July 24, 2025: In the stark, silent stretches of Ladakh where snow-capped peaks meet the sky, a quiet but significant milestone unfolded as 14 students graduated across three postgraduate programmes during the first convocation of (SCU) here.
At Central Institute of Buddhist Studies, 14 students from the first batch of Sindhu Central University were felicitated on Tuesday during the institution's maiden convocation ceremony in presence of Chief Secretary of Ladakh, Pawan Kotwal, and other executive members of the university.
Speaking at the event, Director of IIT Madras and Chair of Executive Council and Academic Council of SCU, V Kamakoti, said, "SCU is envisioned as a centre for non-conventional, interdisciplinary learning aligned with India's 17 Sustainable Development Goals. By 2028, the university should be fully operational. Until then, classes for around 60 students are being held at a newly inaugurated transit campus in Ladakh." Sindhu Central University's mentor institution is IIT Madras. The university's permanent campus is being built in the village of Khaltsi, which is about 3,500 meters above sea level. In its inaugural academic session in 2024, the university launched three postgraduate programmes -- MTech in Energy Technology and Policy, MTech in Atmospheric and Climatic Science and MA in Public Policy.
The university has recently introduced an MA in Buddhist Studies and Philosophy. Classes for the program will start at the transit campus. Internships in nearby monasteries will help students learn in a real-world setting. Students said the university offered more than just degrees, it gave them purpose rooted in their homeland. Tenzin Zengking, a graduate from Leh, stated that he discovered the university through social media and was drawn to its emphasis on energy and sustainability. "The course felt purposeful, especially in a place like Ladakh where sustainability is part of everyday life," he said.
"At this point, I want to return and continue my research here. "This is only the beginning," added Zengking. For Shakeel Ahmed, whose academic path has now led him to IIT Delhi, the journey began with a suggestion from his sister. The learning environment was comparable to IITs. If I managed to get into IIT Delhi, it's because of the foundation I received here," he said.
Kamakoti also said that a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the university, prepared and presented by the Government of India, has proposed the launch of over 15 integrated programmes, 20 postgraduate courses, and various doctoral-level programmes across multidisciplinary fields.
"The total project cost has been estimated at Rs 955 crore, with Rs 725 crore earmarked for infrastructure including state-of-the-art, high-altitude research laboratories and Rs 230 crore allocated for academic and operational activities," he stated, citing the budget for the university's construction. Additionally, SCU is also in the process of establishing four specialised schools—the School of Basic and Natural Sciences, the School of Interdisciplinary Management Development, the School of Environmental Energy and Sustainable Development, and the School of Endic Systems and Studies to support its innovative academic framework, Kamakoti said.
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.
The university is India's first trans-Himalayan central university and gets its name from the ancient river Sindhu.