No campus, no students as Uttarakhand’s NLU remains on paper
In 2019, then Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat laid the foundation stone at Ranipokhari for what was projected as the country’s 23rd NLU. Seven years later, the university remains non-functional
The absence of a National Law University in Uttarakhand has been highlighted by recent student protests, 15 years after the state's Assembly approved legislation to establish one. Unlike neighboring Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, which set up their respective NLUs in 2003 and 2010, Uttarakhand has yet to have a functional law university.
The state's legislature passed the NLU act in 2011, but the institution has struggled with relocation, uncertainty, and a lack of academic sessions. The High Court intervened in 2018, ordering the government to establish the university, stating that academic sessions can commence from a government building or rented premises even without a permanent campus.
In 2019, the foundation stone was laid at Ranipokhari, but seven years later, the NLU remains non-functional. Uttarakhand's students still seek admission at NLUs in other states, facing higher costs and losing access to domicile-linked opportunities. The lack of an NLU is particularly significant for a Himalayan state grappling with complex issues like environmental disputes, forest rights, disasters, land laws, and migration.
Written by urgent.news from The Hindu's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
