Mr. Dawa Phunkyi was born on 9th July 1963, in Dharamshala, India. He was the school captain at TCV school and was awarded the best student award by the Department of Education, CTA. He pursued Diploma in Health Management and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Health Administration from Christian Medical College, Vellore, and St. John’s Medical College, Bangalore respectively.

From 1st January 1987, Mr. Phunkyi started working as a health coordinator at Delek Hospital and then as the Project Officer at the Department of Health, CTA. In 1994, he was appointed the Secretary of Tibetan Delek Hospital, and then in 2006, he was appointed the Chief Administrator of the Delek Hospital. Likewise, he has made valuable contributions in different capacities to various NGOs such as serving as the President of the RTYC, the General Secretary of the National Democratic Party of Tibet, the Senior Vice-President of the Indo-Tibetan Friendship Society, Director of the Community Service Rotary Club, Dharamshala, and the Vice President of the Utsang Cholkha Association. Mr. Phunkyi was earlier elected to the 13th, 14th, 15th, and 16th TPiE from Utsang province. Currently, he is a member of the 17th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, as well as the Chief Administrator of Tibetan Delek Hospital, a board member of many governmental and Non-Governmental Organisations, and an advisor to the Utsang Cholkha Association.