EXACTLY. Education in all NLUs has become so relaxed it's scary. Mediocrity is welcome, and if you try to excel at coursework and do extra work you'll just burn yourself out and for not a lot of tangible advantage. Go to any foreign university and you'll know what an intensive course is. Hahaha, holy shit this made me LMAO.

Gruelling studies in an NLU? Lol! It seems students these days have got no actual concept of how studying at a law school should be. Go to any foreign university of repute, you will find out the real meaning of an intensive course. NLU requirements are a joke! Any student with decent intelligence and command over the English language can study for 10-12 hours a week and ace all their exams and other curricular requirements in any NLU.

Yes Definitely, especially if you are a 5 Year course student as the Studies are very gruelling (atleast in my NLU) which would make it easier for you to get accustomed to the 5-7 hours study daily for atleast a year.

Also law optional is very nice, just make sure to use the notes you made in Law School. Studying with the optional also makes it easier to prepare for judicial services side by side, but I don't recommend doing the same as judicial services exams require a different strategy altogether.

I would instead recommend preparing for UPSC and state service exams (not judiciary) alongside they have almost identical subjects.