Nepal is going through a long transition. It was expected that after the change in the political system, the country's socio-economic problems would be solved and the people would be able to practice an advanced democratic system. Many believed that an inclusive, good governance and democratic state system would be established that would solve problems in all areas, especially society, politics, economy, and culture.

The main intention of the 2062/63 people's movement and peace process was to restructure the entire state system and build a new Nepal. Nepal was converted to a federal system, the political system changed, but the political parties did not fulfill the promises they made to the people through the agreement. The party and its leadership were happy with power interests, and the political leadership, who were happy in the relay race from power to power, did not pay any attention to solving the problems, contradictions and crises of Nepali society. 

For the transformation of any situation, awareness, knowledge and ideas corresponding to it are required. Search, study, research, knowledge production, distribution and public discussion are essential requirements for socio-political transformation. Only by producing and using knowledge according to the time and situation can individuals, society and the country progress. An important objective of establishing a university is to produce such knowledge.

Most universities are focused on conducting formal classes, and research and study are not prioritized The university should produce the necessary knowledge for society and the country through study, research, interaction and extensive discussion. The role of universities and the academic sector is to produce knowledge that guides the country's economic and political progress by analyzing the socio-economic life of the grassroots level of society and the national and international environment. However, in the field of social sciences, neither the state has taken knowledge production seriously, nor have the universities themselves seriously engaged in research, study, and research.

Political leadership and state administrators do not want academic knowledge production, distribution, and public debate because the rulers consider themselves omniscient and supreme, while on the other hand, academic knowledge production is not a primary area of ​​the university. Even the limited studies and research conducted by universities do not include the issues of the majority of economically and socially oppressed classes and communities.

To contribute to such a shortage, academic practice is also being carried out in the fields of study, research, knowledge production, and public debate. Amidst challenges such as limited resources and lack of cooperation from the state, although the academic and intellectual community in the public sphere has produced public knowledge to a certain extent, there is a significant lack of knowledge production at a level that addresses the density of problems, contradictions, crises, and complexities of Nepali society.

A stagnant university 

The establishment of Trichandra College in 1975 BS was a very important step for higher education in Nepal. Tribhuvan University was established in 2016 BS. Tribhuvan University, which grew up with the Panchayat system, could not go beyond the interests of the political power. This university, which revolved around the interests of political parties and leadership to the extreme with the multi-party system, is not able to play an effective academic role in transforming the country's socio-political crisis.

It is the role and responsibility of the academic world to produce public knowledge through research, study, investigation, and analysis, especially on the multidimensional aspects of the country's political, economic, and social sectors. Such research can provide a perspective on the state, causes, and solutions to the country's crisis. Even after the political changes for progress, Nepal could not emerge from the political transition? What are the causes of the political-economic crisis? Why have the repeated struggles and movements of the people not brought the expected results?

The possibility of the frustration and anger of the people turning into a movement and the impact it can have is something that universities and the academic sector should study, research and produce knowledge, especially on issues such as the possibility of converting it into a movement. The role of Nepali universities in creating knowledge with a view to the causes of the dire economic crisis, inequality, injustice, and discriminatory social consciousness is very weak.

In many countries of the world, universities are assisting the state in producing knowledge. For example, with the globalization of the 1980s, Europe faced huge problems of poverty, unemployment and displacement. Discrimination and exclusion against the Roma minority community, immigrants, linguistic and cultural groups in Europe, in particular, increased.

After becoming the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in 1997, Tony Blair formed the Social Research Commission at the London School of Economics to study social exclusion in order to solve the problems of the Roma community, the homeless and groups trapped in a vicious cycle of poverty in the United Kingdom.

Based on the study, research and analysis conducted by the university, he appointed the Minister for the End of Social Inequality and Exclusion in 2006. This helped the UK formulate policies and programs for social inclusion. In Nepal, the Department of Sociology/Anthropology of Tribhuvan University has conducted research in the field of gender equality and social inclusion, but even that is not enough. There have been no studies on the status and effectiveness of inclusive practices. 

There are currently about two dozen universities in Nepal. Along with teaching and learning, one of the primary functions of all of them is to conduct research, study and produce academic knowledge. However, most universities focus on conducting formal classes, and research is not a priority. For example, there have been large-scale socio-political transformation movements in Nepal.

There has also been a change in traditional power relations to some extent. However, what are the socio-political reasons for the increase in extreme frustration and disillusionment among the people? What are the underlying reasons behind the failure of democratic movements to institutionalize their results? Why is the gap between the poor and the rich increasing? Why is the so-called educated large group still guided by discriminatory patriarchy and casteism?

Which class and community in society is committing political anarchy, corruption, and brokering and why is it doing so? Academic studies and research can provide concrete solutions by seriously studying, reviewing, and analyzing such socio-political situations. But Nepal lacks universities and leadership that can play a serious role in such issues. 

Universities have a role in building a public intellectual community. The work of building a public intellectual community in accordance with the characteristics of Nepali society is not possible without understanding social contradictions. The basic character of Nepali society is patriarchy and caste system. Such basic issues of society should be the subject of compulsory study, teaching and research in social sciences in universities.

However, the multifaceted aspects of social diversity, discrimination and exclusion have never been a priority of the university. It has not been able to do effective work in building progressive and humane consciousness. Therefore, a section of the educated community still openly stands on the side of rapists. It indulges in trivial types of caste violence and insults. This means that our universities are not contributing to the end of discrimination, but to its reproduction, which hinders the progressive movement of human society. Therefore, it is necessary to restructure the university in order to produce the knowledge necessary to take the country forward and for socio-political transformation. 

Initiatives in the social sector 

Academics and organizations are also playing a role in producing the knowledge necessary to accelerate society. Limited thematic and sectoral studies, research and knowledge production naturally contribute to a certain extent to forming ideas through public debate. Publications, conferences, and discussions help analyze the contemporary socio-political environment to expand study, research, and knowledge production. Organizations like Social Science Baha, Martin Chautari have been conducting study, research, and academic conferences since the past.

Martin Chautari has been conducting annual conferences for more than a decade, where there has been a comprehensive discussion on academic research conducted by domestic and foreign scholars on various aspects of social studies. Social organizations are playing a role in bringing the studies of scholars, researchers, and individuals in the academic field into the debate and in exchanging knowledge, but there are limited organizations that continuously carry out academic work in the field of social studies, and they are also constrained by the limitations of resources. The state neither holds universities accountable for the production of academic knowledge, nor does it support academic efforts in the social field.

The demand for the establishment of a Social Science Research Council in Nepal for social studies has been raised for a long time. The establishment of an autonomous research council with financial support from the state can independently support the state by conducting immediate or long-term studies and research on society. It can produce academic knowledge that challenges and transforms the methods, processes, and weaknesses of state governance.

However, the state was never ready to form such a council. In 2075, a policy research council was formed for studies and research and is conducting research. However, it has not been able to conduct comprehensive studies and research to guide the state, take society forward, and free it from economic and political crises. This shows that the state is not interested in social science research and knowledge production, and it does not seem to be in favor of making universities responsible for knowledge production and strengthening academic organizations.

Restructuring the academic sector 

Whether the state is in power or the knowledge power, the dominance of the dominant individual, class, or community prevails. Whether history is written under the leadership of the state power or academic work, it is done in favor of the ruling class, gender, and community. Nepal's limited academic sector is in the hands of the politically powerful and socially dominant elite.

Unless the university and academic sector are structurally made inclusive in accordance with the social structure, the university and academic sector cannot represent social reality. If there is no academic approach to the diversity of society and no debate, the educated community will continue to be representatives of discriminatory and intolerant ideas. This will not allow the entire society and the country to move forward.