PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ravindra Jugran has expressed dismay over the continued delay in establishing a National Law University (NLU) in Uttarakhand, even 25 years after the state’s formation.
“The foundation stone for the proposed university was laid in March 2019 at Listrabad near Ranipokhari in Dehradun by then chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat. The event was attended by then Higher Education minister Dhan Singh Rawat and former chief minister and MP Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank,” he added.
He further pointed out that the Uttarakhand National Law University Act had been passed in 2011 and later amended in 2018. “But the project has not seen significant progress since then. This is sad when we compare things with two other states- Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand which came up with Uttarakhand. They started their NLUs in 2003 and 2010, respectively,” he said.
He further noted that NLUs are functioning in several small states, including Himachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya and Tripura. “In contrast, the NLU eludes Jammu and Kashmir because of the location dispute involving Srinagar and Jammu. But it is inexplicable why things hang fire in Uttarakhand for so many years,” he observed.
Jugran added that the state cabinet had approved the establishment of the university at Listrabad near Ranipokhari several years ago and the matter had also been brought to the notice of the Uttarakhand High Court.
Emphasising the importance of legal education, he said that there is growing demand for legal professionals across sectors such as defence, corporate, agriculture and education, creating employment opportunities. “The day is principally due to the legislature’s indifference in advancing the project,” he noted.
