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Sonam Wangchuk | Do you know who he is?
Sonam Wangchuk is the personality that inspired the fictional character of Phunsukh Wangdu in the blockbuster Bollywood film ‘3 Idiots.’ Sonam Wangchuk is a Ladakh-based engineer who has contributed significantly to technological revolutions in education and learning. His work continues to be a source of inspiration to millions across the globe.
Sonam Wangchuk is a philanthropist who has worked hard to bring learning-oriented and skill-based education to Ladakh. His efforts are transforming the educational system in the state, helping children find new and engaging ways to improve their employability. Here is everything you need to know about Sonam Wangchuk, the real-life Phunsukh Wangdu.
Sonam Wangchuk Education and Early Career
Sonam Wangchuk was born in 1966, in Uleytokpo near Alichi in Ladakh. He did not enroll in school until the age of 9, primarily because there were not a lot of schools in his village. His father was Sonam Wangyal, a politician who was also the minister of the state government in Srinagar.
One of the key features of this real-life Phunsukh Wangdu was that he looked significantly different from other students. As a result, he was often labeled as ‘stupid’ owing to his lack of responsiveness. He usually recalls this as the darkest period of his life.
In 1977, he left for Delhi because he was struggling with society. He pleaded his case to Vishesh Kendriya Vidyalaya’s school principal. Soon after, he completed his BTech in Mechanical Engineering from REC Srinagar (now known as the National Institute of Technology Srinagar).
Sonam Wangchuk had many differences with his father over his decision to pursue higher education in the engineering stream. As a result, he had to finance his education. He also studied for two years at Craterre School of Architecture in Grenoble.
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The founding of SECMOL
Like Phunsukh Wangdu, Sonam Wangchuk advocates high-quality school reforms promoting learning and development. Along with his brother and five peers, Wangchuk founded the Students’ Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL).
SECMOL’s launch in correspondence with the government education department and the village population as Operation New Hope. SECMOL is a mix of experiential learning, introspection, and counseling. This type of educational movement also welcomes students who struggle to cope with traditional methods of schooling.
SECMOL focuses on life skills and a wide range of engaging learning methods that incorporate many schooling methods. An example is that the time zone is one hour ahead of the Indian Standard Time to ensure students sleep early and wake up fresh for learning at sunrise.
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Sonam Wangchuk’s Inventions List
Ice Stupas
If there is one thing the iconic character Phunsukh Wangdu is well-known for, it is that he can find new innovative solutions to existing problems. The highlight is Wangchuk’s remarkable ‘ice stupa’ project. Wangchuk aimed to find a solution for the water crises suffered by the farmers of Ladakh during the critical planting months of April & May.
By February 2014, Sonam Wangchuk had successfully built a two-story prototype of different ice stupas that could store roughly 150,000 liters of stream water. In 2016, Wangchuk began applying the ‘ice stupa’ technique for excellent disaster mitigation strategies at high-altitude glacier lakes. The government of Sikkim cordially invited him to use the method to go to another dangerous lake in the state.
A Mobile Solar-Powered Tent
Phunsukh Wangdu, in the film ‘3 Idiots, was an innovator who found new ways to cater to the requirements of his community. This trait stems from Sonam Wangchuk’s inventive streak. Sonam Wangchuk came up with a unique idea to help 50,000 Indian troops who were deployed at higher altitude areas in the freezing winters.
He devised the concept of a ‘mobile solar-powered tent’.
This tent uses the solar energy trapped during daytime to keep the soldiers’ sleeping chamber warm during the night. Since there is no use of fossil fuel, it saves on money and is emission free,” he said.
This tent could accommodate up to 10 soldiers and be divided into two chambers: a greenhouse and a specialized sleeping chamber. Both of the chambers were separated by a portable wall which was referred to as a ‘heat bank’.
“The sleeping chamber has four layers of insulation and gave a temperature of 15 degrees Celsius when the outside temperature was minus 14 degrees Celsius. The number of layers can be reduced for warmer places,” he added.
Sonam Wangchuk’s Awards and Achievements
Sonam Wangchuk’s inventions and efforts have been appreciated and applauded at multiple stages during his career. Some of the top awards he has won include-
- The Governor’s Medal for educational reform (Jammu and Kashmir, 1996)
- Man of the Year by The Week, 2001
- The Green Teacher Award by Sanctuary Asia, 2004
- International Terra Award for the best earth building, 2016
- State Award for outstanding environmental efforts by the J&K Government, in 2017
- Indians for Collective Action Honor Award, 2017
- Ramon Magsaysay Award, 2018
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Key Takeaways
- Phusukh Wangdu is a character that brought tons of laughter to audiences across India in the film ‘3 Idiots’.
- However, few people know the real-life persona that inspired this prolific character. This individual is Sonam Wangchuk.
- Learning about Sonam Wangchuk and his contributions to engineering and education can help you recognize his brilliance and hard work.
We hope you enjoyed reading this blog. In case of any queries, reach out to us or drop a comment below!
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FAQs
Ques 1: Who directed the film ‘3 Idiots’?
Answer 1: ‘3 Idiots’ was directed by Rajkumar Hirani and released in 2009.
Ques 2: Did Sonam Wangchuk engage in political activity?
Answer 2: Yes, he did! Sonam Wangchuk was a significant contributor to the launch of the New Ladakh Movement (NLM), a social campaign. This campaign aimed to promote sustainable education, the environment, and the economy.
Ques 3: What is the Ladakh Voluntary Network (LVN)?
Answer 3: The Ladakh Voluntary Network (LVN) is a network of Ladakhi NGOs. Sonam Wangchuk founded this network and served on its executive committee till 2005.
Ques 4: What is the name of Sonam Wangchuk’s school?
Answer 4: The name of Sonam Wangchuk’s school is Students’ Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL).
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