The Ladakh administration has directed the Himalayan Institute of Alternative Learning (HIAL) to halt classes and all other activities at Desert Flower School in Phyang, Leh, until the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh decides a matter concerning the institution.
The direction was issued by the Office of the Tehsildar, Leh, to HIAL founder and chief executive officer Gitanjali J Angmo on November 1. The notice said activities at the school had begun without the required consent, clearances or approvals from the concerned authorities.
HIAL was co-founded by climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and Angmo. The administration’s notice concerns the functioning of Desert Flower School under the HIAL ecosystem and asks the institution not to undertake any further action connected with the commencement or operation of activities at the site.
According to the notice, Angmo had written to the Deputy Commissioner, Leh, on September 22 seeking a No Objection Certificate or clearance for proposed members of the school’s Managing Committee. The administration, however, said it had received information that classes and other activities had already commenced before the required approvals were obtained.
The Tehsildar’s direction also referred to the pending matter before the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. It advised HIAL to maintain the status quo and ensure that no action was taken that could prejudice the proceedings while the matter remains under consideration.
The administrative action places the school’s operations under restraint while the court case is pending. It does not set out a final determination on the institution’s approvals or the legal questions before the High Court. Instead, the notice links the immediate halt in activities to the absence of stated clearances and the need to preserve the existing position during the proceedings.
The episode highlights the administrative steps involved in starting or expanding educational activities in Leh, where institutions may require clearances and formal approvals before beginning operations. In this case, the administration has identified the Managing Committee’s proposed composition and the school’s commencement of activities as matters connected to the approval process.
The notice directs Angmo to refrain from further action until the High Court finally decides the matter or issues additional directions. The school’s next steps will therefore depend on the court proceedings and any further instructions from the administration.
