Sindhu Central University gets transit campus in Ladakh; permanent campus to come up in 36 months

NEW DELHI: Sindhu Central University in Ladakh, the world's highest university situated around 3,500 metres above sea level, now has a transit campus which will function as an academic centre till the construction of the permanent campus is completed, according to officials. The transit campus of the university was inaugurated on Sunday by V Kamakoti, Director of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras, and the Chair of the Executive Council of Sindhu Central University, paving the way for the establishment of Ladakh's first central university.

According to university officials, this transit facility will function as a temporary academic centre until the construction of the permanent campus is completed. The main building, once ready, is expected to be operational within 36 working months. "India has often spoken about sustainable development through deep-sea research. With Sindhu Central University coming up at over 3,500 metres above sea level, we now have a rare opportunity to lead high-altitude research in atmospheric and climate science, environmental sustainability and renewable energy," Kamakoti said.

He emphasised the academic potential of Ladakh's geography and culture. "This university is located in one of the highest regions in the world and is surrounded by the rich heritage of Buddhism. When Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced this university, it felt like a golden opportunity to bring focused scientific and cultural research to this region," he said. IIT Madras is the mentor institute for Sindhu Central University.

IIT Madras eyes frontier research in Ladakh

"We (IIT Madras) have been working in the areas of atmospheric and climate science, environmental sustainability and renewable energy for some time now. We also have strong centres in physics and astronomy, which can support world-class research from this campus," Kamakoti said. "The university is in the process of signing MoUs with six Indian research and academic institutions. We hope that some truly out-of-the-box research will emerge from Sindhu Central University, work that will make Ladakh proud and contribute significantly to India's scientific growth," he added.

As part of the broader academic vision, officials said the university also aims to provide cutting-edge medical infrastructure in collaboration with IIT Kanpur, making it relevant to the local community. Sachin S Gunthe, faculty member at IIT Madras and Faculty Coordinator at Sindhu Central University, said, "We are working on designing a more organic and context-based academic curriculum for Ladakh. This region demands specialised courses and that is what we are trying to build."

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New programmes already launched

Gunthe explained that the university has already launched programmes like MTech in Atmospheric and Climate Science and MA in Public Policy, both hosted at IIT Madras, and MTech in Energy Technology and Policy at IIT Kanpur. "We are happy to share that a student who pursued an MTech degree through Sindhu Central University has secured a PhD opportunity at IIT Delhi. That's the kind of academic quality and outcome we are striving for," he added.

In February 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi digitally inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for various projects sanctioned at Centrally Funded Higher Educational Institutions under the Ministry of Education, including Sindhu Central University. The university is named after the ancient river Sindhu and is also India's first trans-Himalayan central university. Its campus spanning 110 acres will be built in Khaltsi village, situated between Leh and Kargil.