Prime Minister Balendra Shah has directed the vice-chancellors to remove the partisan student organization from the university and return the encroached land.

He had called the vice-chancellors of 11 universities and 7 health science institutes to Singha Durbar for discussion. During the discussion, the vice-chancellors said that the Prime Minister showed interest in 3 issues. ‘First, he asked to remove the partisan student organization, including the professor and employee organization, from the university. Second, he instructed to return the encroached land. Third, he urged to strictly implement the academic calendar,’ said a vice-chancellor who attended the meeting.

Security units in universities and campuses to remove the student organization

The Prime Minister, who is also the chancellor of those universities and health science institutes, had discussed with the vice-chancellors for about 3 hours at the Prime Minister’s Office. ‘Remove the partisan student organization. There can be a non-partisan independent student union. Bring back the encroached land. Write to the ministry for action against the guilty,' a vice-chancellor participating in the discussion said, quoting the Prime Minister's statement, 'Implement the academic calendar. If possible, publish the results within a month. He said that the government will provide all the support and assistance to carry out any reform work in the university.' His secretariat has stated that the Prime Minister is of the opinion that political activities should not be carried out in universities and institutions under any pretext.

Vice Chancellor of Purbanchal University Biju Kumar Thapaliya said that he had been telling the Prime Minister about the problems of the university in turn. ‘We raised the problem. He listened. He said to move forward,’ he said, ‘The Prime Minister especially showed interest in removing the party student organization. He made it clear that there will be a non-party, non-political student organization in the campus and university.’

Vice Chancellor Thapaliya said that the Prime Minister also raised the issue of land encroachment and its return. ‘He instructed the Vice Chancellors to be responsible and move forward with confidence to fulfill their responsibilities,’ he said. He said that the Vice Chancellor had instructed to conduct admissions, examinations and publication of results on time. He said, ‘Do it on time.’ He urged to implement the academic calendar. The Ministry of Education has instructed to publish the results within two months. The Prime Minister said that if possible, the results should be given within 15 days,' Thapaliya said. The Vice-Chancellors say that the Prime Minister has promised the government's full support and cooperation if someone does something that damages the university. He said that the Prime Minister has instructed to start the work of bringing back the encroached land of the university. He said that he asked to write to the ministry for action against those involved in the encroachment.

The lands of Tribhuvan University, including Sanskrit, Agriculture and Forestry, and Purbanchal, have been encroached. Pokhara University Vice-Chancellor Bedraj KC said that the Prime Minister had requested to publish the results within a month during the discussion. 'The Vice-Chancellors reported on the situation of the university. The Prime Minister listened to the briefings of all universities. He asked to strictly implement the academic calendar,' he said.

Prime Minister Shah's secretariat has stated that there was a discussion on the current problems of universities and institutions and ways to solve them. Vice-chancellors of universities and institutions, where the Prime Minister is the Chancellor, were called for the discussion. Health Minister Nisha Mehta and Education Minister Sasmit Pokharel also participated in the discussion.

TU's 35-day notice to return encroached land

 

Vice-Chancellor of the University of Agriculture and Forestry Sharada Thapaliya said that the Prime Minister had further discussed the discussions and decisions made with Education Minister Pokharel on Chaitra 20. 'We demanded that the university need a budget to run new programs,' she said, 'The Prime Minister has promised to solve the problem. He said that the budget will also be arranged next year.'

On Chaitra 20, the Ministry of Education had called the Vice-Chancellors and made various decisions on the issue of removing the student organization. The decision states that if there is any security challenge in the process of removing the party student organization, security arrangements will be made through the Ministry of Home Affairs. The decision states that a temporary/permanent security unit can be arranged on the university premises. A request has been made to the Ministry of Home Affairs through the Ministry of Education for the establishment of the unit. Political parties including the Congress, UML, and NCP, as well as student organizations of the three, have objected to the decision to remove the student organization. The joint student organization has also announced a movement.

Obstacles in the implementation of the decision to return the encroached land of Tribhuvan University

The agenda for governance reform approved by the government mentions the removal of party student organization structures from the university premises within 60 days. It is stated that a student council or voice of student mechanism will be developed within 90 days. The meeting had decided to extinguish the activities of various student organizations established in the university. Fourteen student organizations affiliated with various political parties have criticized the government's decision to remove student organizations from schools and universities as undemocratic. Student organizations including the Nepali Students' Union, Nepali Students' Union, and All Revolutionary Union have warned that they will protest on the streets if the police are used to forcibly remove student organizations.