Ladakh administration tells Wangchuk-linked school to halt activities pending High Court ruling

The Ladakh administration has told the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives (HIAL), which Sonam Wangchuk founded (Open expands the name as "Alternative Learning" and says Wangchuk and Angmo co-founded it), to stop activities at its Desert Flower School in Phyang until the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh decides a pending case, per Open, ABP Live, The New Indian Express and Daily Excelsior. This piece is as of the evening of 3 November.

What the notice says

The notice, dated 1 November, was issued by the Tehsildar's office in Leh and addressed to Gitanjali J Angmo, HIAL's CEO. Open and ABP Live describe her as the institute's founder or co-founder as well as CEO; The New Indian Express calls her CEO and Wangchuk's wife. According to the notice, as quoted by the paper, the school began classes and other activities without the "requisite consent, clearances or necessary approvals" from the competent authorities.

The notice refers to a letter of 22 September in which Angmo sought a no-objection certificate for proposed members of the school's managing committee (Open, Daily Excelsior). It advises her not to take any action to run or start the school's activities until the court decides the matter or gives further directions, and to maintain the status quo (Open, The New Indian Express).

The land dispute

Open says the High Court case concerns about 1,076 kanals and one marla (over 53.8 hectares) at Phyang Thang, which HIAL was allotted on a 40-year lease on 5 May 2018. On 21 August 2025 the Leh Deputy Commissioner cancelled the allotment, saying the land had not been used for its intended purpose; Open says Wangchuk called the move a "witch-hunt" aimed at suppressing the demands of Ladakh's people, and that HIAL went to court. Daily Excelsior and The New Indian Express say HIAL filed a writ petition that is pending. Open adds that in a 136-page affidavit filed last month the administration told the court the lease had lapsed by operation of law on 5 May 2019; Open says HIAL's CEO denied the administration's claims.