NPYF criticises Nagaland government over the continued absence of a functional government law college.
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DIMAPUR — The National People’s Youth Front (NPYF), Dimapur District, has criticised the state government for the continued absence of a functional government law college in Nagaland, terming it "six decades of institutional failure” and a result of sustained political neglect.
In a press release issued on Monday, the youth wing of the National People’s Party (NPP) stated that more than 60 years after attaining statehood in 1963, Nagaland still does not have a government-run law college with adequate capacity and infrastructure.
It said responsibility for the gap lies across successive governments, including those led by the Naga People’s Front, the present coalition involving the Bharatiya Janata Party, and earlier regimes.
The NPYF said that despite annual state budgets running into thousands of crores, there has been no “transparent, time-bound policy commitment” or dedicated institutional framework for establishing a government law college, calling it a matter of misplaced priorities rather than financial incapacity.
It further stated that legal education in the state currently exists only in limited forms under Nagaland University and affiliated institutions, lacking the scale, funding and autonomy required, and cannot substitute for a standalone government law college.
The organisation said the absence of such an institution has created inequality, forcing students—particularly from economically weaker backgrounds—to pursue legal education outside the state, placing additional financial and social burdens on them.
Citing Supreme Court judgments, including Mohini Jain vs State of Karnataka and Unni Krishnan vs State of Andhra Pradesh, the NPYF said the state has an obligation to expand access to education under Article 21 of the Constitution.
It added that in Nagaland’s context, protections under Article 371A require a strong base of locally trained legal professionals capable of navigating both customary laws and constitutional frameworks, and the lack of a law college represents a broader institutional gap.
The NPYF also rejected arguments of fiscal constraints, stating that continued allocation of resources to administrative expansion undermines such claims.
It called on the government to establish a government law college within a defined and time-bound framework, adding that the youth would no longer accept continued inaction.