Who is Gitanjali J Angmo? Sonam Wangchuk's wife, HIAL co-founder and karate black belt

Social entrepreneur and educationist Gitanjali J Angmo has emerged as one of the leading faces of Sonam Wangchuk's ongoing protest after the social activist was taken away by police from Jantar Mantar and remains hospitalised. Angmo is set to lead the Cockroach Janta Party's march to Parliament on July 20 as Wangchuk continues to recover.

Wangchuk had been on an indefinite hunger strike for three weeks, demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged NEET paper leak. Throughout the protest, Angmo has remained by his side and has now taken charge of its legal and political campaign.

Gitanjali J Angmo's role at HIAL

Angmo is the founding Chief Executive Officer and dean of the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives, Ladakh (HIAL), a position she has held since 2017. She reportedly co-founded the institute with her husband, Sonam Wangchuk, with a focus on sustainable education and practical solutions for mountain communities.

Black belt, Russian ballet and more

Apart from her professional work, Angmo is trained in Odissi and Russian ballet and holds a black belt in karate. She also teaches Vedanta and the Bhagavad Gita. For her contribution to education, she received the Women Transforming India National Award from the Government of India.

Career across consulting, healthcare and education

Before joining HIAL, Angmo worked in renewable energy, healthcare, education and business consulting. She began her career at Deloitte before serving as director at WinDForce Management Services and Pushan Projects. She also chaired AUM Hospitals and led Lister Technologies' European operations as well as KC High School in Chennai.

According to her LinkedIn profile, she earned a doctorate in education from Sri Sathya Sai University for Human Excellence in 2025. She also holds an MBA from Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar, and a bachelor's degree from Fakir Mohan University in Balasore.

Leading Wangchuk's legal and political campaign

Following the Delhi High Court's refusal to direct Wangchuk's transfer to a private hospital, Angmo approached the court again, arguing that the order violated his rights under Articles 19 and 21, including his right to choose medical treatment and continue his protest.

She also announced that she would personally lead the Cockroach Janta Party's Parliament march on July 20 if Wangchuk remained unable to participate.

(With inputs from TOI)