The mindset about Northeast is changing¹

Established in 2022, National Law University (NLU) Tripura is among the newest NLUs in the northeastern region of the country. Currently functioning from the Tripura Judicial Academy, the law college is expected to move to its permanent campus within a year. In a conversation with Pritha Roy Choudhury, VC Yogesh Pratap Singh shares his firsthand experience of building a new NLU, the challenges of setting up an institution in the Northeast, and the steps being taken to ensure academic quality, regional relevance, and student diversity. Edited excerpts:

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Q. As a new NLU, what kind of challenges did you anticipate while taking charge at NLU Tripura?

A. Challenges were expected. I was mentally prepared because I was part of the founding team of National Law University Odisha, so I knew what kind of issues arise in the initial years. However, Tripura has its own specific challenges. It is geographically far from mainland India, and there is still a perception that the Northeast is remote. That mindset is slowly changing. Students from across the country like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka are now joining NLU Tripura.

There are logistical challenges as Tripura is a small state and resources are limited. The government has to arrange funds for construction and development. That said, construction is progressing fast, and we expect to move to our permanent campus within a year.

Q. When did NLU Tripura actually begin its academic journey?

A. The law to establish NLU Tripura was passed in 2022. I joined as founding VC on September 30, 2022, but since it was already late in the academic year, we planned to begin from 2023. We have now completed two years of academic functioning.

Q. Where is the university currently functioning from?

A. At present, we are functioning from the Tripura Judicial Academy. Judicial Academies function under the High Court. Since the chief justice is the university chancellor, we received support from and space at the Judicial Academy.

Q. How many students does NLU Tripura admit each year?

A. We admit one section each for the five-year integrated BA LLB (Hons) and the LLM programme. Currently, we have around 190 students in total. For LLM, we have an intake capacity of 50, though the actual number varies between 40 and 45 to maintain quality.