UT Admin signs MoU with IIT Jammu to establish satellite campus in Ladakh

L-G Saxena says this would provide access to world-class technical education to Ladakhi students in their homeland

Leh: In a landmark step towards strengthening higher and technical education in Ladakh, IIT Jammu will set up its Satellite Campus in Leh. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to this effect was today signed between the UT Administration of Ladakh and IIT Jammu in the presence of Lieutenant Governor, Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena, who described the initiative as a “historic and transformational moment” for the youth of Ladakh and said this would create pathways for aspiration, excellence and achievement.

The MoU was signed by Director, IIT Jammu, Prof Manoj Singh Gaur and Secretary, Higher Education Department, UT Ladakh, Smt Bhanu Prabha.The development assumes great significance, as for decades, students from Ladakh faced grave challenges in pursuing higher and technical education. For want of a quality technical institution in Ladakh, Ladakhi youths were forced to travel thousands of kilometres, away from home, to study in prestigious institutions. For families living in difficult and remote regions, this often meant emotional hardship, financial burden, and social challenges. However, this collaboration with IIT Jammu would now provide talented students from Ladakh with access to high-quality education closer to their home and open a world of opportunities in research, innovation, entrepreneurship and employment.

As per the MoU, in the initial phase, around 40 students from Ladakh will begin pursuing courses at the IIT campus in Jammu from the July – August 2026 academic session onwards. Subsequently, a temporary Satellite Campus of IIT Jammu will be established at the Government Polytechnic College in Leh to facilitate academic activities within Ladakh. In the long term, a full-fledged residential engineering campus is proposed to be developed in Kargil.

To begin with, the campus will offer two future-oriented disciplines — Civil Engineering and Artificial Intelligence & Data Science. These programmes have been selected keeping in view both global technological trends and the developmental requirements of Ladakh. Civil Engineering will focus on sustainable infrastructure and climate-resilient construction suited to the mountainous terrains of Ladakh, while Artificial Intelligence and Data Science will prepare students for emerging technological opportunities and digital innovation.

LG Shri Saxena stated that the collaboration would open the doors of world-class technical education for students from the remote and high-altitude regions of Ladakh and reduce the long-standing educational challenges faced by local families. He noted that the collaboration would create opportunities for faculty exchange, research partnerships, startup incubation, innovation centres and skill development.

Speaking on the occasion, the Lieutenant Governor said that one of the major priorities of the UT Administration has been to strengthen educational infrastructure in Ladakh and stop the continuous brain drain from the region by creating the best possible academic facilities locally. He further exuded confidence that the initiative would produce future scientists, engineers, innovators and researchers from Ladakh

Shri Saxena expressed gratitude to IIT Jammu for extending its academic excellence and vision to Ladakh and thanked the Government of India for continuously supporting transformative initiatives for border and remote regions.