Chief Secretary chairs 5th UTLCC, Focuses on Financial Literacy and Digital Fraud Prevention Measures
and Digital Fraud Prevention Measures
07/10/2026
Leh,October 07(KIP)- Chief Secretary, Union Territory of Ladakh, Ashish Kundra, today chaired the 5th Union Territory Level Coordination Committee (UTLCC) Meeting at Hotel Zen, Leh, to review measures related to financial literacy, consumer awareness, digital payment security and prevention of financial frauds. The meeting was held under the aegis of Shri Prabhakar Jha, Regional Director, Reserve Bank of India (RBI), UTs of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.
Shri Prabhakar Jha gave an overview of the UTLCC framework and highlighted the need to strengthen financial literacy, public awareness and safeguards against financial and digital risks, particularly with increasing internet penetration and adoption of digital payment systems in the Union Territory.
Smt. Gurdeep Kaur, Assistant General Manager, RBI, gave a detailed presentation on the Action Taken Report of the 4th UTLCC meeting held on July 15, 2026, confirmation of its minutes, formation of the UTLCC sub-committee, financial awareness initiatives and proposed awareness programmes by SEBI and the Social Welfare Department. Discussions also covered the proposed 10-hour hybrid financial literacy course for students of Classes XI and XII and college students, fraudulent digital lending applications, cyber mule syndicates and sharing of market intelligence among concerned agencies.
The Chief Secretary reviewed the progress of the UTLCC sub-committee and directed that a meeting be convened at the earliest. He stressed that financial awareness programmes should be practical, targeted and measurable, with greater focus on reaching students and vulnerable sections of society.
He also emphasised the need to create awareness about verified and genuine financial applications and portals in view of the increasing number of fraudulent websites and apps. He suggested wider dissemination of information on official and verified platforms and better coordination with relevant digital platforms.
The Chief Secretary called for financial awareness campaigns in local languages, including Ladakhi, and suggested developing short videos on UPI frauds, digital payment safety and preventive measures for wider circulation through social media. He also stressed the need to prominently publicise official helpline numbers and reporting mechanisms.
The Chief Secretary further directed the concerned departments to strengthen financial awareness programmes in schools and colleges and called for coordinated efforts to sensitise students and young people about safe digital payments and measures to protect themselves from online financial fraud.
DGP Ladakh, Anand Jain, briefed the Committee on cybercrime concerns, including the reported rise in UPI-related frauds in Ladakh, and stressed the importance of timely reporting and coordination between banks and law-enforcement agencies.
Secretary, Information and Public Relations, highlighted the importance of using social media for wider dissemination of financial awareness messages, particularly among digitally connected sections of the public.
The meeting also discussed capacity-building and training programmes for bank and police personnel on financial fraud, cybercrime, reporting mechanisms and coordination with financial institutions.
The meeting was attended by Shri Prabhakar Jha, Regional Director, RBI; Shri Anand Jain, IPS, DGP, Ladakh Police; Shri Ram Sarup, Deputy General Manager, RBI, Jammu; Shri Tsewang Tharchin, Secretary Finance; Secretary, Information and Public Relations; Shri Jatinder Singh Jamwal, Secretary, Law Department; Dr. Rajneesh Garg, IPS, AIG (CIV), Ladakh Police; Shri Sarat Chandra Mahanta, Joint Legal Advisor, RBI; Smt. Gurdeep Kaur, Assistant General Manager, RBI; Smt. Punchok Dolma, Manager, RBI; Shri Gyanendra Niraj, General Manager, RBI; Shri Jigmet Namgyal, Joint Director, Finance; and other concerned officials.