Sonam Wangchuk

Biography

Sonam Wangchuk (born 1 September 1966) is an Indian engineer, innovator, education reformer, environmentalist, and social activist from Ladakh. He is the founding director of the Students' Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL), an organization established to promote experiential learning and sustainable education. Wangchuk also played a key role in launching Operation New Hope, a collaborative initiative to reform government schools in Ladakh, and is internationally recognized for developing the Ice Stupa technique, an artificial glacier system that helps conserve water in high-altitude regions. Wangchuk has received numerous national and international honours for his contributions to education, grassroots innovation, and environmental sustainability, including the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 2018. In 2026, he began an indefinite hunger strike at New Delhi's Jantar Mantar, demanding accountability over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination, the resignation of the Union Education Minister, and reforms to India's examination system, bringing renewed national attention to his advocacy through peaceful democratic protest.