Srinagar, Sept. 17 -- By Dr. Rizwan Rumi

A student from Kupwara, Kulgam, Bandipora, Baramulla or Anantnag can win admission to a college in Srinagar and still face a second, less celebrated hurdle before classes begin: finding a room he or she can afford.

The family has already calculated tuition, books, transport and food.

Then comes rent.

A room may have to be shared with several students, located far from campus or paid for at a price that pushes the household budget beyond its limit.

The college admission remains intact on paper, but the cost of reaching it has changed.

Jammu and Kashmir has a new legal framework for this relationship.

The Jammu and Kashmir Tenancy Act, 2025 came into force on February 15, 2026. It calls for wr...