17/04/2026
Private Universities Bill, 2026 marks a dangerous shift from education as a public right to education as a private commodity. While the government claims it will boost higher education and reduce student migration, in reality it opens the doors for profit-driven institutions to enter a sector that must remain rooted in social justice, equality and accessibility.
Education is not a marketplace , it is a fundamental pillar of democracy. By inviting private capital into universities, the state is gradually withdrawing from its responsibility to strengthen public institutions and instead placing the burden on students and their families.
Even with regulatory promises, privatization historically leads to rising fees, exclusion of the poor, and commercialization of knowledge.
In a region like Jammu & Kashmir, where economic inequality and social challenges are already deep, this policy risks turning education into a privilege of the wealthy rather than a right of all. Instead of building more public universities, hiring teachers, and investing in infrastructure, the government is outsourcing its duty to private players whose primary motive is profit, not public welfare.
We reject this model. We stand for an education system that is publicly funded, socially inclusive and democratically accountable,
where knowledge is not sold but shared for the collective progress of society.
