One of the more shameful consequences of the dispute over the State of Jammu and Kashmir in the last thirty years is the dismantling of its civic institutions. One of the most negatively affected has been its educational institutions; especially in higher education. Most of them have been turned into degree-churners and job-providers for those with such degrees. While these consequences considered in themselves are not without value, the absence of training in critical thought processes in these institutions is embarrassing. So in that context, it is heartening to see some new ventures to build institutions that will instruct and encourage students on how to think critically. Mehboob Makhdoomi’s proposed University/College appears to be in that vein and is a welcome addition.