NLU: Establishing the Law University
The J&K National Law University (NLU) proposed for Kashmir has raised a meaningless controversy with some voices from Jammu raking up a demand for shifting of this ambitious project to Jammu. From whatever angle you see it, the demand is wholly untenable.
As a legal professional committed to advancing justice and education in the Union Territory of J&K, I believe the original proposal that recommends the varsity be set up in Kashmir aligns with vital empirical data on population, educational needs and infrastructure for legal studies in the UT. But unfortunately certain elements who seem to be looking to everything through the prism of religious bias, want to exploit every situation to their liking without caring for the larger interest of the people of the UT. It is the same elements whose irrational demands led very recently to the cancellation of students admissions in the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Medical College by the National Medical Commission alleging “failing minimum standards” on part of the college. Such a fallout of their agitation may have satisfied their ego but it was a loss for the entire UT, which lost about 50 medical seats from its quota.
A dispassionate argument grounded in verifiable facts and figures from official sources would show that if the proposed law university main campus is shifted to Jammu, it would be another loss to the UT of J&K, after the loss of 50 medical seats that the UT suffered recently.
Let us get down to the brass tacks. As per the 2011 Census of India and the institutional records, the Kashmir Division has a population of approximately 6,888,475 accounting for roughly 55% of total population of 12,541,302 in J&K. In contrast, the Jammu Division has a population of about 5,350,811, or 45%. This demographic reality indicates a larger pool of prospective law students in the Kashmir Valley, where youth comprise a significant portion of the population.
We should not forget that in the Jammu division there are more than six established law colleges, including The Law School at the University of Jammu, Dogra Law College, K.C. Law College, CMH Law College, MIET School of Law, Jammu Law College, and Calliope Law College (which has been now permanently closed due to poor response of the students). In comparison to this, the Kashmir Valley has fewer dedicated institutions, primarily the Department of Law at the University of Kashmir and Kashmir Law College in Srinagar. This disparity highlights a gap in specialized legal training opportunities in the Kashmir region. The NLU in the Valley would address this gap in the law education infrastructure in Kashmir by providing advanced programs, such as integrated five-year LL.B. courses and LL.M. specializations, to a region that currently relies more heavily on general university departments for legal studies.
The proposed temporary site at Ompora in Budgam district, central Kashmir, offers practical advantages, including proximity to Srinagar (the summer capital) and accessibility via major highways and the Srinagar International Airport. This location is well-suited for students from northern and central districts and also from outside the Union Territory, which collectively represent a significant share of the Union Territory’s educational aspirants.
In light of these facts, I urge the government to proceed with the establishment of the NLU main campus in the Kashmir Valley without delay. This step would not only elevate the standard of legal education in Jammu and Kashmir but also contribute to producing skilled lawyers equipped to handle the Union Territory’s unique legal challenges. I am confident that the government will prioritize decisions supported by the official data to benefit the maximum possible number of citizens, instead of succumbing to the pressure of the elements who do not care for the larger interest of the UT.
Tail piece: The civil society of Jammu need to rise above the narrow regional/religious bias, which is being exploited by some forces to create a wedge between Kashmir and Jammu. Mind it, even the IIT, IIM, IIMC, IIIM and AIIMS have no local representation. In most of these institutions, students are from outside of the state and same holds true of the faculty and even the staff, except some menial positions. NLU will become another center for outsiders to settle in Jammu, which is already facing influx of outsiders, creating huge unemployment for the youth of the region.
