Srinagar, Feb. 8 -- The renewed demand for a National Law University (NLU) in Jammu and Kashmir marks an important moment in the Union Territory's ongoing conversation on higher education . For decades, aspiring law students from the region have travelled to distant states to study at premier institutions, often bearing significant financial and emotional costs. The proposal to establish an NLU within J&K was therefore greeted with optimism, seen as recognition of the region's academic aspirations and intellectual potential.

Yet, as discussions around the proposal gained momentum, the issue gradually moved beyond the question of whether an NLU is needed, to where it should be located and how it should serve a geographically and socially ...