Sonam Wangchuk in jail, Parliament panel hails his Ladakh institute HIAL's ‘exemplary work’ in education
Sonam Wangchuk is currently incarcerated in a Jodhpur jail after he was detained on September 26 under the stringent National Security Act.
A Parliamentary panel has noted that the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives (HIAL) founded by Ladakh educator and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk deserves recognition by the University Grants Commission for the "exemplary" work it is doing, particularly in its implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
Wangchuk is currently incarcerated in a Jodhpur jail after he was detained on September 26 under the stringent National Security Act. He was detained two days after protests in Ladakh demanding statehood and Sixth Schedule status for the Union Territory turned violent and left four people dead and 90 injured. The government had accused Wangchuk of inciting the violence.
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The observation on HIAL was made by a panel headed by Congress MP Digvijaya Singh in Parliament earlier this week, and the panel expressed concern about HIAL’s pending recognition by the UGC.
"During its study visit to Ladakh, the committee was impressed with the academic, research, and entrepreneurship ecosystem at the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives, Ladakh (HIAL), especially its success in implementing experiential education and learning rooted in local socio-cultural and ecological contexts," said the report of the Standing Committee on Education, Women, Youth and Sports, reported news agency PTI.
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"The committee was concerned to learn that the UGC has not yet granted recognition to HIAL and that the matter has been pending for many years now. The committee observed that HIAL has achieved a tremendous impact on the local community and received international fame through its ice stupas and other community engagement activities," it added.
The panel also made some recommendations, including that the HIAL’s model be closely studied by the Ministry of Education and consider how to replicate it at other places.
"The committee recommends that the UGC should consider granting recognition to HIAL. Moreover, the committee encourages the UGC and the department to closely study the HIAL model and consider how it can be replicated elsewhere through Centres of Innovation in Education or other interventions," said the report.
(With inputs from PTI)
