Ladakh's school featured in ‘3 Idiots' flick gets CBSE affiliation after a 24-year long wait

Indian Express

28-04-2025

A school nestled in the cold desert of Ladakh, famously known as 'Rancho's School' from the Aamir Khan-starrer 3 Idiots — Druk Padma Karpo School — has secured CBSE affiliation, a wait spanning over two decades. The school had been trying to get the clearance since before Ladakh became a Union Territory in 2019. Even after the bifurcation, several schools in the region, including Druk Padma Karpo, continued to be affiliated with the Jammu and Kashmir State Board of School Education (JKBOSE).
According to an earlier report dating back to 2023, the school received the long-pending No Objection Certificate (NOC) from JKBOSE after several failed attempts. However, completing the affiliation process with CBSE still took additional time.
'Though we had the required infrastructure, excellent results, and innovative teaching methods, we didn't get the NOC despite trying for several years,' school principal Mingur Angmo said.
Under CBSE norms, schools need a 'no objection certificate' from the state board to apply for affiliation, and foreign schools require similar documents from Indian embassies or consulates.
Moving beyond traditional learning
Established 24 years ago, Druk Padma Karpo School is named after Mipham Pema Karpo (1527–1592), a revered scholar. 'Padma Karpo' means 'White Lotus' in Bothi, the local language. The school combines traditional Ladakhi architectural elements with modern facilities, maintaining a sustainable model suited for the harsh desert climate.
Druk Padma Karpo School was ahead of its time in promoting creative and activity-based learning methods — much before the New Education Policy (NEP) pushed for similar reforms. 'With CBSE also reforming its pedagogy after the NEP, it will now be easier for us to blend our play-way methods with the structured curriculum,' Angmo said.
The school, which currently offers education up to class 10, plans to expand till class 12 by 2028. Infrastructure expansion is underway, and special training sessions are being conducted for teachers to ease the transition to the CBSE pattern.
Earlier, Angmo had highlighted that besides regular subjects like English, Hindi, and Sciences, the school also trained students in life skills, leadership, and problem-solving through various co-curricular activities.
The 'Iconic Idiotic Wall'
The school rose to national fame after being featured in 3 Idiots — particularly its 'iconic idiotic wall', shown in the film's memorable closing scene. Even today, the wall remains a popular tourist attraction, although it was relocated within the campus in 2018 to prevent disruption to students.
'Now the two areas are separate, so students are not disturbed by tourists. But sometimes, if an educational activity like mock elections is happening, we let tourists observe,' Angmo said.
The wall, part of a structure damaged during the devastating 2010 flash floods, was rebuilt using traditional Ladakhi wooden structures in place of the original bricks.What CBSE Affiliation Means for Students
Principal Angmo believes that the CBSE affiliation will open new doors for students, both within India and abroad.
'Transitioning to higher education will now be smoother for our students. We hope to set an example of how traditional learning methods can blend with modern, structured education systems,' she added.