Government’s Effort To Reform Tribhuvan University!

Tribhuvan University has been a breeding ground for unstable politics. However, it has the potential for improvement. There have been several accusations that the institution is not concentrating on improving. Tribhuvan University, established in 1959, has a 64-year history. Previously, India oversaw Nepal's education system. Nepal's educational system was controlled and overseen by the Calcutta Board and the Patna Board. A university in Nepal? Some countries, particularly India, were surprised when the institution was first established. The Nepal Sanskrit School was founded prior to democracy, and several colleges were formed afterward to capitalize on democracy.

Some institutions have met the education level, while others are struggling to maintain it. Nepal now has more than a dozen universities. Some of the faculties in the previous government-run university have dissolved. Despite this, some university faculties outperform private institutions in terms of quality. The university has an adequate physical and institutional infrastructure. However, due to excessive political interference and an unstable political atmosphere, the university's reputation has deteriorated. After the institution eliminated the Proficiency Certificate Level, several academics lost their jobs. Many of them have now resigned owing to age, but they utilized all available facilities while in service.

This was not their sole weakness; it was the government's overall weakness. Unhealthy student politics and government inactivity have led to the university's current situation. Despite this, there remained a continuous struggle among the purported intellectuals to become the university's vice chancellors. There are rumors that the hiring of a vice chancellor is expensive. According to the legal framework, the Prime Minister is the Chancellor of the University, and the Minister of Education and Culture is the Pro-Chancellor. Whereas the Vice-Chancellor is selected on the government's recommendation, the Vice-Chancellor is the university's chief office-bearer and serves full-time. So, a knowledgeable individual should be nominated to serve as vice chancellor. The rector and registrar are also appointed in a similar way. Money manipulation is used to fill jobs where credentials and talents should be the first priority.

The recent move by Prime Minister and Chancellor Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' to cancel and reschedule the Vice-Chancellor's vacancy announcement is noteworthy. With the condition that the applicant have at least three years of work experience at the university, it is unlikely that a qualified individual from outside the university will be given the opportunity to apply for the position of vice chancellor. As a result, the prime minister's direction will undoubtedly broaden the scope of competition. However, this may raise further concerns. Such orders may have been delivered to assign an outsider, or someone close to him, to the position. A student organization has issued a statement demanding the provision to appoint the Prime Minister and the education minister’s appointments to the posts of Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor be abolished.

The student association claims that the appointment of political people as officials in such academic and educational institutions would result in political meddling. This is an outdated system that has allowed for political intervention. On the other hand, political intervention in the institution has risen not just among university administrators, but also among students. Students continue to enroll at Tribhuvan University colleges till the age of 40 in order to advance their political careers. Whoever comes as the vice-chancellor is encircled by these students.

The Vice-Chancellor's goal to further develop the university ends with ensuring student satisfaction. The individual who becomes the University's Vice-Chancellor is unquestionably a powerful figure with great intelligence and academic credentials. However, because of the interference, they are unable to function independently and impartially. Until this tradition is broken, whoever holds the role may not perform as expected. To maintain a high-quality educational environment at Tribhuvan University, it is important to keep it free of politics. Appointments made based on money manipulation and position allocation based on political divisions will hinder progress and worsen the situation.