KATHMANDU, Aug 20: Once considered the finest academic institution in the country, where research and higher education inspired generations of academics and students, Tribhuvan University is now plagued by politics, mismanagement, and a lack of academic discipline. Student protests, sit-ins, violence, and physical assaults have become routine occurrences. Adding to this woe are appointments of vice chancellors based on party quota and affiliations rather than merit. Each new VC appointment is accompanied by protests from student wings belonging to the opposition political groups. These student unions present long lists of demands, which the university is often not in a position to fulfill. Student antics have adversely affected the academic calendar and environment of the nation’s oldest university.
Teachers have also played a role in aggravating the situation. Contract teachers often seek permanent status, either through internal exams or other concessions. To press for their demands, they frequently stage strikes and sit-ins. Teachers, professors, and staff are also divided along party lines. Many remain absent from duty, derailing the academic culture of the university. Some teachers who go abroad for training or research never return, while others take long leaves and abscond from duty. To recover the investment it has made in such teachers, the university has not introduced a policy to reclaim money from those who fail to report back. The TU administration has threatened that it will not accept the resignation of teachers if they fail to return salaries or stipends taken from the university.
However, such steps have limited impact, as students grow impatient with delayed examinations, postponed results, and deteriorating academic standards. Increasing numbers of students are now going abroad or opting for private colleges, indicating a loss of confidence in the education system at TU.
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Against this backdrop, the appointment of new vice chancellors often raises hopes for reform. But student unions have other plans. They greet newly appointed VCs with protests and sit-ins. When Professor Deepak Aryal was appointed after many months of vacancy, many had hoped the institution would now set itself on the path to reform and excellence.
Less than two weeks after his appointment, student unions began padlocking offices, vandalizing property, and even physically attacking staff. This time, the Maoist-affiliated All Nepal Independent Students Union (Revolutionary) led the unrest, opposing certain university programs. Such episodes have occurred in the past as well.
When Professor Dharmakant Banskota was appointed VC during the UML government, both the Maoist Revolutionary wing and the Congress-affiliated student groups protested, disturbing the academic and administrative environment. When Professor Keshar Jung Baral was appointed during the tenure of then PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal, the UML student wing went on a rampage. Even staff and teachers affiliated with UML created disturbances for Baral, compelling him to resign. This vicious cycle repeats with each appointment of TU VCs, as student unions act as arms of their parent parties. Their demands, such as reducing tuition fees despite no hikes for more than a decade, often appear to be excuses for unruly behavior. Professors have themselves been assaulted, yet few are punished. Such impunity entrenches the culture of disorder.
What is more irksome is that student unions rarely call for better academic quality. They never discuss missed classes, delayed exams, or declining research standards. Instead, they disrupt classes, lock offices, block scheduled exams, and disturb the overall academic atmosphere. By their actions, they deprive fellow students of the very education they claim to defend.
Teachers who skip classes or stay overseas without returning also contribute to this decline. If the nation’s leading university cannot provide regular teaching, reliable examinations, and a safe environment for its staff and students, the harm extends beyond its gates. Parents lose confidence, top students leave, and the overall standard of higher education declines.
For Tribhuvan University to regain its lost prestige, the government must end political appointments. It should enforce rules against absent teachers and take strong action against student groups that use violence and disrupt the academic environment. Political parties must control their student wings and prevent affiliated teachers from causing disturbances. Meanwhile, officials and professors who misuse power should face scrutiny. An institution like TU cannot progress and achieve excellence without the rule of law.
