Palden Dhondup was born on 6 July 1969 in Ladakh, India. He completed his schooling up to Class IX at TCV School, Ladakh, and subsequently pursued higher studies at the Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies, Varanasi, where he earned both Shastri and Acharya degrees. During his student years, he actively engaged in student and community affairs, serving as a member of the Sakya Welfare Committee, a member of the Students’ Welfare Committee, President of the Tibetan Children’s Village Alumni Association (TCVAA), and a member of the Regional Tibetan Freedom Movement. Following a brief tenure at Ngor Ewam Choden Monastery as a teacher and secretary, he formally joined the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) on 25 March 1996 after successfully clearing the staff recruitment examination for the post of Under Secretary. He was initially appointed as Assistant to the Settlement Officer of the Kalimpong Tibetan Settlement and was later promoted to Deputy Secretary and appointed Settlement Officer of the settlement. In 2001, he was transferred to Choephelling Tibetan Settlement in Miao, Arunachal Pradesh, as Settlement Officer. From 2002 to 2006, he served as Settlement Officer of Phuntsokling Tibetan Settlement in Odisha. He was subsequently posted to Kunphenling Tibetan Settlement in Ravangla, Sikkim, where he served from 2006 to 2007, before being appointed Settlement Officer of the Darjeeling Tibetan Settlement in 2007. On 26 February 2008, he was promoted to the rank of Joint Secretary and concurrently served as Settlement Officer of both the Darjeeling and Sonada Tibetan Settlements. Later that year, he was appointed Settlement Officer of Doeguling Tibetan Settlement in Mundgod, Karnataka.