Rancho, Phunsukh Wangdu, remember the character from the movie 3 idiots? Do you know the true inspiration behind it? The answer is Sonam Wangchuk, an engineer, Inventor and education reformist. He is the founder, director and designer of SECMOL (Student’s Educational and Cultural Movement), and also he was instrumental in the launch of Operation New Hope.
Early Life
Sonam Wangchuk was born on September 1, 1966, in Uleytokpo village, situated in Ladakh’s Leh district. Due to the unavailability of schools in his town, Sonam Wangchuk was not enrolled in a school until 9. Till this age, his mother taught him all the primary education.
Sonam Wangyal, his father, was a politician who later became the state minister. His father was stationed in Srinagar, so Wangchuk was taken to Srinagar and admitted to a school. Due to bad treatment from other students, he left that school. In 1977 Wangchuk escaped to Delhi, where he pleaded his case to the school principal at the school Vishesh Kendriya Vidyalaya.
Educational Life
Sonam Wangchuk did his B.Tech. In Mechanical Engineering from NIT, Srinagar (National Institute of Technology) and then Regional Engineering College, Srinagar in 1987.
He has dissonance with his father over the choice of the engineering stream; due to it, he had to earn for continuing his education. He also completed his higher studies for 2 years from Earthen Architecture at Craterre School of Architecture in Grenoble, France, in 2011.
Career
Sonam Wangchuk started the SECMOL (Students’ Educational and Cultural Movement) of Ladakh after his graduation in 1988. He did experiments with school reforms in government high schools in Saspol village.
SECMOL launched Operation New Hope with the collaboration of the government deduction department and the villagers.
He also founded Ladags Melong, the print magazine in Ladakh, which was the only magazine there. From June 1993 to August 2005, he worked as the editor of that magazine.
Sonam Wangchuk served as an education advisor in the Hill Council Government in the year 2001. In 2002, he founded LVN (Ladakh Voluntary Network) with other NGO heads, a network of Ladakhi NGOs.
In this NGO, he served as Secretary of the Executive committee till 2005. The Ladakh Hill Council Government’s Vision Document Ladakh 2025 was launched by Dr Manmohan Singh, the PM of India.
In 2005, Sonam Wangchuk was appointed to the drafting committee for this project. He formulated a policy on education and tourism for Ladakh 2025 project in 2004. He also held the position as a member of the National Governing Council for Elementary Education in the Ministry of HRD in 2005.
Sonam Wangchuk served as an education advisor for the Mellemfolkeligt Samvirke, a Danish NGO, from 2007 to 2010. This NGO is working to support the Ministry of Education for education reforms.
Innovations
SECMOL: In 2013, Sonam Wangchuk set SECMOL. This non-traditional school has brought educational reform in the region and improved the number of students clearing exams up to intermediate levels.
Ice Stupa: In 2014, Sonam Wangchuk invented Ice Stupa. This artificial glacier stores the wasting stream waters during the winters in the form of giant ice cones, and it releases the water during late spring as they start melting when the farmers need water.
Awards and honours
- Ramon Magsaysay Award, 2018
- Honorary D.Litt by Symbiosis International, 2018
- Eminent Technologist of the Himalayan Region by IIT Mandi, 2018
- Indians for Collective Action (ICA) Honor Award 2017, San Francisco, CA
- GQ Men of the Year Awards, Social Entrepreneur of the Year, 2017
- Global Award for Sustainable Architecture, 2017
- State Award for outstanding environmentalist by J&K Govt., 2017
- Rolex Award for Enterprise, 2016
- International Terra Award for best earth building, 2016
- UNESCO Chair Earthen Architecture, by CRATerre France, 2014
- Real Heroes Award by CNN-IBN TV, 2008
- The Green Teacher Award by Sanctuary Asia, 2004
- Ashoka Fellowship for Social Entrepreneurship, by Ashoka USA, 2002
- Man of the Year by The Week, 2001
- Governor’s Medal for educational reform in Jammu and Kashmir, 1996
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