazi), Tibet. In exile, he completed his Bachelor of Arts degree from Delhi University and later earned a Bachelor of Education from Banaras Hindu University.

He began his service with the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) on 15 October 1982 as the Acting Director of the Tashiling Handicraft Centre in Pokhara, initially as a probationary staff member.

Following his appointment as a permanent staff on 5 July 1984, he was promoted six years later to the position of Tibetan Settlement Officer of Tashi Palkhel Tibetan Settlement. On 1 August 1992, he advanced to the rank of Deputy Secretary, and subsequently, on 8 June 1993, to Joint Secretary. He was transferred to the Department of Education on 16 April 1996 and later appointed Joint Secretary of the Office of Tibet in Kathmandu on 16 July 1997.

On 27 March 1998, he was appointed as the Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama at the Office of Tibet, Kathmandu. Less than a year later, on 5 February 1999, he was promoted to the position of Additional Secretary.

On 1 August 2001, he assumed the role of Secretary of the Planning Council at the Planning Commission, before being appointed as the Director of the Tibetan Medical and Astro Institute on 19 October 2001. He was promoted to the rank of Secretary on 18 October 2004 and went on to serve as Secretary of the Office of the Auditor General. On 23 February 2006, he was appointed as the Secretary of the Department of Security.

After nearly two years of personal leave, he returned to serve as the Secretary of the History Documentation and Interim Placement Section at the Kashag (Cabinet) Secretariat on 2 August 2010. Later that year, he retired after decades of dedicated service to the Central Tibetan Administration.

Samdup Lhatse passed away on 7 November 2025 in Minnesota at the age of 74. He is survived by his wife, a daughter, and a son.