HIAL's Desert Flower School faces an administrative restraint amid the institute's ongoing land allotment dispute. (Img: X)
Leh: The Ladakh administration has directed the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives, Ladakh (HIAL), associated with climate activist and educationist Sonam Wangchuk, to suspend activities at its Desert Flower School in Phyang, Leh, citing the absence of requisite regulatory approvals and an ongoing land allotment dispute before the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
The administrative directive, issued by the Office of the Tehsildar, Leh, on November 1, 2026, is addressed to Dr Gitanjali J Angmo, HIAL's founder and CEO, who is also Wangchuk's wife. The notice advises the institute against undertaking any further action concerning the functioning or commencement of activities at the school until the High Court delivers its decision or issues additional directions.
The administration has instructed HIAL to strictly maintain the status quo and ensure that no action is undertaken that could potentially prejudice the judicial proceedings currently underway.
According to the notice, the administration received information that Desert Flower School had commenced classes and other activities without obtaining the necessary consent, clearances or approvals from the competent authorities.
The notice also refers to a communication dated September 22, 2026, through which Angmo had approached the Deputy Commissioner, Leh, seeking a No Objection Certificate (NOC) or clearance for the proposed members of the school's managing committee.
The school operates within the HIAL ecosystem, which has been associated with Wangchuk's initiatives in alternative education, sustainable development and Himalayan environmental learning.
However, the administration has maintained that the commencement of educational activities without the required regulatory permissions was not permissible, particularly while the institute's underlying land allotment dispute remained under judicial consideration.
The directive specifically advises Angmo and the institute against taking any further steps towards operationalising the school until the matter is finally adjudicated or the court issues further instructions.
The notice effectively places an administrative restraint on the proposed activities at Desert Flower School, pending the outcome of the High Court proceedings.
The dispute surrounding HIAL dates back to May 2018, when the Ladakh administration allotted 1,076 kanals and one marla of land at Phyang Thang to the institute for establishing an alternative university focused on sustainable development and education in the Himalayan region.
The land allotment was proposed under a 40-year lease arrangement, subject to the fulfilment of prescribed conditions and completion of formalities.
On August 21, 2025, the administration cancelled the allotment, alleging that HIAL had failed to complete the necessary lease formalities and establish the university for which the land had originally been allocated.
The institute subsequently challenged the cancellation before the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
In September 2026, the High Court restrained the administration from creating third-party rights over the disputed land while hearing HIAL's petition. The interim protection, however, did not quash or overturn the administration's cancellation order.
The latest notice concerning Desert Flower School has now brought the institute's educational operations into the broader legal dispute over the land allotment.
In October 2026, the Ladakh administration defended its decision to cancel HIAL's land allotment through a 136-page affidavit submitted before the High Court.
The administration argued that the allotment had automatically lapsed in May 2019 because the lease deed was not executed and the mandatory land premium was not deposited within the stipulated one-year period.
It also referred to an October 2026 certification from Ladakh's Higher Education Department, which stated that HIAL was not a recognised university and that its courses did not have statutory affiliation. These assertions form part of the administration's position in the ongoing judicial proceedings and remain contested by the institute.
HIAL has rejected the administration's account of the lease proceedings, maintaining that it had taken timely steps to complete the formalities and repeatedly approached the authorities for execution of the lease deed.
Angmo has stated that HIAL applied for execution of the lease deed on May 20, 2018, just 15 days after the land allotment, and subsequently pursued the matter through repeated communications with the administration.
Wangchuk has also alleged prolonged administrative delays, claiming that he made five written appeals, 15 visits and 30 telephone calls in an effort to get the lease deed executed.
He has cited a February 2021 official communication which, according to him, acknowledged delays arising from Ladakh's transition into a Union Territory and the COVID-19 pandemic. Wangchuk has maintained that the communication permitted construction to continue while the lease-related formalities remained pending.
The activist has further alleged that the land dispute is being used to target him because of his activism in Ladakh. The administration, meanwhile, has maintained that the conditions governing the original allotment were not fulfilled.
The competing positions are currently before the High Court, which will determine the legal issues arising from the cancellation of the land allotment.
Amid the ongoing controversy over HIAL, Wangchuk has continued to participate in public campaigns and activism on issues concerning governance, education and environmental concerns.
In July 2026, he joined a protest organised by the Cockroach Janata Party at Delhi's Jantar Mantar over alleged examination irregularities and the NEET-UG paper leak. During the protest, he launched an indefinite hunger strike demanding accountability and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
The hunger strike was subsequently ended after 26 days following discussions with government representatives.
Meanwhile, Wangchuk has extended support to people in Arunachal Pradesh opposing the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project, highlighting his continued engagement with environmental and community-related issues beyond Ladakh.
The latest administrative notice concerning Desert Flower School adds another dimension to the ongoing legal and political developments surrounding the climate activist and his educational initiative.
With the land allotment dispute pending before the High Court, the institute's future operations, regulatory permissions and the administration's cancellation decision remain subject to further judicial proceedings.
