Srinagar, April 11 -- ByDr. Harjeet Singh

The Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly passed the Private Universities Bill on April 4, 2026, with the usual fanfare about progress and opportunity.

The legislation promises regulatory oversight, UGC compliance, student protections, and a ban on capitation fees. It sounds thorough, promising, and like exactly the kind of measured step a responsible government should take.

It also sounds eerily familiar.

Every few years, Kashmir policymakers discover that young people are leaving. They note that families drain life savings to send children to universities in Delhi, Chandigarh, or Bangalore. They observe that government colleges host more pigeons than students.

They draft bills, hold press ...