Sindhu Central University inaugurates transit campus; awards degrees to 14 students in first convocation

Sindhu Central University (SCU), Ladakh, has inaugurated its transit campus in Khaltsi and held its first convocation ceremony. The transit campus was inaugurated on July 20. The first convocation was held on July 22, during which a total of fourteen students were conferred their degrees. Among them, two students have secured admission to Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) programmes at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi and the IIT Jammu.

The convocation was attended by officials and academics, including Ladakh chief secretary Pawan Kotwal, NETF chairman Anil Sahasrabuddhe, Missouri State University professor Rajiv Thakur, Ladakh education secretary Bhanu Prabha, IIM Indore director Himanshu Rai, and former IGNOU vice chancellor Nageshwar Rao.

SCU currently offers four programmes, including Master of Technology (MTech) in Atmospheric and Climate Sciences, MTech in Energy Technology and Policy, MA in Public Policy, and MA in Buddhist Studies. Faculty coordination is supported by IIT Madras and IIT Kanpur.

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Seven agreements signed for academic and research collaboration

The university has also signed seven agreements with national and international institutions for research and academic collaboration.

• Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council
• The Central University of Jammu is for joint climate research
• Ministry of Earth Sciences and IITM for anthropogenic impact studies
• University of San Diego for an AI-enabled climate lab
• ISRO-NARL for upper atmospheric research
• CSIR-CSIO for the development of high-altitude instruments
• Thiksey Monastery for internships in Buddhist Studies

According to the official press release, classes will be conducted at the transit campus in Khaltsi until the main campus of Sindhu Central University becomes operational. The new campus will include classrooms, a library, a multipurpose lab and hostel space.

The university will operate from the transit campus while the permanent campus is under construction on 110 acres in Khaltsi. The permanent facility is expected to be ready by 2028. SCU was established under a 2009 Act of Parliament and is located at an altitude of around 3,500 metres above sea level.