Students at the University of Jammu have entered their ninth day of protests, demanding a reversal of the newly announced fee structure for the academic year 2026-27. Among the protesters are law students who argue that the increased costs are unaffordable for families with modest incomes.
The conflict began nearly a year ago when the Law Department issued a fee notice in 2025, setting the annual fees for the three-year LL.B. program at around ₹17,000. After students questioned the rationale behind this increase, the university reduced the fee by approximately ₹1,000, claiming an error in the notification, and assured students that there wouldn’t be any further hikes in the following semester.
However, upon the commencement of the new academic session, students discovered that new admissions to the LL.B. program faced fees of about ₹20,000, while those entering the 5-year B.A.LL.B. program were charged around ₹50,000. Amit Sadotra, a second-year LL.B. student, remarked that the increase disproportionately impacts students from average-income families. “Our issue was that anybody from an ordinary family will not be able to afford this,” he told Bar & Bench.
Students have also highlighted the fee discrepancy between Jammu University and Kashmir University, both established under the same statute. They noted that Kashmir University charges approximately ₹12,000 annually for both the 3-year LL.B. and 5-year B.A.LL.B. programs. When students raised this issue with the administration, they were informed that Jammu University had invested in infrastructure improvements and were invited to compare the campuses themselves. Upon visiting, students reported that Kashmir University’s campus and institute ranking were superior despite the lower fees.
Nikhil Singh, another student in the 3-year LL.B. program, expressed the determination behind the ongoing protests. “Humne 8 dino se protest chalaya hai. Humari koshish hai ki hum is soye hue prashashan ki aankhein khol sake, inke kaan khol sake, aur inko aam chhataron ki awaaz bata sake,” he said, translating to, “We have been protesting for 8 days. Our effort is to open the eyes of this sleeping administration, to open their ears, and to make them hear the voice of ordinary students.” He emphasized that the protest is not only for the current students but also for future students of the university.
