Sonam Wangchuk

Sonam Wangchuk (born 1966) is an Indian engineer, educator, and environmental activist. 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 struggled with the public education system. He also designed the eco-friendly SECMOL campus, which is powered by solar energy.

Early life and education Born in Ladakh in 1966, he was initially taught at home before taking up formal school education. He completed B.Tech. in mechanical engineering from the National Institute of Technology Srinagar in 1987 and later obtained a diploma in earthen architecture from CRAterre in 2011. Career Wangchuk, along with his brother and a few friends, founded SECMOL in 1988. In 1994, SECMOL launched "Operation New Hope" in collaboration with the education department of the state government to bring reforms in the government school system. Wangchuk had served in various governmental advisory roles pertaining to education. In 2013, he developed the new "Ice Stupa technique" to build artificial glaciers, which are used for storing winter water in a cone-shaped ice heap. Along with Gitanjali J Angmo, he later co-founded the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives Ladakh. Wangchuk has received several awards, including the Global Award for Sustainable Architecture (2017), Fred M. Packard Award (2016), and Ramon Magsaysay Award (2018). During the Ladakh protests in 2021, Wangchuk attempted to go on a hunger strike demanding increased autonomy and statehood for Ladakh. He went on a hunger strike in March 2024 and on a march to Delhi in October 2024 advocating for the same cause. He was arrested in September 2025 under the National Security Act after being accused of inciting riots, and was later released in March 2026. Wangchuk began a hunger strike on 28 June in support of the Jantar Mantar protests demanding accountability over the NEET 2026 Paper leak. He ended his hunger strike on 23 July 2026, after 26 days, following assurances from the Central Government that it would address concerns related to the NEET 2026 paper leak. Politics In 2013, after requests from students community of Ladakh, Wangchuk helped launch the New Ladakh Movement, a social campaign aimed at sustainable education, environment and economy in Ladakh.[54][55] While it initially aimed to enter mainstream politics, it later remained as a non-political social movement.[56] In June 2020, in response to the India-China border skirmishes, Wangchuk appealed to the Indian people to use their "wallet power" and boycott Chinese products.[57][58] The appeal received widespread media coverage and garnered support from prominent celebrities