Nestled in the cold desert of Ladakh and popularly known as “Rancho’s school”, Druk Padma Karpo School has finally got CBSE affiliation more than two decades after it was founded. The affiliation was granted after several delays and rejections.

The school, which shot to fame after it featured in the Aamir Khan-starrer movie “3 Idiots” in 2009, was so far affiliated with the Jammu and Kashmir State Board of School Education (JKBOSE).

Known for its innovative methods of teaching much before the new National Education Policy (NEP) proposed reforms to move away from traditional “rot learning”, the school is now planning to expand till class 12.

“We have finally got the CBSE affiliation after delay of several years and our first batch of class 10 students is now waiting for their CBSE board exam results.

“Though we had all the required infrastructure in place, excellent result record and focus on innovative ways of teaching and learning, we didn’t get the NOC from the JKBOSE despite several attempts all these years,” school principal Mingur Angmo told media sources. 

As per the affiliation norms of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), schools require a ‘no objection certificate’ from the respective state board. The foreign schools require a similar document from the embassy concerned or the Consulate of India in the country concerned.

The school has been trying to get the clearance since even before Ladakh acquired the Union Territory status.

“The infrastructure is already being expanded and we plan to start class 11 and 12 by 2028. We are conducting some training for our teachers to facilitate a smooth transition for students to the CBSE curriculum. Our methods of teaching were different from traditional classroom teaching and with the CBSE also reforming its pedagogy after the NEP, it will be easier for us to blend both,” Angmo explained.

Even after the bifurcation, several schools in Ladakh continue to be affiliated to the Jammu and Kashmir board.

A committee had also proposed establishment of a new territorial board in Ladakh with an aim to fulfil the “realistic needs of the students as per the natural conditions of the region”.

The 24-year-old school is named after Mipham Pema Karpo (1527-1592), who is revered as a great scholar, while Padma Karpo means ‘White Lotus’ in Bothi, the local language.

The school is now flocked by tourists, making it a ‘must go’ point on the itinerary. A wall of the school’s building featured in the closing scene of the Bollywood film in which one of the characters, Chatur, tries to urinate but gets an electric shock as two kids throw at him a light bulb connected with wire from the first floor’s window.

While the ‘iconic idiotic wall’ — part of a building which was damaged in the 2010 flash floods — still remains on campus, the first floor, earlier made of bricks, has been replaced with wooden structures typically used in Ladakh.

The school decided in 2018 to relocate the ‘Rancho’s wall’ to ensure students don’t get distracted due to inflow of tourists.

“Now the two areas are separate, the students do not get disturbed by the tourists. However, at times tourists get to attend some activities ongoing at the school. Like yesterday, we had conducted mock elections with the election commission here. The activity was done to give students a first-hand experience of the democratic process right from voting to the forming of a government.

“So, if there is such an activity going on, we sometimes allow visitors to attend or see,” Angmo explained.

“With CBSE affiliation, the transition for higher education in the country and abroad will be easier for our students and we can set an example of blending traditional classroom learning with innovative and play-way methods of teaching,” she added.

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