Sonam Wangchuk (engineer)

Last updated

Sonam Wangchuk
Sonam Wangchuk, 2017 (cropped).jpg
Wangchuk in 2017
Born (1966-09-01) 1 September 1966 (age 58)
Alchi, Jammu and Kashmir (now in Ladakh, India)
Education
  • B.Tech (Mechanical Engineering)
  • DSA (Earthen Architecture)
Alma mater
Occupation(s)Engineer, educator
Organization Students' Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh
Known for Ice Stupa, SECMOL, Ladags Melong, Operation New Hope
SpouseGitanjali J Angmo [1] [2] [3] [4]
Parents
  • Sonam Wangyal (father)
  • Tsering Wangmo (mother)
Awards Global Award for Sustainable Architecture (2017) [5]
Fred M. Packard Award (2016) [6]
Rolex Awards for Enterprise (2016) [7]
Real Heroes Award (2008)
Ashoka Fellowship for Social Entrepreneurship (2002) [8]
Ramon Magsaysay Award (2018) [8]

Sonam Wangchuk (born 1 September 1966) is an Indian engineer, innovator and education reformist. [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] He is the founding-director of the Students' Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL), which was founded in 1988 by a group of students who had been in his own words, the 'victims' of an alien education system foisted on Ladakh. [15] [16] He is also known for designing the SECMOL campus that runs on solar energy and uses no fossil fuels for cooking, lighting or heating. [17] [18] [19]

Contents

Wangchuk was instrumental in the launch of Operation New Hope in 1994, a collaboration of government, village communities and the civil society to bring reforms in the government school system. [20] He invented the Ice Stupa technique that creates artificial glaciers, used for storing winter water in the form of a cone-shaped ice heap. [21] [22] [23]

Early life

Wangchuk was born in 1966 in near Alchi in the Leh district of Ladakh. He was not enrolled in a school until the age of 9, as there were not any schools in his village. His mother taught him all the basics in his own mother tongue until that age. [24] [20] At the age of 9, he was taken to Srinagar and enrolled in a school in Srinagar. Since he looked different compared to the other students, he would get addressed in a language that he did not understand, due to which his lack of responsiveness was mistaken for him being stupid. He recalls this period as the darkest part of his life. Unable to bear the treatment, in 1977 he escaped alone to Delhi where he pleaded his case to the school principal at Vishesh Kendriya Vidyalaya. [7]

Wangchuk completed his B.Tech. in Mechanical Engineering from National Institute of Technology Srinagar (then REC Srinagar) in 1987. [25] [ failed verification ] Due to differences with his father over the choice of engineering stream, he had to finance his own education. He also went for two years of higher studies in Earthen Architecture at Craterre School of Architecture in Grenoble, France, in 2011. [26]

Career

In 1988, after his graduation, Wangchuk (with his brother and five peers) started Students' Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL). After experimenting with school reforms in government high school at Saspol, SECMOL launched Operation New Hope in collaboration with the government education department and the village population. [20] [8] [10]

From June 1993 until August 2005, Wangchuk also founded and worked as the editor of Ladakh's only print magazine Ladags Melong [27] [8] In 2001, he was appointed to be an advisor for the education in the Hill Council Government. [28] In 2002, together with other NGO heads, he founded Ladakh Voluntary Network (LVN), a network of Ladakhi NGOs, and served in its executive committee as the secretary till 2005. He was appointed to the Drafting Committee of the Ladakh Hill Council Government’s Vision Document Ladakh 2025 and entrusted with the formulation of the policy on Education and Tourism in 2004. [29] The document was formally launched by Manmohan Singh, the Prime Minister of India in 2005. In 2005, Wangchuk was appointed as a member in the National Governing Council for Elementary Education in the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India. [29]

From 2007 to 2010, Wangchuk worked as an education advisor for MS, a Danish NGO working to support the Ministry of Education for education reforms. [30]

In late 2013, Wangchuk invented and built a prototype of the Ice Stupa which is an artificial glacier that stores the wasting stream waters during the winters in the form of giant ice cones or stupas, and releases the water during late spring as they start melting, which is the perfect time when the farmers need water. [31] He was appointed to the Jammu and Kashmir State Board of School Education in 2013. In 2014, he was appointed to the Expert panel for framing the J&K State Education Policy and Vision Document. Since 2015, Sonam has started working on establishing Himalayan Institute of Alternatives. He is concerned about how most of the Universities, especially those in the mountains have become irrelevant to realities of life. [32]

In 2016, Wangchuk initiated a project called FarmStays Ladakh, which provides tourists to stay with local families of Ladakh, run by mothers and middle-aged women. The project was officially inaugurated by Chetsang Rinpoche on 18 June 2016. [33]

Innovations

Wangchuk has been helping in designing and overseeing the construction of several passive solar mud buildings in mountain regions like Ladakh, Sikkim and in Nepal so that energy savings principles are implemented on a larger scale. Even in -30 Celsius winters, his solar-powered school, built with the rammed earth, keeps the students warm. [16] [34] [35]

Main building of SECMOL campus SECMOL.jpg
Main building of SECMOL campus

Led by Wangchuk, SECMOL has won the International Terra Award for the best building in July 2016 at the 12th World Congress on Earthen Architecture in Lyon, France. [36] The rammed earth 'Big Building', located at SECMOL. The campus was built using simple, low-cost traditional techniques on principles of passive solar architecture. [16] The building comprises a big solar-heated teaching hall, along with several rooms for the students and other classrooms. [24]

Himalayan Institute Of Alternatives Ladakh (HIAL)

Academic building of HIAL 2023 HIAL CAMPUS 2023.jpg
Academic building of HIAL 2023

Sonam Wangchuk founded the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives Ladakh (HIAL) [37] [38] [39] [40] with Gitanjali J Angmo [41] [42] after his significant experience with the Students' Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL), which he established in 1988. His motivation for starting HIAL stems from a desire to address the educational and developmental challenges specific to Ladakh's unique geographical and cultural context [43] [44] [45] .

Sonam Wangchuk's establishment of HIAL is a continuation of his commitment to educational reform in Ladakh, building on the foundations laid by SECMOL. His vision is not only to provide higher education but also to create a sustainable future for the region by equipping youth with the skills necessary to thrive in their unique environment [46] [47] [48] .

Ice Stupa

In January 2014, Wangchuk started a project called the Ice Stupa. His aim was to find a solution to the water crisis being faced by the farmers of Ladakh in the critical planting months of April and May before the natural glacial melt waters start flowing. By the end of February in 2014, they had successfully built a two-storey prototype of an ice stupa which could store roughly 150,000 litres of winter stream water which nobody wanted at the time. [49] [20] [50] [51]

In 2015, when Ladakh faced a crisis due to a landslide which blocked the Phugtal river in Zanskar and caused formation of 15 km long lake which became a huge threat for the downstream population, Wangchuk proposed to use a siphon technique to drain the lake and water jet erosion to safely cut the edges instead of blasting the lake as was being planned. However, his advice was ignored and blasting work was carried on. On 7 May 2015, the lake finally burst into flash flood which destroyed 12 bridges and many fields. [52] [53] [54]

In 2016, Wangchuk started applying the Ice Stupa technique for disaster mitigation at high altitude glacier lakes. He was invited by the Government of Sikkim to apply siphon technique for another dangerous lake in their state. In September 2016, he led a three-week expedition to the South Lhonak Lake in North-West Sikkim, which had been declared dangerous for the last few years. [55] His team camped for two weeks at the lake, amidst rain and snow, installing the first phase of a siphoning system to drain the lake to a safer level until other measures were taken up. [56] [57]

In late 2016, the idea started gaining traction from the authorities in the Swiss Alps. Wangchuk was invited by the president of Pontresina, a municipality in the Engadine valley, Switzerland to build Ice Stupas to add to their winter tourism attractions. [58] In October 2016, Wangchuk and his team went to the Swiss Alps and started building the first Ice Stupa of Europe, together with the Swiss partners. [59] [60] [61]

In February 2018, a group of young local sculptors and artists from Ladakh built an actual 10-feet high ice stupa. The wondrous sculpture is made entirely of ice and it took them 25 days of hard work and dedication to complete the project. As the stupa was housed inside another giant ice tower (ice stupa artificial glacier), it was made in very low temperature of around -12 degrees Celsius. [62]

Mobile Solar-Powered Tents

In February 2021, Wangchuk developed solar-powered tents for the Indian army. Each tent can accommodate around 10 soldiers. According to Wangchuk, he came up with this innovation when he learned that around 50,000 Indian soldiers were working in harsh weather conditions in high-altitude areas. [63] [64] This invention traps the heat energy during the daytime and utilizes this energy to keep the tent warm during night. [65]

Politics

In 2013, on repeated requests from students community of Ladakh, Wangchuk helped launch the New Ladakh Movement (NLM), a social campaign and Ladakh's version of Green Party [66] with the aim of working for sustainable education, environment and economy. [67] It also aimed at uniting all local political leaders under one banner for the growth and development of Ladakh. [68] Eventually, the members decided to make it into a non-political social movement.

Boycott of Chinese products

In June 2020, in response to the India-China border skirmishes, Sonam Wangchuk appealed to Indians to use "wallet power" and boycott Chinese products. [69] This appeal was covered by major media houses and supported by various celebrities. [69] [70] Following the Galwan Valley clash on 15 June 2020, there were calls across India to boycott Chinese goods. [71] [72]

Ladakh autonomy protest

On 26 January 2023, to highlight the effects of climate change on the fragile ecosystem of Ladakh and to demand its protection under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, Wangchuk attempted to go on a fast at the Khardungla pass. However, the authorities prevented him from going to Khardungla by putting him under house arrest, restricting his movement, as well as restricting people from visiting him. The police denied the charges, stating that he had not been given permission to enter Khardung La pass, citing temperatures being unsuitable for the fast, at less than -40°C. [73] They also detained a few of his students supporting him from the HIAL campus. Wangchuk continued to voice his protest and fasting from the HIAL campus.

In March 2024, he started a fast-unto-death to press for his demand for constitutional safeguards for the Union Territory and protection of Ladakh from industrial and mining lobbies. [74] He also began a 21-day Climate Fast hunger strike for giving statehood to Union Territory Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule. [75] [76]

On 30 September 2024, during his walk by foot from Ladakh to Delhi for their demands, Wangchuk and his supporters were detained by Delhi Police at the Singhu border and were released on 2 October 2024. [77] In Delhi, they have announced to go on an indefinite hunger strike if they would not be allowed to meet either Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Droupadi Murmu or Union Home Minister Amit Shah to address their demand of including Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India.

Wangchuk came into the spotlight in 2009, when his story inspired Aamir Khan's character Phunsukh Wangdu in the film 3 Idiots directed by Rajkumar Hirani. [27] He has been referred as "The real life Phunsukh Wangdu". [7] However he says that he is not Phunsukh Wangdu. [78] [79]

Awards

YearTitle
2018 Ramon Magsaysay Award [80]
2018Honorary D.Litt by Symbiosis International [81]
2018Eminent Technologist of the Himalayan Region by IIT Mandi [82]
2017Indians for Collective Action (ICA) Honor Award, San Francisco, CA [83]
2017GQ Men of the Year Awards, Social Entrepreneur of the Year [84]
2017 Global Award for Sustainable Architecture [85]
2017State Award for outstanding environmentalist by J&K Govt. [86]
2016 Rolex Award for Enterprise [87]
2016International Terra Award for best earth building [24]
2014UNESCO Chair Earthen Architecture, by CRATerre France [88]
2008 Real Heroes Award by CNN-IBN TV [89]
2004The Green Teacher Award by Sanctuary Asia [90]
2002Ashoka Fellowship for Social Entrepreneurship, by Ashoka USA [8]
2001Man of the Year by The Week [91]
1996Governor's Medal for educational reform in Jammu and Kashmir [92]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Himalayas</span> Mountain range in Asia, separating Indo-Gangetic plain from Tibetan Plateau

The Himalayas, or Himalaya is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has several peaks exceeding an elevation of 8,000 m (26,000 ft) including Mount Everest, the highest mountain on Earth. The mountain range runs for 2,400 km (1,500 mi) as an arc from west-northwest to east-southeast at the northern end of the Indian subcontinent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ladakh</span> Region administered by India

Ladakh is a region administered by India as a union territory and constitutes an eastern portion of the larger Kashmir region that has been the subject of a dispute between India and Pakistan since 1947 and India and China since 1959. Ladakh is bordered by the Tibet Autonomous Region to the east, the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh to the south, both the Indian-administered union territory of Jammu and Kashmir and the Pakistan-administered Gilgit-Baltistan to the west, and the southwest corner of Xinjiang across the Karakoram Pass in the far north. It extends from the Siachen Glacier in the Karakoram range to the north to the main Great Himalayas to the south. The eastern end, consisting of the uninhabited Aksai Chin plains, is claimed by the Indian Government as part of Ladakh, but has been under Chinese control.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ladakh Buddhist Association</span> 1933 Ladakh-based Indian organization

Ladakh Buddhist Association (LBA) is an organization in Ladakh, India concerned with interests of Buddhists in Ladakh. It was founded in 1933 by King Jigmet Dadul Namgyal, Kalon Tsewang Rigzin, lachumir Munshi Sonam Tsewang and Kalon Bankapa Morup Gyaltsan

The Students' Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh is an Indian non-governmental organisation based in Leh, Ladakh, India.

<i>Frozen</i> (2007 film) 2007 black-and-white Indian drama film

Frozen is a 2007 black-and-white Indian drama film directed by Shivajee Chandrabhushan. The original screenplay written by Shanker Raman, based on a story by Chandrabhushan and starring Danny Denzongpa, Gauri, and Skalzang Angchuk. The film was shot entirely on location at Ladakh, India.

<i>3 Idiots</i> 2009 Indian Hindi film by Rajkumar Hirani

3 Idiots is a 2009 Indian Hindi-language coming-of-age comedy-drama film written, edited and directed by Rajkumar Hirani, co-written by Abhijat Joshi and produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra. The film stars Aamir Khan, R. Madhavan and Sharman Joshi in the titular roles, marking their reunion three years after Rang De Basanti (2006), while Kareena Kapoor, Boman Irani and Omi Vaidya appear in pivotal roles. Narrated through two parallel dramas, one in the present and the other set ten years in the past, the story follows the friendship of three students at an Indian engineering college and is a satire about the intrinsic paternalism under the Indian education system.

Maryul, also called mar-yul of mnga'-ris, was the western-most Tibetan kingdom based in modern-day Ladakh and some parts of Tibet. The kingdom had its capital at Shey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ladakh Scouts</span> Infantry regiment of the Indian Army

The Ladakh Scouts is a mountain infantry regiment of the Indian Army, nicknamed as the "Snow Warriors" or "Snow Leopards". The regiment specializes in cold-weather warfare and mountain warfare, long-range penetration, maneuver warfare, raiding with small unit tactics, and reconnaissance in difficult to reach and dangerous terrain. Its primary role is to guard India's borders in the high altitudes of the Union Territory of Ladakh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zoji La</span> Himalayan mountain pass in Ladakh, India

Zoji La is a high mountain pass in the Himalayas. It is in the Kargil district, Indian Union territory of Ladakh. Located in the Dras subdivision, the pass connects the Kashmir Valley to its west with the Dras and Suru valleys to its northeast and the Indus valley further east. National Highway #1 between Srinagar and Leh in the western section of the Himalayan mountain range, traverses the pass. As of late 2022, an all-weather Zoji-la Tunnel is under construction to mitigate seasonal road blockages due to heavy snowfall.

The first portion of the Bible, the Gospel of John, in a Tibetic language was translated by Moravian Church missionaries William Heyde, Edward Pagel, and Heinrich August Jäschke, and later Dr. August Francke. It was printed in 1862 at Kyelang capital of Lahul in Kashmir. The whole New Testament was printed in 1885 in Ladakh. Another version was translated in 1903. So as not to have the problem of various dialectal differences it was translated into classical Tibetan, but this was not understood by most people. Yoseb Gergen, a Tibetan Christian translated the entire Bible, complete in 1935. This version was translated into a dialect of Tibetan Gergen had accidentally stumbled across, and which was understandable by all Tibetans. It was finally published in 1948. This is known in India as the Tibetan OV Bible. Eliya Tsetan Phuntshog published a New Testament in 1970. There is currently a project going on to translate the Bible into the East Tibetan dialect.

Colonel Sonam Wangchuk, MVC is an Indian Army veteran, who served with the Assam Regiment and the Ladakh Scouts. He was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra, India's second highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy, during his successful operation in the Kargil War. Due to his exemplary feat as a Major during Kargil War, he is known as the Lion of Ladakh in the Indian Army.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Khurnak Fort</span> Ruined fort in eastern Ladakh

The Khurnak Fort is a ruined fort on the northern shore of Pangong Lake, which spans eastern Ladakh in India and Rutog County in the Tibet region of China. The area of the Khurnak Fort is disputed by India and China, and has been under Chinese administration since 1958.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tashi Rabgias</span> Indian scholar and historian (1927–2020)

Tashi Rabgias was an Indian scholar and historian who belonged to the Union Territory of Ladakh. He was a scholar of Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism. He commanded great expertise over the Bhoti language. He has many books to his credit. He has a collection of more than 200 folk songs for which he was awarded a Robe of Honour by the Art Culture and Language Department, Govt of Jammu and Kashmir.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Demchok, Ladakh</span> Village in Ladakh, India

Demchok , previously called New Demchok, and called Parigas by the Chinese, is a village and military encampment in the Indian-administered Demchok sector, that is disputed between India and China. It is administered as part of the Nyoma tehsil in the Leh district of Ladakh by India, and claimed by China as part of the Tibet Autonomous Region.

Tangtse or Drangtse (Tibetan: བྲང་རྩེ, Wylie: brang rtse, THL: drang tsé) is a village in the Leh district of Ladakh, India. It is located in the Durbuk tehsil. Traditionally, it was regarded as the border between the Nubra region to the north and the Pangong region to the south. It was a key halting place on the trade route between Turkestan and Tibet. It was also a site of wars between Ladakh and Tibet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sonam Gyatso (mountaineer)</span> Mountaineer

Sonam Gyatso (1923–1968) was an Indian mountaineer. He was the 2nd Indian man, the 17th man in world and first person from Sikkim to summit Mount Everest, the highest peak in the world. He was one of the nine summiters of the first successful Indian Everest Expeditions that climbed Mount Everest in May 1965 led by Captain M S Kohli. The first time that the oldest man at the time, Sonam Gyatso at age 42, and the youngest man Sonam Wangyal at age 23, climbed Everest together on 22 May 1965. He became the oldest person to scale the peak in 1965 and when he spent 50 minutes at the peak, he set a world record for spending the longest time at the highest point on Earth. The Government of India awarded him the third highest honour of the Padma Bhushan, in 1965, for his contributions to the sport of mountaineering.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ice stupa</span> Artificial glacier mound for storing water

Ice stupa is a form of glacier grafting technique that creates artificial glaciers, used for storing winter water in the form of conical-shaped ice heaps. During summer, when water is scarce, the ice melts to increase water supply for crops. Channelling and freezing water for irrigation has existed for hundreds of years. It was re-invented, popularised and scaled up by Sonam Wangchuk in Ladakh, India. The project is undertaken by the Students' Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh NGO. Launched in October 2013, the test project started in January 2014 under the project name The Ice Stupa Project. On 15 November 2016, Sonam Wangchuk was awarded the Rolex Awards for Enterprise for his work on ice stupas.

The Darbuk–Shyok–DBO Road, also called the Sub-Sector North Road, is a strategic all-weather road in eastern Ladakh in India, close to the Line of Actual Control with China. It connects Ladakh's capital city Leh, via the villages of Darbuk and Shyok at southern Shyok River Valley, with the Daulat Beg Oldi (DBO) post near the northern border. The 220-km long section between Shyok and DBO was constructed between 2000 and 2019 by India's Border Roads Organisation (BRO). The DS-DBO Road has reduced the travel time between Leh to DBO from 2 days to 6 hours. In January 2023, BRO announced that it is constructing the DSDBO tunnel on this route.

The Ladakh Chronicles, or La-dvags-rgyal-rabs, is a historical work that covers the history of Ladakh from the beginnings of the first Tibetan dynasty of Ladakh until the end of the Namgyal dynasty. The chronicles were compiled by the Namgyal dynasty, mostly during the 17th century, and are considered the primary written source for Ladakhi history.

The Five Fingers of Tibet was a Chinese territorial claim to the Himalayan region bordering India attributed to Mao Zedong. It considers Tibet to be China's right hand palm, with five fingers on its periphery: Ladakh, Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan, and North-East Frontier Agency that are considered China's responsibility to "liberate". The policy however has never been discussed in official Chinese public statements and is now dormant, but concerns have often been raised over its possible continued existence or revival.

References

  1. ↑ https://www.businesstoday.in/trending/story/innovator-national-asset-anand-mahindra-on-meeting-real-life-phunsukh-wangdu-329073-2022-04-07
  2. ↑ https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/karnataka/2024/Nov/26/modern-education-system-has-little-room-for-curiosity-exploration-sonam-wangchuk
  3. ↑ https://indiapresentinfo.in/2024/10/sonam-wangchuk-biography-age-wife.html
  4. ↑ https://thesportsgrail.com/who-is-gitanjali-j-angmo-wife-of-sonam-wangchuk-biography-age-family-children-education-and-religion/
  5. ↑ Rana, Nikita (2 June 2017). "World Environment Day 2017: Sonam Wangchuk's ice stupas ensure there's water in Ladakh". Firstpost.
  6. ↑ "Packard Awardees". IUCN. 10 June 2020.
  7. 1 2 3 Paul, Satarupa (8 December 2016). "Meet Sonam Wangchuk, the real life Phunsukh Wangdu of 3 Idiots". Hindustan Times.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 "Sonam Wangchuk's Introduction". Ashoka (non-profit organization) . Retrieved 30 June 2017.
  9. ↑ "These 10 Innovators Are Changing the World, From Oceans to Eye Care". National Geographic. 25 November 2016. Archived from the original on 16 November 2016.
  10. 1 2 Khattar, Sakshi (26 July 2008). "Teach India: Think local, think Ladakhi". The Times of India .
  11. ↑ "3 Idiots pato के असली फुनसुक वांगडू, फेल छात्र भी इनसे पढ़कर बनते हैं वैज्ञानिक" (in Hindi). Daily Bhaskar. 30 May 2015.
  12. ↑ "Meet the real life 'Phunsukh Wangdu' from '3 Idiots'". The Economic Times. 18 November 2016.
  13. ↑ Varghese, Shiny (22 December 2016). "The best solar device is timing". Indian Express.
  14. ↑ Griffin, Peter (29 December 2014). "Ice Stupas: Conserving water the 3 Idiots way". Forbes India .
  15. ↑ Khanna, Aastha (24 November 2019). "There is greater need for basic intelligence than artificial intelligence, says Sonam Wangchuk". Hindustan Times . Retrieved 19 December 2022.
  16. 1 2 3 Mascarenhas, Josceline (16 April 2015). "Here's what Sonam Wangchuk plans to do to solve Ladakh's water woes". DNA India.
  17. ↑ "From Leh comes a mountain of ideas". The Times of India . Delhi. 26 November 2016.
  18. ↑ Ranjendra, Ranjani (8 December 2016). "In the land of little rain". The Hindu .
  19. ↑ "लद्दाख में बच्चों के लिए उम्मीद की नई किरण हैं 'सोनम वांगचुक'" (in Hindi). Zee News. 18 January 2017.
  20. 1 2 3 4 "A Ladakhi dream fuelled by a Swiss award". Livemint. 25 November 2016.
  21. ↑ Lenin, Janaki (24 February 2015). "Artificial glacier could help Ladakh villagers adapt to climate change". The Guardian .
  22. ↑ Saxena, Siddharth (22 February 2015). "Ice stupas to end water woes". The Times of India .
  23. ↑ Ibrar, Mohammad (26 November 2016). "पानी की किल्लत से जूझते लद्दाख में सोनम वांगचुक का आइडिया किसानों के लिए साबित हो रहा गेमचेंजर" (in Hindi). Navbharat Times.
  24. 1 2 3 "SECMOL wins International Terra Award for best building". State Times. 16 July 2016.
  25. ↑ Paul, Debjani (31 October 2013). "The Phunsuk Factor". Indian Express.
  26. ↑ "Global Award 2017- Sonam Wangchuk, stupas et enseignements" (in French). lecourrierdelarchitecte.com. 17 May 2017.
  27. 1 2 Menon, Shyam G. (19 July 2010). "What you did not watch in 3 Idiots - Rethink after Ladakh education initiative fell victim to bureaucracy and resentment". The Telegraph (Calcutta). Archived from the original on 22 July 2010.
  28. ↑ "Sonam Wangchuk: The real 'Phunsuk Wangdu'". JharkhandFeed. 19 January 2017. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
  29. 1 2 "Sonam Wangchuk at Entrepreneur's Meet 2017". Entremeetsmit.in. Archived from the original on 25 May 2017. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
  30. ↑ Ladakh, Reach (30 April 2013). "In conversation with Sonam Wangchuk". ReachLadakh.
  31. ↑ Coates, Ashley (30 May 2017). "Ice stupas: a Himalayan answer to climate change, water shortage and glacial flooding". The Independent .
  32. ↑ Sarkhel, Aritra (22 December 2016). "Meet Sonam Wangchuk, the 50 year old innovator from Ladakh". The Economic Times.
  33. ↑ Chauhan, Divya (1 August 2016). "These Ladakhi Mothers Are Opening Up Their Homes To Travellers. Time To Ditch Those Hotel Rooms". ScoopWhoop.
  34. ↑ Hasan, Snigdha (15 April 2017). "Mumbaikars, here's your chance to meet Sonam Wangchuk who inspired Aamir Khan's character in '3 Idiots'". Mid-Day.
  35. ↑ Reddy, R. Ravikanth (11 January 2017). "'Three Idiots' inspirer to set up Mountain varsity". The Hindu .
  36. ↑ "SECMOL wins International Terra Award for best building". State Times. Retrieved 16 July 2016.
  37. ↑ "Himalayan Institute of Alternatives, Ladakh (Hial)". Ecoversities. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
  38. ↑ Wangchuk, Rinchen Norbu (21 August 2019). "This Woman Quit Her Job to Help Sonam Wangchuk Transform Education in Ladakh!". The Better India. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
  39. ↑ "Himalayan Institute OF Alternatives Ladakh Information - Himalayan Institute OF Alternatives Ladakh Company Profile, Himalayan Institute OF Alternatives Ladakh News on The Economic Times". The Economic Times. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
  40. ↑ "Himalayan Institute of Alternatives, Ladakh". One Planet network. 5 September 2022. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
  41. ↑ Wangchuk, Rinchen Norbu (21 August 2019). "This Woman Quit Her Job to Help Sonam Wangchuk Transform Education in Ladakh!". The Better India. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
  42. ↑ archive, From our online (28 October 2019). "Interesting story of Gitanjali JB and her Himalayan dreams". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
  43. ↑ Kanwal (26 March 2024). "In conversation with Sonam Wangchuk - Founding-Director of SECMOL and of HIAL". Mera Sangeet. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
  44. ↑ "Hills Fellowship". hial.edu.in. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
  45. ↑ "HIMALAYAN INSTITUTE OF ALTERNATIVES LADAKH | Investors, Shareholders, Directors and Contact Details | Zauba Corp". www.zaubacorp.com. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
  46. ↑ "Kyndryl and HIAL Empower Ladakh's Youth with Entrepreneurial Skills". Kyndryl. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
  47. ↑ "Himalayan Institute of Alternatives". Auroville Film Institute. 15 April 2021. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
  48. ↑ "Himalayan Institute for Alternatives, in Ladakh (HIAL) - Sustainability as Pedagogy in Africa?". Sustainability as Pedagogy in Africa?. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
  49. ↑ Pareek, Shreya. "The Engineer Who Is Creating Ice Stupas To Solve The Water Problems Of People In Ladakh". The Better India. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
  50. ↑ Kattakayam, Jiby (2 November 2016). "ice stupas Ice for a green Ladakh". DNA India.
  51. ↑ "Man-made glacier leads to a new water world". Asian Age. 31 March 2017.
  52. ↑ "Artificial lake in Kargil bursts; bridges, buildings damaged". The Tribune (Chandigarh). 8 May 2015.
  53. ↑ Mok, Kimberley (24 November 2016). "This scientist wants to create 'artificial glaciers' to combat melting Himalayan ice". TreeHugger.
  54. ↑ Devadas, David (26 November 2016). "Ladakh's innovator Sonam Wangchuk toils for a visionary project to reverse climate change". Firstpost.
  55. ↑ "Man Who Inspired Amir Khan's '3 Idiots' Role Explains How His Team Saved Lakhs Of Lives In Sikkim". indiatimes.com. 17 November 2016.
  56. ↑ "South Lhonak Expedition 2016: A technical Report" (PDF). dstsikkim.gov.in. Government of Sikkim . Retrieved 30 June 2017.
  57. ↑ Dhungel, Pankaj (7 May 2016). "Lhonak lake situated deliberated at climate change consultation". Sikkim Express via Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority.
  58. ↑ "Building Ice Stupas in Arid Landscape". Deccan Post. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
  59. ↑ Yashwant, Shailendra (18 May 2016). "Sonam Wangchuk's Ice Stupas Are Firing Up Interest From Ladakh To The Swiss Alps". The Huffington Post .
  60. ↑ Tyagi, Chhavi (14 December 2016). "Sonam Wangchuk's Ice Stupas Are Firing Up Interest From Ladakh To The Swiss Alps". The Economic Times.
  61. ↑ "3 इडियट्स में आमिर खान के किरदार को इंस्पायर करने वाले इंजीनियर को मिला ग्लोबल अवॉर्ड" (in Hindi). Jansatta. 17 November 2016.
  62. ↑ "Ice stupa has a heart now, Ladakh ought to fight climate change with innovation and traditional values".
  63. ↑ "Ladakh-based engineer Sonam Wangchuk develops mobile solar-powered tent for Indian Army".
  64. ↑ "India's First Solar Heated Tent".
  65. ↑ "Innovator Who Inspired '3 Idiots' Develops Solar Heated Tent For Army".
  66. ↑ "New Ladakh Movement (NLM) announces to plunge in forthcoming LAHDC elections in Leh". Scoop News. 30 August 2016.
  67. ↑ "New Ladakh Movement releases manifesto" (PDF). Jammu: State Times. 24 February 2014.
  68. ↑ Pargal, Sanjeev (24 December 2015). "BJP creates history, wins two-third majority in Leh Council elections". Daily Excelsior.
  69. 1 2 Ganai, Naseer (30 May 2020). "Magsaysay Awardee Sonam Wangchuk Calls For 'Boycott Made in China'". Outlook India. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  70. ↑ "'Boycott Chinese products': Milind Soman quits TikTok after 3 Idiots' inspiration Sonam Wangchuk's call". Hindustan Times. 31 May 2020. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  71. ↑ Pandey, Neelam (16 June 2020). "Traders' body calls for boycott of 3,000 Chinese products over 'continued' border clashes". ThePrint. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
  72. ↑ "China reacts cautiously to mounting boycott calls of its products in India, says it values ties". India Today. 19 June 2020. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
  73. ↑ "Ladakhi innovator Sonam Wangchuk says he's under house arrest, police deny charge". The Hindu. 29 January 2023. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
  74. ↑ Sadhwani, Karina (22 March 2024). "Explained | Ladakhi Climate Activist Sonam Wangchuk's 21-Day-Hunger Strike for 'Truth, Environment, & Democracy'". The Quint . Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  75. ↑ "Sonam Wangchuk (Phunsukh Wangdu of 3 Idiots) is on 21 days hunger strike (Day 21)". Bru Times News.
  76. ↑ "Climate fast: Why is Sonam Wangchuk protesting in Ladakh?". The Times of India. 24 March 2024.
  77. ↑ "Delhi Police Detain Climate Activist Sonam Wangchuk, Supporters At Singhu Border". NDTV.com. 22 February 2019. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  78. ↑ "I am not Phunsukh Wangdu: Wangchuk". Hindustan Times. 25 October 2016.
  79. ↑ Pareek, Shabdita (17 November 2016). "Meet The Real-Life Phunsukh Wangdu, The Leh Engineer Who Inspired Aamir Khan's Role In 3 Idiots". ScoopWhoop.
  80. ↑ "Two Indians, Bharat Vatwani and Sonam Wangchuk, Receive Magsaysay Award". ndtv.com. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  81. ↑ "Innovator Sonam Wangchuk Awarded Honorary D.Litt Degree". BW Education. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  82. ↑ "Change the way students are picked for IITs: Global Awardee". Tribune. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
  83. ↑ "Sonam Wangchuk to receive the Global Award for Sustainable Architecture 2017". ScooNews. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  84. ↑ "GQ Awards: Men of the Year 2017 Winners". GQ India. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
  85. ↑ "World Environment Day 2017: Sonam Wangchuk's ice stupas ensure there's water in Ladakh". FirstPost. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  86. ↑ "31 get state award". Srinagar: Greater Kashmir. 27 January 2017.
  87. ↑ "3 IDIOTS में जिनसे प्रेरित था आमिर का किरदार, उन्हे मिला ये AWARD" (in Hindi). Hindustan. 19 November 2016.
  88. ↑ "Sonam Wangchuk". Environment Netoerk.
  89. ↑ Nita Ambani; Rajdeep Sardesai (August 2011). Real Heroes: Ordinary People Extraordinary Service. Roli Books Private Limited. ISBN   -93-5194-0-57-8.
  90. ↑ "Honour for green warriors". Frontline . 22 (1). 1 January 2005.
  91. ↑ "Foundation Day Lecture by Sonam Wangchuk". Indian Institute of Technology Delhi. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
  92. ↑ "Chief Judicial Magistrate acquits Sonam Wangchuk in 6-year old case". ReachLadakh. 19 July 2013.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.