Prime Minister Sushila Karki has said that universities across the country need to be made autonomous.
Speaking at a ceremony of Tribhuvan University in Kirtipur on Wednesday, Prime Minister Karki made it clear that it is not practical for a single prime minister to shoulder the responsibility of 19 universities.
“A single prime minister cannot carry every burden in one basket,” Karki said. “Since the demand for autonomy has been growing, universities should now be able to design their own programs and plans.”
According to Karki, vice-chancellors should be selected through experts, not on political grounds. “The prime minister serves as the chancellor of 19 universities. How can one person manage that? Let vice-chancellors be chosen through experts, let the assembly itself decide,” she emphasized.
Prime Minister Karki noted that political influence has been affecting university assemblies, which in turn obstructs educational development.
Meanwhile, the Senate meeting of Tribhuvan University has passed the policies and programs for the fiscal year 2082/83. The meeting, chaired by Prime Minister and Chancellor Karki, endorsed the annual policies and programs.
The policy document includes provisions for fencing and safeguarding university land, taking action through the government and its agencies against encroachers, and forming a committee to investigate land outside Kathmandu.
It also proposes identifying the land of encroached campuses, investigating lands outside the Valley, and introducing policy reforms related to Tribhuvan University’s financial management.
The policies and programs prioritize integrating entrepreneurship and employment concepts into higher education, expanding access to higher education for the general public, enhancing the quality of higher education, improving skilled human resource management, and promoting research and quality publications.
While passing the policy document, Prime Minister and Chancellor Karki urged Tribhuvan University to explore its own income-generating sources and to participate in international grants and programs to mobilize financial resources.
In the meeting, Minister for Education, Science, and Technology and Pro-Chancellor Mahabir Pun said that the report submitted by the committee formed to study Tribhuvan University land issues would be implemented.
He urged the university to organize all academic and administrative data, and to create an academic environment that attracts foreign researchers and students.
He also called for the implementation of the academic calendar to address student grievances and for the immediate resolution of delays in the Examination Controller’s Office.
At the meeting, Tribhuvan University Vice-Chancellor Deepak Aryal announced that the “Earn While You Learn” policy would be implemented.
He said this program would be launched in the Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science, and the Institute of Forestry, and would gradually be expanded to other institutes and faculties.
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